Arc Geographic Information System Research Articles

Estimation of annual average soil loss using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) integrated in a Geographical Information System (GIS) of the Esil River basin (ERB), Kazakhstan

The Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) has enormous potential for integrating remote sensing and Geographical Information System (GIS) technologies for producing accurate and inexpensive assessments of soil erosion. In this study, the RUSLE method was applied to the Esil (Ishim) River basin (ERB), which is situated in Northern and Central Kazakhstan. The northern part of the ERB extends through the Tyumen and Omsk regions of the Russian Federation to the confluence of the Irtysh River. This article may be of interest to experts and specialists in the field of agriculture, as the findings can assist agricultural producers and government entities in making decisions that prevent soil degradation and promote optimal cropping systems for land and crop cultivation. The objective of this research is to detect, estimate and map areas of land plots most vulnerable to potential soil erosion within the ERB, using the RUSLE model under Arc GIS 10.2. The results reveal that average annual soil loss during the study period ranges from 0 to 32 (t y−1) and that 108,007.5 km2 (48%) of the ERB has no erosion. The remainder of the basin is prone to soil erosion ranging from 1 to 32 t ha−1 y−1, which comprises 117,216.9 km2 (52%), and total soil erosion is 565,368.7 (t y−1). Soil erosion in the ERB is relatively moderate due to low hill steepness and low annual precipitation (198–397 mm). Exceptions occur in plots which feature high slope length steepness, which are scattered throughout the region.

Integrated Site Suitability Analysis for Urban Development Using Remote Sensing and GIS Based Multicriteria Evaluation Technique in Wolaita Sodo Town and Surrounding Area, SNNPR, Ethiopia

Urban Land suitability assessment is an important fundamental work in urban land development. Land suitability assessment, in the context of land use planning, is a bridging phase linking land resources assessment to any land use decision-making process. This study demonstrates the use of Geographic Information System (GIS) tools and numerical Multi-Criteria Evaluation (MCE) techniques for selection of suitable sites for urban development of a Sodo Town and surrounding area. Six factors (land use, road proximity, soil type, river proximity, geomorphology and slope) were identified for criteria evaluation. Weights for each criterion are generated by comparing with each other according to their importance. Criteria weights was develop by employing GIS based Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) such as Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) for evaluating the suitability of the urban land site selection. Pair wise comparison matrix indicates weights for land use (=0.3729), road proximity (=0.1440), soil type (=0.1826), river proximity (=0.0714), geomorphology (=0.1777) and slope (=0.0514). Consistency Ratio, (CR =0.01) <0.10 indicated a reasonable level of consistency in the pair wise comparisons. After the final suitability analysis map was obtained from weighted overlay in Arc GIS Spatial Analyst Tools; it was found that from the available area 19.234sq km falls under low suitable, 4.579sq. km under moderately suitable and 5.048sq. km under high suitable. The result shows that highly suitable areas for urban development is agricultural land and open forest. Keywords: Urban Land suitability, Geographic Information System (GIS); Remote Sensing (RS); Multi-criteria Evaluation (MCE); Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP); Spatial Analysis tool. DOI : 10.7176/JEES/9-5-01 Publication date :May 31 st 2019

STUDY OF SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF VEGETATION INDEX OF AL-ZAWRA AMMUSEMENT PARK IN BAGHDAD AREA USING GEOTECHNIQUES

