Geospatial Evaluation Research Articles

Geospatial Evaluation of Land Use and Land Cover Changes in Ashulia Industrial Hub in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Spatial and temporal evaluation of the land use and land cover (LULC) changes, its dynamism and overall consequences are considered the fundamental variables in global climate change. These immense changes influence ecosystem, life, and livelihoods. Over the last few decades, industrial expansion in Bangladesh has a major effect on LULC across the suburban areas of the capital city Dhaka, especially the surrounding areas of Ashulia industrial hub. While providing new approaches to improve the frontiers of antecedent revolutions, particularly those of LULC changes monitoring and mapping, this study tried to evaluate further land development and planning in the study area between 2014 and 2020. Remote sensing imageries and relevant multiple secondary information were consecutively used as datasets. The interactive supervised classification tool using a maximum likelihood process was applied in LULC changes evaluations, detections, and as well providing fruitful explanations. Therefore, evaluated LULC maps’ overall accuracies were between 84% and96%, and kappa coefficient between 0.83 and 0.92. The results revealed that the urbanization and built-up area were the prime LULC type (77.36% in 2020) in the study area and were exceedingly increasing land cover type over water bodies, bare land and vegetation. Overall, in between 2014 and 2020, the LULC types as of water bodies, barelands, and vegetation have decreased by 212 hectares, 435 hectares, and 470 hectares, respectively. Moreover, overall downward trends of LULC changes were identified in all the land use types except built-up area. Hence, imbalanced land conversions and lack of proper planning together were creating the region highly vulnerable to several disasters as well as imbalanced ecosystem. Th study findings can help the decision makers and planners apart from future research.

Mapping soil susceptibility to crude oil pollution in the region of Delta, South-South Nigeria: A proportional study of environmetrics, health, ecological risks, and geospatial evaluation

Today, the threat of crude oil pollution globally, has been a resounding epoch of ecosystem degradation. This affects the lives of flora and fauna in the ecosystem as well as influence the human's economic needs. The aim of this study is to assess the heavy metals and petroleum hydrocarbons concentrations (crude oil pollutants) in agricultural soils of selected communities in Niger-Delta region. Models were used to assess the crude oil pollution loads and its source apportionment. The results from the principal components analysis (PCA) for the heavy metals (HMs) and total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) in soils showed high loading factors > 0.32. The source allotment were both of crustal and human origin. The cluster analysis for the physical and chemical parameters of the HMs and TPHs showed that stations 1, 5, 2, 4, 6 and 7 and 2, 6, 7 and 9 were similar respectively. The outcome of the ecological risk status of the sampled soils, showed that the metals in the nine sampling stations were at the slight risk level with Cd being the main donor. The results of the health risk for both non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic pathways for the metals were <1 respectively, indicating no human health risk. The results obtained from the kriging contour mapping of the HMs in the sampled stations, indicated mean variability across the stations with Zn and Pb having the highest values. This might be linked to the high concentration from the crude oil impact on the soil that might possibly elicit ecological and health risks (non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic) when ingested by plants and humans. We recommend steady assessment and monitoring of the soils in order to provide reference point data and information for proper justification and management alternatives.

GeoEtrim 2020 executed version: an academic software for geospatial image evaluation

GeoEtrim (Geospatial Evaluation and Training of Images) is a set of academic software packages to evaluate optical images geospatially. Although GeoEtrim was developed in the MATLAB environment in the past, it was decided to be compiled in another programming language (C#) in order to overcome the challenges like importing/reading very big sized image files, collecting Ground Control Point (GCP) and Independent Check Point (ICP) in an easy way and running the orientation models, etc. Creating projects, importing image(s), enhancing the image contrast, collecting GCP&ICP and running sensor independent orientation models through sub-package GeoTransform are the major opportunities of the current version. In addition, GeoTransform itself enables blunder and parameter validation tests. GeoEtrim can also be used free-of-charge for academic purposes; therefore, its user community increases rapidly. This paper focus on both theoretical background and graphical user interface of GeoEtrim 2020 executed version.

