Arc Geographic Information System Research Articles

Estimation of Soil loss by USLE Model using GIS and Remote Sensing techniques: A case study of Muhuri River Basin, Tripura, India

Soil erosion is a most severe environmental problem in humid sub-tropical hilly state Tripura. The present study is carried out on Muhuri river basin of Tripura state, North east India having an area of 614.54 Sq.km. In this paper, Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) model, with Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS) have been used to quantify the soil loss in the Muhuri river basin. Five essential parameters such as Runoff-rainfall erosivity factor (R), soil erodibility Factor (K), slope length and steepness (LS), cropping management factor (C), and support practice factor (P) have been used to estimate soil loss amount in the study area. All of these layers have been prepared in GIS and RS platform (Mainly Arc GIS 10.1) using various data sources and data preparation methods. In these study DEM and LISS satellite data have been used. The daily rainfall data (2001-2010) of 6 rain gauge stations have been used to predict the R factor. Soil erodibility (K) factor in Basin area ranged from 0.15 to 0.36. The spatial distribution map of soil loss of Muhuri river basin has been generated and classified into six categories according to intensity level of soil loss. The average annual predicted soil loss ranges between 0 to and 650 t/ha/y. Low soil loss areas (<25 t/ha/y) have been recorded under very densely forested areas and intensely plantation (mainly Rubber plantation) area. The high rate (>70 t/ha/y) of soil erosion was found along the main course of Muhuri River.

DISASTER RECOVERY THROUGH PREDICTION OF SAFE ROUTE USING DEM LEVELS

When a disaster occurs, the normal commutation routes are disrupted. People get stuck at these disaster points and would be in trouble, hence people in those areas find it difficult to communicate and evacuation route to safe area is unknown. The aim of the paper is to predict safe routes to reach the refuge point from the disaster point. The prototype was developed using Arc geographic information system runtime SDK for Java Application and APIs in Eclipse. The system was developed with digital elevation model layer, and route layer for India basemap focused to Tamil Nadu. The safe route is found based on the elevation values of the area from the disaster point to a safe point. The developed system could be used by the relief providers to reach the disaster point and rescue victims.

Mapping of Malaria Vectors at District Level in India: Changing Scenario and Identified Gaps.

Malaria is one of the six major vector-borne diseases in India, the endemicity of which changes with changes in ecological, climatic, and sociodevelopmental conditions. The anopheline vectors are greatly affected by ecological conditions such as deforestation, urbanization, climate and lifestyle. Despite the advent of tools such as Geographic Information System (GIS), the updated information on the distribution of anopheline vectors of malaria is not available. In India, the plan for vector control is organized at subcentral level but information about vectors is unavailable even at the district level. Therefore, a systematic presentation of vector distribution has been made to provide maps in respect of major vector species. A search of the literature for major vector species, that is, Anopheles culicifacies, Anopheles fluviatilis, Anopheles stephensi, Anopheles minimus, and Anopheles dirus sensu lato, since 1927 till 2015 was carried out. Data have been presented as present, absent, and no information about vector species during pre-eradication (1927-1958), posteradication (1959-1999), and current scenario (2000-2015). Vectors' distribution and malaria endemicity were mapped using Arc GIS. Of 630 districts of India, major vectors An. culicifacies, An. fluviatilis, and An. stephensi were present in 420, 241, and 243 districts, respectively. In 183 districts, there is no information on any major malaria vector species although 27 of them from the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Manipur, and Mizoram are highly endemic for malaria, having incidences of 2-40 cases/1000/year. The identified gaps in vector distribution, particularly in malaria endemic areas, necessitate further surveys so as to generate the missing information.