The recent needs using new technologies depending on the geomatics and geotachnologies represented by remote sensing (RS) and geographic information system (GIS) as a tool to manage urban parks green spaces as it allows to collect a lot of data easily and quickly. Also, geoanalyzing and interpreting them to improve these spaces role in urban cities. Normalized differences of vegetation index (NDVI) is considered as one of the most important geotechnical applications and a mean to monitor and interpret changes occurring in this land cover. NDVI has been studied by using Arc GIS v10.3 and the image taken by landsat 8 of OLI sensor at spatial resolution 30*30m2. NDVI result showed that it was ranging between (0- -0.6) in no vegetative cover areas such as water surfaces and bare soils areas at 2.13% of the total area of Al-Zawra park area. It was also ranging between (0.4 – 0.3) in areas heavy with large trees planted intensively in that area of 1.25% of the park. Other values ranged between (0.2 – 0.3) of areas planted with less intensive trees them previous of 12.4% of the total area of the park. NDVI ranged between (0.1 – 0.2) in areas planted separately with plants where this area formed 60.92% of the total park area. Last category ranged between (0 – 0.1) where it include light vegetation cover of pale colors including weeds and grasses up to parking lots and empty spaces of (0) NDVI values at 23.30% of the total area of the park.

Health risk assessment of nitrate in groundwater resources of Iranshahr using Monte Carlo simulation and geographic information system (GIS)

Because of exposure to a wide range of chemical contaminants such as nitrate via potable water resources, the use of the approaches to set standards for drinking water quality and also to do a risk assessment is necessary for maintaining the public health. High levels of nitrate in drinking water can have adverse health effects; primarily for infants and pregnant women. So, the present study aimed to the assessment of nitrate health risk in drinking water resources of the Iranshahr city, Sistan and Baluchistan province and also, evaluation of the uncertainty of nitrate and the probability of contamination occurrence by Monte-Carlo Simulation (MCS) technique. Besides, the geographic information system (Arc GIS, Ver 10.3) was applied to mapping the nitrate concentration in groundwater resources of the studied area. For these aims, the numbers of 66 samples were collected from rural groundwater resources, and nitrate concentration was measured using a Spectrophotometer in wavelength of 220 nm. According to the results, the nitrate concentration was in the range of 6.49 mg/L, and its average level was 6.15 mg/L. Also, the simulation results with 90% confidence showed that the hazard equitant (HQ) in the infant groups, children-teenagers and adults was less than 0.331, 0.311, 0.312, and 0.3, respectively.

Decipherment of potential zones for groundwater occurrence: a study in Khatra Block, Bankura District, West Bengal, using geospatial techniques

Groundwater is considered as one of the most valuable natural resources as it supports human civilization. Freshwater is considered as an important natural resource which occurs partially on the surface and dominantly beneath the surface. The resource is declining drastically owing to the rapid increase in population and its management in an improper way. The occurrence of groundwater in hard rock terrain still behaves as enigmatic. Various terrain parameters control the movement and storage of groundwater. Accordingly geoscientists are using various techniques to explore the potential zone amongst which multi-criteria evaluation (MCE) technique seems to be more precise. Application of remote sensing and geographic information system (GIS) has come out as very effective tools in deciphering groundwater potential zone by modeling terrain features specially in hard rock arid regions. The present study is aimed to find out groundwater potential zones in Khatra Block of Bankura District, West Bengal, India characterized by hard granitic terrain and semi-arid climatic condition. In the present study various thematic maps viz., geomorphology, geology, lineament density, drainage density and slope have been prepared. For these, IRS Resources at LISS-4 with 5.8 m spatial resolution digital data, CARTOSAT-1 digital elevation model, CartoDEM with 2.5 m spatial resolution, along with other data sets such as Survey of India toposheets (73J/13, 73I/16, 73I/12), GSI Map have been used. Digitized vector maps relating to chosen parameters, were converted to raster data using 30 m × 30 m grid cell size. Different theme weight and class rank have been assigned to these raster maps. Each theme weight has been multiplied by its respective class rank and all the raster thematic layers have been summed up in a linear combination equation in Arc GIS Raster Calculator module. Similarly, the weighted layers have been statistically modeled to get the areal extent of groundwater prospects. This integrated approach, helped in classifying the groundwater availability in the study area into five categories, viz. very good, good, moderate, poor and very poor. Finally, it can be stated that the modeling assessment method proposed in this study forms an effective tool for delineating groundwater potential zones for proper development and management of groundwater resources in hard rock terrains.

