Mankind is slowly realizing the power of GIS in
managing our planet. Here's a glimpse of the Earth’s natural resources through this
versatile technology.
 Combining various types of data through different techniques can
give the big picture (right) on anything from oil spills and contamination (bottom right)
to managing the ecosystem of a lake (below) |
No More Foggy Forests
GIS gives foresters the "big picture" about resources and lets them perform
tasks such as developing long-term supply strategies and determining harvesting system
options. Managing forests in today's ever-changing world is becoming an increasingly
complex and demanding challenge. GIS provides foresters with powerful tools to do so.
Penetrating The Sea in 3D
GIS technology allows experts to see a large portion of the Earth that is underwater and
make a 3-dimensional map of it. It even helps tracking the journey of whales and tuna to
preserve species in threatened areas. Marine GIS is helping oceanography, hydrography,
navigation and defence and managing the coastal shoreline.
Here Come the Hi-tech Farmers
GIS provides the analytical capabilities for a successful
precision agriculture system. GIS lets farmers perform site-specific spatial analyses of
agronomic data. The study of geographic features and the relationship between them can be
applied to all agriculture sectors. By understanding better how features within the
landscape interact, decision makers can optimise efficiency and improve economic returns.LIBERATING FARMERS
Karnataka’s GIS scheme Bhoomi has
revolutionized the way farmers access their land records. Thousands of farmers can now get
a copy of the Record of Rights, Tenancy and Crops from a computerized information kiosk
without harassment and bribe. Karnataka has computerized 20 million records of land
ownership of 6.7 million farmers in the state. Land record updates used to take 1-2 years
and were also not open to public, inaccuracies crept in, ineffective. Bhoomi is a
major land reform and other states are also looking into it. |
Remember Before You Step on Your
Bus…
Transportation professionals in cities like New York have already integrated road systems
into their GIS software. This is helpful for tracking and routing of buses and cars,
inventory tracking for government vehicles, route planning and analysis. Indian road and
rail systems are also getting GIS-savvy.
The Miner’s Major Help
GIS creates efficiency and productivity opportunities in all aspects of mineral
exploration and mining. GIS enables geologists and mine operators to mine intelligently,
efficiently, competitively, safely, and environmentally. GIS provides the framework to
acquire, develop, and interpret the complex spatial data.
Making Hospitals More Hospitable
GIS software is used extensively throughout the medical community to study epidemiology,
look at health care facilities, and map any system that is visual or spatial (including
inside a patient's body).
No Wasting Water
Managing the flow of water and wastewater to homes in any city is difficult. Authorities
have to keep track of the location and condition of water mains, valves, hydrants, meters,
storage facilities and sewer manholes. All this can now be tracked on the computer.