Geospatial evaluation of trade-offs between equity in physical access to healthcare and health systems efficiency

IntroductionDecisions regarding the geographical placement of healthcare services require consideration of trade-offs between equity and efficiency, but few empirical assessments are available. We applied a novel geospatial framework to study...

Geospatial evaluation of drought resilience in sub-basins of Mahanadi river in India

Abstract Development is said to be sustainable in respect of drought if the effect has been absorbed by the existing system. Occurrence of drought depends on physiographical, climatic factors and optimum utilization of available resources of the river basin. This study aims to evaluate the vulnerability and resilience of river basin systems for the identification of priority areas under drought susceptibility for three different river basins, namely Arpa, Kharun and Upper Seonath of Mahanadi river in central India, as a pilot area for this study. The study represents an approach to evaluate the drought susceptibility of river basins based on physiographical factors and anthropogenic activities. A model proposed for vulnerability assessment based on variables of exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity, and a geospatial database of basin characteristics contributing to vulnerability, was generated using remote sensing and a geographic information system. Multi-criteria decision analysis was done to evaluate the influence of river basin characteristics, population load and land-use/cover on drought susceptibility for assessing the drought vulnerability of the river basin and suggest the solution for the optimum utilization of natural resources according to the river basin characteristics. The result of this study demarcates the area in four categories of Extremely vulnerable, Moderately vulnerable, Vulnerable and Not vulnerable. On the analysis, only 3.86% of Upper Seonath is Not vulnerable, followed by Kharun basin having 15.59% as Not vulnerable area and 48.23% of the area of Arpa river basin identified as Not vulnerable. Arpa river basin is least affected by drought due to its lower population density and high coverage of forest and agriculture area.

GEOSPATIAL EVALUATION OF BELGRADE FOR THE PURPOSES OF DETERMINATION OF SUITABLE LOCATIONS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF PV PLANTS

&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The aim of this paper is to identify the most suitable locations for the construction of Solar Photovoltaic Plants (PVP) on the territory of the City of Belgrade (Republic of Serbia). The city is rich in natural resources and abundant in energy potential. The climatic and spatial characteristics favor the use of solar energy: the average annual solar radiation in Belgrade is 1446.8 kWh/m2 /year, and the sunshine duration is around 2200 h/year.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The analysis covered the area of 3240.7 km2 (administrative area of Belgrade). Geospatial evaluation was based on three basic criteria: aspect, slope and land use. The Method of elimination in combination with modern methods in geospatial research (GIS) was applied. Based on the mentioned geospatial factors, thematic maps were made and later, their overlapping resulted in obtaining a synthesis Map of the suitability of the terrain for the construction of the PV plants. Of the total considered area, 13.68% were evaluated as suitable for the given purpose.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;

Geospatial Evaluation of Wind Energy Potential in the South-East and South-South Sections of Nigeria

Investment into a renewable energy project spurs the need to investigate sites with potential for a renewable energy source. Such a crucial investigation is the main motivation for this study, which uses a geospatial technology to evaluate wind energy potential within the south-east and south-south regions of Nigeria. A multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) model was implemented using Landsat TM images at bands 2, 3 &amp;amp; 4, and integrated with NASA global wind speed data, airport location map and forest reserve map of the area. The criteria for generation of wind energy potential map were: wind speed ≥ 3m/s, 2000m buffer from built-up areas, 2,500m buffer from airports and outside the forest reserve. The results indicate the presence of a reasonable amount of potential for wind energy which lies mostly in the southernmost part of the study area. The total potential area is about 104,700 hectares in land size, which is merely 1.2% of the total study area, although River state encloses most of the potential locations. When compared to global vortex wind data, by visual inspection, these potential areas show a great deal of sensitivity to wind speed, highlighting its critical importance in the present modelling. Wind farms can be located in this area, although it is a rather small scale investment in a renewable energy resource considering that the consumable amount of energy in the study area is in a steady increase. Stake holders and experts in energy economy will find that the need to protect this potential energy location from indiscriminate urban development and other anthropogenic activities is compelling.