Particle phase PAHs in the atmosphere of Delhi-NCR: With spatial distribution, source characterization and risk approximation

This study was undertaken to investigate the spatial and temporal variation of sixteen priority Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) as per the classification of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA); bound to size-fractionated particles along with their sources and probabilistic risks in urban environments of Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) of India, where quantification of PAHs was carried out through Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) for the samples collected during the period 2015–16. PAHs were observed to be highly concentrated in the smaller size ranges of particles throughout the analyses. Benzo[a]pyrene (12%) contributed the highest mean concentration, whereas Acenaphthene (2%) contributed least among the PAHs in size fractionated particles. Relative abundances of PAHs revealed that higher amount were associated with fine particles (<2.5 μm). Pyrene dominated in the particles of fine fraction with highest proportions than the corresponding particles of coarse fraction (> 2.5 μm) among the priority PAHs. Winter registered considerably maximum concentration of PAHs, whereas it was minimum during the rainy season. Spatial distribution of PAHs was interpolated by applying the spatial analyst extension Arc Geographic Information System (GIS) software (version 10.1). Molecular Diagnostic Ratio (MDR) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) were performed for source apportionment of PAHs; where pyrogenic and petrogenic emissions were found to be the major contributors in the monitored sites. Incremental Lifetime Cancer Risks (ILCR; in terms of inhalation exposure) and Benzo[a]pyrene equivalent concentrations were investigated for toxicity assessment of PAHs. The priority PAHs having inhalation unit risk [(μg/m3)−1] were used for the investigation of ILCR associated with children and adults, where Benzo[a]pyrene possessed the maximum ILCR of all the PAHs.

Practice of emergency obstetric care signal functions and reasons for non-provision among health centers and hospitals in Lake and Western zones of Tanzania

BackgroundThe Lake and Western Zones of Tanzania that encompass eight regions namely; Kagera, Geita, Simiyu, Shinyanga, Mwanza, Mara Tabora and Kigoma have consistently been reported with the poorest Maternal Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) indicators in the country. This study sought to establish the provision of Emergency Obstetric Care (EmOC) signal functions and reasons for the failure to do so among health centers and hospitals in the two zones.MethodsAll the 261 public and private hospitals and health centers providing Obstetric Care services in Lake and Western Zones were surveyed in 2014. Data were collected using questionnaires adapted from the Averting Maternal Deaths and Disabilities (AMDD) tool to assess EmOC indicators. Managers in all facilities were interviewed and services, medicines and equipment were observed. Spatial Mapping was done using a calibrated Global Positioning System (GPS) Essential Software for Android and coordinates represented on digitalized map with Arc Geographical Information System (GIS) software. Population data were according to the 2012 Housing and Population National Census.ResultsIn total 261 health facilities were identified as providers of Obstetric care services, including 69 hospitals and 192 health centres which constitute an overall facility density of 8 per 500,000 population. The three most common EmOC signal functions available in the 3 months preceding the survey were oxytocics (95.7%), injectable antibiotics (88.9%) and basic newborn resuscitation (83.4%). The lowest proportions of facilities performed Cesarean section (25.7%) and blood transfusion (34.6%). Policy restrictions were the most frequent reasons given in relation to nonperformance of blood transfusion and Cesarean section when needed. Lack of training and supplies were the most common reasons for non availability of assisted vaginal delivery and uterine evacuation. Overall the Direct Case fatality Rate for direct obstetric causes was 3%. The referral system highly depended on hired or shared ambulance.ConclusionThe provision of EmOC signal functions in Lake and Western zones of Tanzania is inconsistent, being mainly compromised by policy restrictions, lack of supplies and professional development, and by operating under lowly developed referral services.

Establishing a Demographic, Development and Environmental Geospatial Surveillance Platform in India: Planning and Implementation.