Correlation of Obstetric Care Facility Density with Standard Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care Indicators in Tanzania Mainland

Tanzania’s Primary Health Services Development Program (PHSDP) started in 2007 with the aim to establish and staff an additional 5162 dispensaries, 2074 health centres and 8 district hospitals by 2017 which would implicitly increase obstetric care facility density. However, currently obstetric care facility density is not a standard Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care (EmONC) indicator and data on its correlation with the standard EmONC indicators is scanty. In 2015 a cross-sectional survey of all hospitals, health centres and a random sample of dispensaries providing delivery services in all the 25 regions of Tanzania Mainland was conducted whereby the presence of EmONC functions in past 3 months was assessed using a standard tool. Where necessary, population data were based on the 2012 National housing and population Census and the 2010 Tanzania Demographic Health Survey (TDHS). Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS version 20 and STATA. Spatial Mapping was done using a calibrated Geographic Positioning System (GPS) Essential Software for Android and coordinates represented on digitalized map with Arc Geographic Information System (GIS). Ethical approval was granted by the Ethical Clearance Committee of Medical Research Council [MRCC], National Institute for Medical research. Of the confirmed 5207 obstetric care facilities 2405 (46.2%) were surveyed including 35.3% of all dispensaries. National Obstetric care facility density was 68/ 500,000 population, 7/500,000 of them provided all the 7 Basic Emergency Obstretic and Neonatal Care (BEmONC) functions in past 3 months. Among all the regions, 40% had attained or exceeded the international benchmark for EmONC facilities per 500,000 population. Institutional delivery rate was 79% and overall Caesarean Section rate was 5.6%. Improved obstetric care facility density was strongly correlated with improved institutional delivery; Caesarean section rate and met need for EmONC but not the quality of case management. In conclusion obstetric care facility density is well correlated with other standard EmONC indicators.

Availability, Coverage and Geographical Distribution of Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care Services in Tanzania Mainland

In order to assess the availability of Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care (EmONC) services in Tanzania Mainland, a Cross-sectional survey of a National sample of obstetric care facilities was conducted in 2015. We adapted the Averting Maternal Deaths and Disabilities (AMDD) tool and did spatial mapping using a calibrated Global Positioning System (GPS) Essential Software for Android and Arc Geographical Information System (GIS) software. Data were analysed using STATA, SPSS and Excel computer programs. Ethical approval was granted by the National Institute for Medical Research and the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children. We identified 5207 obstetric care facilities which is equivalent to 59.7 facilities per 500,000 population. We surveyed 2405 (46.2%) facilities of which 251 (10.4%) had provided all the 7 Basic Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care (BEmONC) in past 3 months. Among these, 130 had provided Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care (CEmONC). The UN benchmarks for BEmONC and CEmONC facility densities were attained or exceeded by 40% and 76% in all 25 regions respectively. EmONC facilities were dominated by hospitals and were clustered in cities and townships. In conclusions, the distribution of EmONC facilities in Tanzania Mainland is suboptimal in more than half of regions with clustering around cities and townships.

Prioritization of Areas for Construction of Aquatics Facilities Using Geographic Information System (GIS) in Esfahan

This study aimed to prioritize areas for construction of aquatics facilities in Esfahan, according to population distribution, land use, accessibility, and fair distribution. This was descriptive-analytic research. The fourteen areas in Isfahan were considered as research location.The collecteddata classified and organized throughcreation of data base in Arc GIS software. With respect to each criterion, the plans were prepared. Finally, the plans showed the prioritization of aquatics facilities. The findings showed that there was pretty much various distribution of aquatics facilities in various areas in Isfahan. However, there was a strong need for construction of aquatics facilities in areas 10 and 14 in Isfahan. The appropriate constructionsite is one of the basic requirements for establishment of sport facilities with high productivity. Undoubtedly, this is the most important task of sport managers. According to research criteria, the identified regions in this study would be the most appropriate sites for establishing aquatics facilities

Identification of Potential Groundwater Recharge Zones Using Remote Sensing and Geographical Information System in Amaravathy Basin