Geospatial Evaluation of Sustainable Development: Analysing a Sample of a Successful Social Safety Net

Sustainable Development (SD) not only ensures addressing the root cause of poverty but also helps in achieving the wellness of society. Protecting the natural resources for current and future generations is the main goal of the SD process. In recent times, developing countries have initiated social safety nets (SSNs) for poverty elimination and to achieve the SD goals through public works. The Government of India has initiated numerous development projects aimed to achieve SD and Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) is one of them. The research objective of this article is to harness the power of geospatial technology for evaluating the public works under MGNREGA at a district level. The proposed research method utilizes the power of remote sensing data with a very high spatial and temporal resolution to monitor the development activities at the grass root level. Satellite based land-use maps, indices, and publicly available web based geospatial information systems have been used in this investigation to assess the changes that have occurred due to the community-level planned activities. The findings from this research confirm that MGNREGA has the potential to accrue multiple dividends at all the three pillars of SD, i.e., economic development, social development, and environmental protection. It was proved from this research that public works under MGNREGA besides providing the wage based employment to the beneficiaries resulted in improved water conservation and harvesting facilities in the study area and in return, these facilities acted as a catalyst for improved agricultural productivity.

Multitemporal Geospatial Evaluation of Urban Agriculture and (Non)-Sustainable Food Self-Provisioning in Milan, Italy

Urban agriculture in Global North cities is strongly promoted as a sustainable solution to achieve different goals, such as food production, quality of life, and well-being. Although several attempts have been made to evaluate urban agriculture production, few studies have investigated food production in a multitemporal geospatial way and considered per capita population needs, gender, and age strata consumption. This study presents a spatiotemporal quantification of urban agriculture in the city of Milan (Italy) for assessing food self-provisioning potential. We utilized high-resolution Google Earth images and ancillary data to create a detailed cadaster of urban agriculture for the years 2007 and 2014. Based on four scenarios of food production and statistical data on vegetables and cereals consumption, we estimated current total production and requirements for the city dwellers. Our results showed that the actual extension of vegetable gardens (98 ha) and arable land (2539 ha) in the best scenario could satisfy approximately 63,700 and 321,000 consumers of vegetables and cereal products, respectively. Overall, current urban agriculture production is not able to meet vegetables and cereal consumption for more than 1.3 million city residents. Scenario estimates suggest rethinking land use promoting horticultural production to achieve more sustainable food systems.

The distribution of cardiac diagnostic testing for acute coronary syndrome in the Brazilian healthcare system: A national geospatial evaluation of health access.

BackgroundLittle is known about the utilization of cardiac diagnostic testing in Brazil and how such testing is related with local rates of acute coronary syndrome (ACS)-related mortality.Methods and resultsUsing data from DATASUS, the public national healthcare database, absolute counts of diagnostic tests performed were calculated for each of the 5570 municipalities and mapped. Spatial error regression and geographic weighted regression models were used to describe the geographic variation in the association between ACS mortality, income, and access to diagnostic testing.From 2008 to 2014, a total of 4,653,884 cardiac diagnostic procedures were performed in Brazil, at a total cost of $271 million USD. The overall ACS mortality rate during this time period was 133.8 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants aged 20 to 79. The most commonly utilized test was the stress ECG (3,015,993), followed by catheterization (862,627), scintigraphy (669,969) and stress echocardiography (105,295). The majority of these procedures were conducted in large urban centers in more economically developed regions of the country. Increased access to testing and increased income were not uniformly associated with decreased ACS mortality, and tremendous geographic heterogeneity was observed in the relationship between these variables.ConclusionsThe majority of testing for ACS in Brazil is conducted at referral centers in developed urban settings. Stress ECG is the dominant testing modality in use. Increased access to diagnostic testing was not consistently associated with decreased ACS mortality across the country.