BackgroundInadequate administrative health data, suboptimal public health infrastructure, rapid and unplanned urbanization, environmental degradation, and poor penetration of information technology make the tracking of health and well-being of populations and their social determinants in the developing countries challenging. Technology-integrated comprehensive surveillance platforms have the potential to overcome these gaps.ObjectiveThis paper provides methodological insights into establishing a geographic information system (GIS)-integrated, comprehensive surveillance platform in rural North India, a resource-constrained setting.MethodsThe International Clinical Epidemiology Network Trust International established a comprehensive SOMAARTH Demographic, Development, and Environmental Surveillance Site (DDESS) in rural Palwal, a district in Haryana, North India. The surveillance platform evolved by adopting four major steps: (1) site preparation, (2) data construction, (3) data quality assurance, and (4) data update and maintenance system. Arc GIS 10.3 and QGIS 2.14 software were employed for geospatial data construction. Surveillance data architecture was built upon the geospatial land parcel datasets. Dedicated software (SOMAARTH-1) was developed for handling high volume of longitudinal datasets. The built infrastructure data pertaining to land use, water bodies, roads, railways, community trails, landmarks, water, sanitation and food environment, weather and air quality, and demographic characteristics were constructed in a relational manner.ResultsThe comprehensive surveillance platform encompassed a population of 0.2 million individuals residing in 51 villages over a land mass of 251.7 sq km having 32,662 households and 19,260 nonresidential features (cattle shed, shops, health, education, banking, religious institutions, etc). All land parcels were assigned georeferenced location identification numbers to enable space and time monitoring. Subdivision of villages into sectors helped identify socially homogenous community clusters (418/676, 61.8%, sectors). Water and hygiene parameters of the whole area were mapped on the GIS platform and quantified. Risk of physical exposure to harmful environment (poor water and sanitation indicators) was significantly associated with the caste of individual household (P=.001), and the path was mediated through the socioeconomic status and density of waste spots (liquid and solid) of the sector in which these households were located. Ground-truthing for ascertaining the land parcel level accuracies, community involvement in mapping exercise, and identification of small habitations not recorded in the administrative data were key learnings.ConclusionsThe SOMAARTH DDESS experience allowed us to document and explore dynamic relationships, associations, and pathways across multiple levels of the system (ie, individual, household, neighborhood, and village) through a geospatial interface. This could be used for characterization and monitoring of a wide range of proximal and distal determinants of health.

GIS in pre-census mapping of sampled rural and urban localities in Enugu north and south constituency: A sustainable pathway for census planning in Enugu State.

Background: The recurring inaccuracy in census figures is attriutable to the lacuna in pre-census mapping. Data Source and Method: Geographic Information System (GIS) tool was demonstrated for the 2006 pre-census enumeration area- (EA) mapping of 2 NPC analogue EAs of urban and rural localities in Enugu State. An 11-tier EA template and a satellite image-based Geographical Information Technology EA Framework were generated using the Arc GIS version 10.3. All NPC analogue EA maps were found to fall short of the 12 spatial quality parameters viz; completeness, logical consistency, topological consistency, positional, temporal and thematic accuracy, mathematical basis, reliability, geometric accuracy, modernity, cartographic design and scientific and social value. Results: A checklist audit analysis indicates that road and building are dominant EA features. Conclusion : The application of a Geo-spatial data bank infrastructure within a Constituency Land Information System (CLIS) was suggested to help in aligning the agency on a proper trajectory to meet the targets of sustainable development.

Assessment of bank erosion and channel shifting of Padma River in Bangladesh using RS and GIS techniques

Bangladesh is a riverine country. Every year it faces many natural hazards due to river. Bangladesh is mainly formed by alluvial deposits. It faces riverbank erosion frequently due to regular shifting of river channels. This research work provides an overview of the trend of riverbank erosion of Padma River of Munshiganj, Madaripur and Shariatpur district. It also shows the land cover change due to riverbank erosion. The riverbank erosion was calculated by using remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS) techniques. Only secondary data have been used to reach the research goals. Various computer software such as Erdas Imagine, Arc GIS, Google Earth, Environment for Visualizing Images etc. have been used to process and analyze raw data. In this study, using seven selected images of Landsat TM and OLI acquired from 1988 to 2017, the riverbank migration patterns and land dynamics of Padma resulted from accretion/erosion processes for 29 years were investigated. The migration rates are based on the differences in 1988–1993, 1993–1998, 1998–2003, 2003–2008, 2008–2013 and 2013–2017. The average erosion and accretion rates are 1472.056 and 1610.152 ha/year of Padma, respectively. This study shows Padma got meandered and braided from almost straight channel in the time span.