Integration of remote sensing and geographical information system (GIS) has become a breakthrough in the field of groundwater studies. The demand for water is increasing exponentially each year showing an increase in dependence on groundwater sources as surface water sources are no longer satisfying the demand. The present study attempts to identify the potential recharge zones and locations for artificial recharge structures in Amaravathy Basin, Tamil Nadu. Weighted overlay analysis tool in Arc GIS application is used to identify the areas. The input data for this analysis are different layers like geology, geomorphology, soil, rainfall, land use-land cover, soil lineament density and drainage density. The result depicted the groundwater potential zones into four categories, viz., good, moderate, low and poor that and can be used for better planning and management of groundwater resources. Various groundwater recharge structures like boulder dams, check dams, percolation tanks, recharge pits etc., were suggested in appropriate locations of Amaravathy basin according to the derived results.

Production regionalization study of Chinese angelica based on MaxEnt model

The distribution information of Chinese angelica was collected by interview investigation and field survey, and 43 related environmental factors were collected, some kinds of functional chemical constituents of Angelica sinensis were analyzed. Integrated climate, topography and other related ecological factors, the habitat suitability study was conducted based on Arc geographic information system(ArcGIS),and maximum entropy model. Application of R language to establish the relationship between the effective component of Chinese angelica and enviromental factors model, using ArcGIS software space to carry out space calculation method for the quality regionalization of Chinese angelica. The results showed that 4 major ecological factors had obvious influence on ecology suitability distributions of Chinese angelica, including altitude, soil sub category, May precipitation and the warmest month of the highest temperature, et al. It is suitable for the living habits of the Chinese angelica, cold and humid climate, which is suitable for the deep area of the soil. In addition, the ecological suitability regionalization based on the effect of Chinese angelica also provides a new suitable distribution area other than the traditional distribution area, which provides a scientific basis for the reasonable introduction of Chinese angelica.

Production regionalization study of Glycyrrhiza uralensis

The distribution information of Glycyrrhiza uralensis was collected by interview investigation and field survey, and 46 related environmental factors were collected, some kinds of functional chemical constituents of G.uralensis were analyzed. Integrated climate, topography and other related ecological factors, the habitat suitability study was conducted based on Arc geographic information system(ArcGIS),and maximum entropy model. The AUC of ROC curve was both above 0.95, indicating that the predictive results with the maximum model were highly precise. The results showed that 5 major ecological factors have obvious influence on ecology suitability distributions of G. uralensis, including July average temperature, soil sub category, Dec precipitation, vegetation types and standard deviation of seasonal variation in temperature, et al. It is suitable for the living habits of the G. uralensis, adequate light, low rainfall, summer heat and large temperature difference between day and night, which is suitable for distribution in the northern temperate plains and mountains. In addition, the ecological suitability regionalization based on the chemical constituents of G.uralensis also provides a new suitable distribution area other than the traditional distribution area, which provides a scientific basis for the reasonable introduction of G.uralensis.

Production regionalization study of Lycii Fructus

The distribution information of Lycii Fructus was collected by interview investigation and field survey, and 46 related environmental factors were collected, some kinds of functional chemical constituents the of Lycii Fructus were analyzed. Integrated climate, topography and other related ecological factors, the habitat suitability study was conducted based on Arc geographic information system(ArcGIS),and maximum entropy model. The AUC of ROC curve was both above 0.95, indicating that the predictive results with the maximum model were highly precise. The results showed that 5 major ecological factors had obvious influence on ecology suitability distributions of Lycii Fructus, including soil pH, soil subclass, vegetation type and in August the average temperature et al. It is suitable for the living habits of the Lycii Fructus, dry, cool weather, more hardy, drought-resistant, alkali soil, which is suitable for distribution in the northern temperate plains. In addition, the ecological suitability regionalization based on the chemical constituents of Lycii Fructus also provides a new suitable distribution area other than the traditional distribution area, which provides a scientific basis for the reasonable introduction of Lycii Fructus.