Application of probabilistic risk assessment: Evaluating remedial alternatives at the Portland Harbor Superfund Site, Portland, Oregon, USA.

A probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) was performed to evaluate the range of potential baseline and postremedy health risks to fish consumers at the Portland Harbor Superfund Site (the "Site"). The analysis focused on risks of consuming fish resident to the Site containing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), given that this exposure scenario and contaminant are the primary basis for US Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA's) selected remedy per the January 2017 Record of Decision (ROD). The PRA used probability distributions fit to the same data sets used in the deterministic baseline human health risk assessment (BHHRA) as well as recent sediment and fish tissue data to evaluate the range and likelihood of current baseline cancer risks and noncancer hazards for anglers. Areas of elevated PCBs in sediment were identified on the basis of a geospatial evaluation of the surface sediment data, and the ranges of risks and hazards associated with pre- and postremedy conditions were calculated. The analysis showed that less active remediation (targeted to areas with the highest concentrations) compared to the remedial alternative selected by USEPA in the ROD can achieve USEPA's interim risk management benchmarks (cancer risk of 10-4 and noncancer hazard index [HI] of 10) immediately postremediation for the vast majority of subsistence anglers that consume smallmouth bass (SMB) fillet tissue. In addition, the same targeted remedy achieves USEPA's long-term benchmarks (10-5 and HI of 1) for the majority of recreational anglers. Additional sediment remediation would result in negligible additional risk reduction due to the influence of background. The PRA approach applied here provides a simple but adaptive framework for analysis of risks and remedial options focused on variability in exposures. It can be updated and refined with new data to evaluate and reduce uncertainty, improve understanding of the Site and target populations, and foster informed remedial decision making. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2018;14:63-78. © 2017 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).

A geospatial evaluation of oil spill impact potential on coastal tourism in the Gulf of Mexico

A geospatial evaluation of oil spill impact potential on coastal tourism in the Gulf of Mexico

Mapping Geospatial Gaps in Early Identification of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Despite the known developmental benefits of early intervention for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), diagnosis before age 5 years is often not achieved. Research suggests that lack of health insurance and living in rural areas and areas of severe provider shortages contribute significantly to these delays. The purpose of this project was to conduct a geospatial evaluation of potential gaps in early ASD diagnosis of uninsured children in Virginia. A secondary purpose was to show the use of geospatial analysis by pediatric nurse practitioners for policy advocacy. We mapped data from a statewide provider of ASD evaluative services associated with the Virginia Department of Health and found several communities with high numbers of uninsured children where children may not be receiving early diagnostic services. Pediatric nurse practitioners can help address community-level gaps in early identification of ASD for uninsured young children living in rural areas by conducting outreach programs to providers and families within rural communities and concurrently partnering with nurse–scientists to develop visually impactful geospatial analyses to educate legislators and further advocate for policy positions.

Geospatial evaluation of lead bioaccessibility and distribution for site specific prediction of threshold limits

Recent work identified the need for site-specific Pb bioaccessibility evaluation and scaled contaminant modeling. Pb heterogeneity has made bioaccessibility characterization difficult, and complicated distribution models. Using field testing, bioaccessibility measurement, Integrated Exposure Uptake and Biokinetic (IEUBK) modeling, and geospatial techniques, we propose a framework for conducting applied risk-based, multiscale assessment. This framework was tested and implemented in Burlington, VT, an area of old housing stock and high Pb burden (up to 15 000 mg kg−1) derived primarily from paint. After analyzing local soil samples for total and bioaccessible Pb, it was determined that bioaccessible and total Pb were well correlated in this area, through which an average bioaccessibility parameter was derived approximating Pb bioaccessibility for this soil type and Pb impact. This parameter was used with the IEUBK to recommend the local limit for residential soil Pb be reduced from 400 to 360 mg kg−1, taking into consideration the lowering of the blood lead level threshold for Pb poisoning from 10 to 5 μg dL−1 by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Geospatial investigation incorporated samples collected during this investigation and samples from a high school summer science academy, and relied on three techniques, used at different scales: kriging of total and background Pb alone, kriging of total and background Pb with housing age as a well-sampled, well-correlated secondary variable (cokriging), and inverse distance weighting of total and bioaccessible Pb. Modeling at different scales allowed for characterization of Pb impact at single sites as well as citywide. Model maps show positive correlation between areas of older housing and areas of high Pb burden, as well as potential at different scales for reducing the effects of Pb heterogeneity.