Temporal Changes of Land Use Land Cover and Environmental Impacts: A Case Study in Colombo, Sri Lanka

Colombo is the economic hub of Sri Lanka. Over the last two (2) decades, the physical dynamics have continually been altered to find space for urban development. Many argued that that rapid development would lead to a lot of environmental issues in Colombo. Hence, aim of this paper is to an analysis and extracts the relationship of the rapid Land Use and Land Covers (LULC) changes in six Divisional Secretariat Divisions (DS Division) in Colombo District and some of the environmental factors associated with these rapid changes: Land Surface Temperature (LST), Surface Water Quality and Soil characteristics. Primarily remote Sensing (RS) data, water quality and soil characteristic data were used. 1990 to 2015 LULC changes were an analysis based on Geographical Information System (GIS) tools (Arc GIS 10.3). Additionally, United States Geological Society (USGS) and NASA Landsat 7 and 8 data were used to investigate LST. Results show significant and accelerated land cover changes have taken place since 2010, where nearly 30% of new build-up has generated from 1990 to 2015 with large changes in wetlands and cultivated areas. Surface Water and Soil quality have degraded over the last few decades. From 2010 to 2015, the maximum LST area has increased by 30%. These results should provide the basis for the development of urban planning and regulations, holistic approaches to restore, conserve and manage the LULC, a balance of land covers demand and a sustainable human-environment and environmental and land use policies in Sri Lanka and, in particular, Colombo.

The Development of a Soil Erosion Risk Map for Perak, Malaysia

Soil erosion in the state of Perak has long been identified as a problem, and soil erosion due to water is one of the main causes of land degradation in this state. If this problem is not seriously addressed, it will result in soil erosion affecting a vast area and suitable soil erosion risk map has to be developed to ensure effective implementation of soil conservation in a particular area. The purpose of this study was to prepare a soil erosion risk map for the state of Perak which can be used to prioritize the areas that are highly exposed to soil erosion for conservation efforts. This study used the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) model integrated with a Geographic Information System (GIS) to produce a soil erosion risk map for the state of Perak. Soil erosion risk mapping was carried out using a map overlay of USLE parameters within Arc GIS which was used to identify risky areas for soil erosion and estimate soil loss in the study area. The results of the study showed that the risky areas for soil erosion were scattered all across Perak, especially on steep slopes. The development of this soil erosion risk map for Perak state is very important for conducting good environmental management and land use planning strategies.

HOT SPOT ANALYSIS OF MOTORCYCLES OWNERSHIP IN PADURENAN, RAHTAWU AND WONOSOCO VILLAGE, KUDUS REGENCY

Urban and rural interaction is a very important relationship, which rural functions as a supplier of natural and human resources to urban areas, while urban provides income streams, processed goods, and income to rural areas. Transportation became one of the main media as a link. The choice of transportation mode is one of the alternatives in creating an effective and efficient movement system. The motorcycle is the preferred mode of transportation because it is able to change direction very flexible compared to other modes of transportation. There is one unique phenomenon happening in Padurenan, Rahtawu and Wonosoco, Kudus Regency. The low transportation access was inversely proportional to the number of motorcycle ownership in the three villages. Thus, there needs to be a spatial pattern mapping of motorcycles ownership in three villages. This research aims to map spatial ownership of motorcycles in the three villages. It used average nearest neighbor, incremental spatial autocorrelation, hotspot analysis. The analytical tool used Arc GIS 10 as GIS (Geographic Information System) software. The result of this research showed that the distribution of the motorcycles ownership forms a cluster pattern. The highest concentration of motorcycle ownership cluster is seen in Padurenan Village, while the lowest cluster of motorcycle ownership is in Wonosoco Village.