Sand quarrying activities in an alluvial reach of Damodar River, Eastern India: towards a geomorphic assessment

ABSTRACTRiver is a system in which it always tries to make a balance between input and output. Any type of human intervention may affect the whole system and alluvial rivers give response to this interference through changes in its morphology. This concept has serious implications on the present study of Damodar River (Eastern India). Though the hydrology and morphology of Damodar river have been controlled by human activities over the last 50 years, large-scale excavation of river sand from the Damodar riverbed was initiated in the mid-1990s due to increasing urbanization and industrialization. Mainly, the alluvial reach of lower Damodar river is highly affected by uncontrolled sand excavation. To identify the status of sand mining and assess the geomorphic impacts due to indiscriminate and unscientific sand mining, we select Damodar river in between Sillaghat and Sadarghat of West Bengal. It has been estimated that 8, 35,000 ft3/ day (in peak season) of sand is extracted through 71 sand mining areas only from the 40.625 km channel between Sillaghat and Sadarghat. With the help of Geographic Information System (GIS) and field survey, we tried to identify the effects of this huge extraction of sand on this river, which we mapped through Arc GIS software. From the prepared maps, we have identified that Thalweg dynamics, riverbank erosion, instability of river bars; channel bifurcation and pool-riffle sequence change are the major geomorphic impacts of sand mining. Keeping the above concept in the backdrop, it is essential to have a process-based understanding as well as in-depth study of the river for the sustainable management of this threatened river.

Groundwater Vulnerability Assessment using Drastic Index and GIS in Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, Ghana

The assessment of groundwater vulnerability to contamination has become an important element for landuse planning and groundwater resource management. This study aims at estimating groundwater vulnerability using an integration of Geographic Information System (GIS) and DRASTIC method in the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA). The groundwater vulnerability map was prepared using index and overlay analysis with the aid of Arc GIS 10. The DRASTIC Index (DI) computed ranged between 70 and 164 as the lowest and highest contamination potential respectively. The eastern and western flanks and north-west tip of KMA are underlain by the granites which bear water due to the combined effect of weathering and fracturing and are dominated by "Very High", "High" and "Moderate" vulnerability based on the vulnerability index computed. The "Low" and "Very Low" vulnerability are located at the northern, central and southern parts of KMA which are underlain by phyllites. These suggest that boreholes located in the Birimian metasedimentary units which comprise mainly phyllites would be less likely to be vulnerable to contamination than those located in the intrusive rocks dominated by the granites. Keywords: Groundwater Vulnerability, Soil Media, Hydraulic Conductivity, Overlay Analysis

Groundwater Vulnerability Assessment using Drastic Index and GIS in Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, Ghana

The assessment of groundwater vulnerability to contamination has become an important element for landuse planning and groundwater resource management. This study aims at estimating groundwater vulnerability using an integration of Geographic Information System (GIS) and DRASTIC method in the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA). The groundwater vulnerability map was prepared using index and overlay analysis with the aid of Arc GIS 10. The DRASTIC Index (DI) computed ranged between 70 and 164 as the lowest and highest contamination potential respectively. The eastern and western flanks and north-west tip of KMA are underlain by the granites which bear water due to the combined effect of weathering and fracturing and are dominated by Very High, High and Moderate vulnerability based on the vulnerability index computed. The and Very Low vulnerability are located at the northern, central and southern parts of KMA which are underlain by phyllites. These suggest that boreholes located in the Birimian metasedimentary units which comprise mainly phyllites would be less likely to be vulnerable to contamination than those located in the intrusive rocks dominated by the granites. Keywords : Groundwater Vulnerability, Soil Media, Hydraulic Conductivity, Overlay Analysis

Using geographic information system (GIS) and remote sensing (RS) in zoning nitrate concentration in the groundwater of Birjand, Iran