A geospatial evaluation of timely access to surgical care in seven countries.

:ObjectiveTo assess the consistent availability of basic surgical resources at selected facilities in seven countries.MethodsIn 2010–2014, we used a situational analysis tool to collect data at district and regional hospitals in Bangladesh (n = 14), the Plurinational State of Bolivia (n = 18), Ethiopia (n = 19), Guatemala (n = 20), the Lao People's Democratic Republic (n = 12), Liberia (n = 12) and Rwanda (n = 25). Hospital sites were selected by pragmatic sampling. Data were geocoded and then analysed using an online data visualization platform. Each hospital’s catchment population was defined as the people who could reach the hospital via a vehicle trip of no more than two hours. A hospital was only considered to show consistent availability of basic surgical resources if clean water, electricity, essential medications including intravenous fluids and at least one anaesthetic, analgesic and antibiotic, a functional pulse oximeter, a functional sterilizer, oxygen and providers accredited to perform surgery and anaesthesia were always available.FindingsOnly 41 (34.2%) of the 120 study hospitals met the criteria for the provision of consistent basic surgical services. The combined catchments of the study hospitals in each study country varied between 3.3 million people in Liberia and 151.3 million people in Bangladesh. However, the combined catchments of the study hospitals in each study country that met the criteria for the provision of consistent basic surgical services were substantially smaller and varied between 1.3 million in Liberia and 79.2 million in Bangladesh.ConclusionMany study facilities were deficient in the basic infrastructure necessary for providing basic surgical care on a consistent basis.

Integrated geospatial evaluation of manual cadastral mapping: a case study of Pakistan

Cadastral mapping in Pakistan is often sketched on paper or cloth and generally falls below cartographic standards, lacking details on coordinate systems, datum and directional information of parcel lines. Survey numbers for parcel identification also lack digital interoperability. Parcel measurements and ownership information are manually recorded in multiple separate registers. The objective of this study is to leverage geospatial technology for automation, auditing and validation of present manual cadastral mapping in Pakistan. Only 62% of the parcel geometry could be automated due to irregular parcel shapes. However, the process revealed some interesting discrepancies in cadastral datasets. Geospatially calculated areas and rectangular base areas are approximately eight acres less than the officially notified estate areas recorded in the field book. This study advocates using geospatial technology to update manual cadastral mapping practices to help avoid such errors when validating existing datasets.

Characterizing Themed Touring Routes: A Geospatial and Tourism Evaluation of Wine Trails

ABSTRACTWine trails have been the most commonly developed type of Themed Touring Routes (TTRs) around the world during the past decade. Despite such development, limited studies have examined their geospatial or tourism characteristics reducing marketing and managerial efficacy. To address this gap, this study measured six geospatial and tourism attributes of nine wine trails in North Carolina (USA) toward a characterization of TTRs. Results indicated a shared low Connectivity and good Accessibility among study wine trails regardless of their spatial patterns. Tourism-wise, services provided were Comprehensive within wine trails and Complementary across wineries. Results provided managerial intelligence to existing wine trails, such as the need to enhance local road network density and outbalance tourism dominance within trails. Results were also used to develop a geospatial-tourism classification of wine trails which provide managerial intelligence to optimize resources allocation and to shed light on characterizing other types of TTRs.