Construction of Rural Business Network Distribution System Based on User-Friendly Route Search Algorithm

Logistics and distribution system is the foundation of rural commerce network. With the rapid development of computer technology and geographic information system (GIS) technology, constructing digital distribution system is an important direction for the development of computer technology. Based on the design idea of Flex Viewer in Flex, this paper designs a user-friendly route search algorithm based on ArcGIS API for Flex. On the basis of analyzing the implementation principle of ArcGIS Server’s tile map, a customized-naming-format tile map was obtained through the Flex communication technology (out of Arc GIS Server map service) and applied to the map demonstration for distribution route search. Finally, we tested the accuracy of the algorithm, load performance and real-time level. The test results met the design requirements.

From Asymmetric to Polycentric Development: Pattern, Distribution and Stakeholder Analysis of Community Empowerment Program in Batu, Indonesia

This article discuss at investigating the patterns, distribution, and stakeholders involved in the community empowerment program in Batu, East Java, Indonesia. By using the combination of Arc GIS (Geographic Information System) and Stakeholder Analysis, the community empowerment in Batu shows pragmatic and autocratic empowerment patterns. Besides, the community empowerment program in Batu is divided into 2 categories, namely exist/receive and does not exist/does not receive. The existing condition of empowerment program spreads unevenly. To deal with the issue, it is important to consider the Polycentric Development, which allows each region to have a Village Empowerment Center for equitable development. The city government has so far been the most dominant stakeholders in the empowerment program in Batu. Nevertheless, there are many other stakeholders starting to appear, such as private sectors and NGO, actors/individuals and media contributions, and universities. For recommendation, Government, private sectors, and non-governmental organizations can accommodate the principles of psychological empowerment, so that the empowerment is not only seen as a pragmatic-authoritarian impression. This principle is important because it can emotionally (intrapersonal) see someone’s capacity to bring influence in making social changes and decisions. Communities as people who are exposed to empowerment programs need to actively increase participation. The next researcher can emphasize the stakeholder analysis on the collaboration and social networking patterns among them.

Composite Suitability Index (CSI) Method for Ground Water Potential Identification: A Case Study for Bangalore Urban and Rural District, Karnataka

Usage of groundwater for domestic and industrial purposes poses a main intimidation to the rapidly depleting groundwater resources of India. The present work emphasizes the viability of remote sensing and geographic information system (GIS) applications in groundwater studies, especially in the identification of groundwater potential zones in Bangalore urban and rural districts, Karnataka, India, using composite suitability index (CSI) method. The CSI technique is used to determine the weights of different themes and their modules for recognizing the groundwater prospective zone. Each class or unit of every thematic layer was assigned a knowledge based ranking, depending on its significance. Then all thematic layers were overlaid through overlay process/method in Arc GIS environment. Five categories of groundwater potential zones, namely, good, good-moderate, moderate, moderate-poor and poor were identified and delineated. The obtained ground water potential zone map will be used to furtherance the urban and rural water supply plan in the Bangalore urban and rural areas. Keywords: Groundwater potential identification, composite suitability index, GIS and remote sensing Cite this Article Revathy SS, Suresh Babu S, Raikar RV. Composite Suitability Index (CSI) Method for Ground Water Potential Identification: A Case Study for Bangalore Urban and Rural District, Karnataka. Journal of Remote Sensing & GIS. 2017; 8(3): 8–16p.

Estimated Incidence Rate of Multiple Sclerosis and Its Relationship with Geographical Factors in Isfahan Province between the Years 2001 and 2014.