Previous studies have shown that the presence of nitrate in drinking water can cause several diseases especially in the infants, such as cancer and blue baby. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has since adopted the 50 mg/l standard as the maximum contaminant level (MCL) for nitrate for regulated public water systems. This study aimed to evaluate the concentration of nitrate in the drinking water wells of Birjand, Iran, using inverse distance weighting (IDW) model and also using remote sensing (ENVI software) for studying the vegetation area. In this study, the average annual nitrate level in 2015 was measured from 19 wells around Birjand that were used as rural water supplies. For the zoning of nitrate concentration in the groundwater of Birjand, we used Arc GIS software by using IDW interpolation methods, and for studying the vegetation area and its effect on the groundwater quality we used Landsat Archive image (L4-5 TM sensor) and ENVI 4.7 software. The mean concentration of nitrate was 25.89 ± 12.33 mg/l in the groundwater. Nitrate concentration was more than the standard range (50 mg/l) according to the National Standard of Iran (No. 1053) in one well in the studied zone. Based on the information obtained from remote sensing, agricultural activities were an effective factor in increasing the concentrations of nitrate in the groundwater of the studied area.

Spatio-temporal runoff estimation using TRMM satellite data and NRSC-CN method of a watershed of Upper Subarnarekha River basin, India

Geographical Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS) have acquired great significance in the recent years for estimation of runoff from watersheds and agricultural fields. This study has made use of the well-established tool, Natural Resources Conservation Service Curve Number (NRCS-CN) method to observe runoff over the study area in conjunction with GIS and RS. Pixel-wise runoff depth of the catchment was estimated by incorporating Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer Global Digital Elevation Model (ASTER GDEM) data, Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) multi-satellite precipitation analysis data for the years 2001–2011, and Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper (ETM)+ Land Use/Land Cover (LULC) information within the simple rainfall-runoff model. NRSC-CN was modified for Indian condition and the Hydrologic Engineering Center’s Geospatial Hydrologic Modeling System (HEC-Geo-HMS) extension was utilized for evaluating the Curve Number (CN). Rainfall-Runoff model was executed to compute pixel-wise runoff, utilizing the model builder interface of ARC GIS 10. It was observed that there had been an increase in the average runoff depth ranging from 2.25 to 2.48 mm in different micro-watersheds of the study area. There was also an increase in total runoff depth from 61.24 to 68.47 m following an increase in mean CN value from 55 in the year 2001 to 57 in the year 2011. This indicated a lesser increase in lower runoff level range and a greater increase in higher runoff level range. In terms of runoff within the watershed, a higher percentage of its micro-watersheds showed lower runoff range compared to the micro-watersheds with higher runoff range. A direct correlation was observed between reduction in agriculture with increased runoff, increase in open land, and decrease in vegetation.

Analysis of Relationships between Altitude and Distance from Volcano with Stomach Cancer Incidence Using a Geographic Information System.

Gastric cancer (GC) is the fifth most common cancer in the world, with a wide variation in incidence rates across different geographical areas. In Iran GC is the most common cancer in males and it is reported to be the third most prevalent after breast and colorectal in females. A geographical information system (GIS) allows investigation of the geographical distribution of diseases. The purpose of the present study was to explore the relationship between gastric cancer and effective climatic factors using GIS. The dispersion distribution and the relationship between environmental factors effective on cancer were measured using Arc GIS. Of all cases, 672 (73.8%) were in males with a sex ratio of 3 to 1. The highest incidence by cities was seen in Namin with 137.5 per 100,000. The results of this study showed that the distribution of GC around the Sabalan volcanic mountain was significantly higher than other places in the same province. These results can be considered as a window to future comprehensive research on gastric cancer.

Mapping Unhealthy Behavior Among Economically Active Men Using GIS in Suburban and Rural Areas of Sri Lanka

The burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and certain behavioral risk factors related to NCDs (unhealthy behaviors) are becoming more common. This survey aims to map out such common unhealthy behaviors among all men 35 to 50 years old in a Medical Officer of Health area in the Western Province of Sri Lanka using a geographical information system (GIS) and an interviewer administered questionnaire by visiting all households in the study area. Data were analyzed with ARC GIS and SPSS software. Geographical areas where men with unhealthy behaviors cluster together (clusters) were identified and visually and statistically related to locations of schools, places of religious worship, and factories in the area. It was revealed that clusters of unhealthy behaviors are mostly seen in areas with less population density. Smoking and alcohol are clustering in estate areas occupied by Tamils. This way GIS mapping could be used to identify and reduce the burden of NCDs by visualizing clusters and how certain locations affect their spread.

THE EFFECTIVITY OF SEDIMENT TRAP IN THE CENTER LAND SALAK PADANGSIDIMPUAN AT SOUTH TAPANULI

West Angkola sub-districts and South Angkola are salak areas center of South Tapanuli that partly has undulating to hilly topographic with steep slopes that are potentially eroded. This study aims to determine the sediment trap and river on the land in the district Angkola West and East as well as the correlation between sediment discharge to the river flow and rainfall. The method used was survey methods and data analysis to quantify the Water Catchment Area for each Watershed by using software tools Arc Geographic Information System ( GIS ) 10.1. Sediment discharge calculated using the evaporation method. Regression data analysis using the software SPSS 19. Results showed the highest sediment discharge analysis on analysis in March in the District of East Angkola is 5.56 tons/day, while in April amounted to 9.2 tons/ha. Results of the analysis of sediment discharge peak in March in the District of West Angkola amounted to 0.74 tons /ha, while in April the sediment discharge is 1.1 ton/ha.

Indicators for the definition of land quality as a basis for the sustainable intensification of agricultural production

Sustainable intensification (SI) is a concept for increasing agricultural production under sustainable conditions to meet the needs of the growing population of the world. To achieve this goal, the intrinsic potential of soils for SI has to be considered. This report aims at identifying indicators for arable soils in Germany, which have the best natural resilience and performance and therefore can be used for SI. Six intrinsic land and soil characteristics (organic C content, clay+silt, pH, CEC, soil depth and slope) were selected as indictors for defining the resilience and performance of land. New data from arable sites from LUCAS topsoil survey 2009 were used and attributed to arable land, applying the Arc Geographical Information System (ArcGIS). The results of this investigation reveal that 39% of the actual analyzed arable land can be recommended for SI in Germany. A comparison with the Muencheberg Soil Quality Rating shows that most of this land reflects the highest potential for agricultural yields. Approximately 61% of the analyzed agricultural land is not suitable for intensification, about 1.5% should be reduced in intensity with a possible conversion to avoid environmental harm. The most frequent limitation factor for SI is a too low cation exchange capacity in German soils.

Probability Mapping to Determine the Spatial Risk Pattern of Acute Gastroenteritis in Coimbatore District, India, Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS).

Background:Maps show well the spatial configuration of information. Considerable effort is devoted to the development of geographical information systems (GIS) that increase understanding of public health problems and in particular to collaborate efforts among clinicians, epidemiologists, ecologists, and geographers to map and forecast disease risk.Objectives:Small populations tend to give rise to the most extreme disease rates, even if the actual rates are similar across the areas. Such situations will follow the decision-maker's attention on these areas when they scrutinize the map for decision making or resource allocation. As an alternative, maps can be prepared using P-values (probabilistic values).Materials and Methods:The statistical significance of rates rather than the rates themselves are used to map the results. The incidence rates calculated for each village from 2000 to 2009 is used to estimate λ, the expected number of cases in the study area. The obtained results are mapped using Arc GIS 10.0.Results:The likelihood of infections from low to high is depicted in the map and it is observed that five villages namely, Odanthurai, Coimbatore Corporation, Ikkaraiboluvampatti, Puliakulam, and Pollachi Corporation are more likely to have significantly high incidences.Conclusion:In the probability map, some of the areas with exceptionally high or low rates disappear. These are typically small unpopulated areas, whose rates are unstable due to the small numbers problem. The probability map shows more specific regions of relative risks and expected outcomes.