Background:Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease associated with inflammation of the central nervous system in humans. This disease is the most common neurological disease, especially in young people. Various factors, including biological, genetic, and environmental factors, are effective on the prevalence of MS disease. This study intends to determine the relationship between geographical factors, and the prevalence of MS disease was performed.Methods:This ecological study was carried out on 2000 patients with diagnosis of MS during the years 2001–2014 in Isfahan province. All patients’ data including age, sex, marital status, year, and location of patients were extracted from the files. Arc geographic information systems version 10.3 software was used for geographical maps, and for statistical analysis of data, SPSS.16 software ANOVA tests, independent t-test, and Kruskal–Wallis were used.Results:Based on recorded cases of MS, the highest and lowest cumulative incidence of diseases was related to the city of Isfahan (75.92 in one hundred thousand) and Aran Bidgol (1.16 in one hundred thousand), respectively. A significant relationship was observed between the incidence and height above sea level (P = 0.001), the average annual rainfall (P = 0.001), and land use (P = 0.001). With increase in the height above sea level and the average annual precipitation, the incidence of disease decreased.Conclusions:MS disease incidence is high in Isfahan province. The distribution of the disease is not the same in the cities of this province, and some cities have a higher incidence. Furthermore, the incidence of the disease is influenced by geographical factors such as height above sea level, average annual rainfall, and land use. Therefore, it is recommended that relevant authorities by the implementation of screening programs in high-risk areas take action to identify and treat patients in the early stages.

Geospatial Suitability Mapping of Climate-based Disease Transmission using Fuzzy Logic for Central India

Geographic Information System (GIS) today supports health and disease mapping in diverse ways. Present study divulges geographic dimensions of malaria disease in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh states located in Central India. Chhattisgarh is second and Madhya Pradesh is the third most malarious states after Odisha in India. In the present study, an attempt is made to map climate-based malaria transmission suitability using fuzzy logic for Central India. Temperature and relative humidity were selected as the two indicators for malaria transmission suitability analysis. District wise meteorological data for 2008 was used for the present study. Monthly temperature and relative humidity interpolation maps were generated using ‘Natural Neighbor’ interpolation algorithm. For both the indicators trapezoidal membership function was selected. Arc GIS software and its FUZZY tool were used to generate ‘climate suitability map’ for malaria transmission depicting the spatial distribution of Transmission Window length (in months) across the region. The findings illustrate that most districts of Chattisgarh and very few districts of Madhya Pradesh have transmission window open for more than 10 months and are identified as ‘High Endemic Regions’. Compared to Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh experiences more numbers of least suitable months i.e. February, March, April and May. The study aims to benefit judicious decision making for efficient intervention implementation.

Hospital location-allocation in Shiraz using Geographical Information System (GIS)

Background: Hospitals are one of the most important health facilities in every society. Therefore, these facilities should be located in a rational manner. The present study aims to 1) select optimal locations for establishing new hospitals in Shiraz and 2) assess the location of the existing hospitals in Shiraz using the geographical information system (GIS). Methods: At first, the hospital location allocation criteria were identified through reviewing the literature. Then, the criteria were entered into a questionnaire, which was completed by experts based on analytic hierarchy process (AHP). Afterwards, spatial raster layers of all the criteria were created in the Arc GIS 10.3 software. Then, in order to select optimal locations for hospitals, weights of the criteria were calculated based on AHP in Arc GIS and the weights were exerted on the relevant spatial created layers. Combination of the layers was presented on a map. After evaluating the 33 existing hospitals’ locations based on the map, the areas located in standard hospital service areas (1500 m) were erased from the map in order to exclude the served areas. Results: The results revealed that ‘proximity to the main roads’ was the most important criterion amongst the whole applied criteria for selecting hospital location. This study also presented 15 land parcels, located in northern part of the city, as the best lands for constructing new hospitals. Besides, according the applied criteria in this study, none of the 33 existing hospitals were located in the appropriate locations. Conclusions: Considering the obtained pattern of the existing hospitals’ locations, in most of the cases, the existing location is not good and the future hospitals must be located in more appropriate locations. The results of this study can be useful for health policymakers to select the most suitable locations for constructing new hospitals in future.

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.