Identifying Urban Watershed Boundaries and Area, Fairfax County, Virginia

AbstractUrban hydrology differs from that of natural environments, and thus urban watersheds require innovative evaluation techniques. Typical geospatial evaluation of urban hydrology begins with identification of water flow and watershed boundaries. This study identifies steps to delineate a highly urbanized watershed in Fairfax County, Virginia. Using standard techniques for natural watersheds and one-meter2 resolution lidar, watershed and flow accumulation raster datasets were derived. Then, modifications encountered within urban landscapes i.e., impervious surfaces, stormwater inlets, pipes, and retention ponds along with high-resolution aerial photos and lidarderived contour lines were integrated into the analysis. Regions redirecting water flow from stream channels and areas redirecting water flow into the stream channels were identified. These areas were removed or added, reducing the area by almost 17 percent, and the watershed boundary was significantly altered. This analysis illustrates the significance of the distinctive characteristics of the urban landscape in accurate delineations of urban watersheds.

Phylogenetic and geospatial evaluation of HIV-1 subtype diversity at the largest HIV center in Rhode Island

Individuals infected with HIV-1 non-B subtypes are understudied in the United States. Their characterization may augment prevention and treatment interventions. We examined the regional molecular epidemiology of non-B subtypes using a combined phylogenetic and geospatial approach. HIV-1 pol sequences and clinical data obtained for routine clinical care were aggregated from 2004 to 2011 at the largest HIV center in Rhode Island. Subtyping was performed by neighbor-joining and maximum-likelihood phylogeny and compared across eight commonly used tools (HIVdb, REGA, RIP, NCBI, Geno2Pheno, EuResist, jpHMM and STAR) using proportional odds ordinal regression. Individuals with non-B subtypes were characterized according to demographics and risk factors for infection, intra-subtype clustering by maximum-likelihood phylogeny, and geospatial hotspot analysis using Getis-Ord Gi∗ statistics. Of 1277 unique sequences, phylogenetic subtyping demonstrated 8.3% (N=106, 95% CI 6.8–10%) non-B subtypes and circulating recombinant forms (CRFs): CRF02_AG=46; A=15; C=15; CRF01_AE=6; CRF06_CPX=5; CRF14_BG=5; G=3; CRF43_02G=3; D=3; CRF24_BG=3; CRF11_CPX=1; F1=1. Compared to phylogeny, Geno2Pheno was the most concordant (86% exact match) followed by REGA (85%), EuResist (85%) and STAR (82%). Of 106 individuals with non-B subtypes, 50% were male, 71% acquired infection through heterosexual transmission; 76%, were born in Africa, 6% Southeast Asia, 5% the United States, 3% Central America, 1% Europe, and 9% unknown. Eighty percent of CRF02_AG, 93% of A and 87% of C sequences were from African-born individuals. Twenty-two percent of non-B subtypes formed transmission clusters, including a significant number of younger individuals with perinatally-acquired infection. Geospatial analyses revealed hotspots of B and non-B subtypes in the state capital with a more concentrated focus among non-B subtypes. Molecular examination of regional HIV diversity revealed a larger than expected non-subtype B infected population, mostly born in Africa, with low ongoing regional transmission. Phylogenetic and geospatial characterization of infection clusters is helpful to identify targets for treatment and prevention interventions.

Optimizing trauma system design

Trauma systems have been shown to reduce death and disability from injury but must be appropriately configured. A systematic approach to trauma system design can help maximize geospatial effectiveness and reassure stakeholders that the best configuration has been chosen. This article describes the GEOS [Geospatial Evaluation of Systems of Trauma Care] methodology, a mathematical modeling of a population-based data set, which aims to derive geospatially optimized trauma system configurations for a geographically defined setting. GEOS considers a region's spatial injury profile and the available resources and uses a combination of travel time analysis and multiobjective optimization. The methodology is described in general and with regard to its application to our case study of Scotland. The primary outcome will be trauma system configuration. GEOS will contribute to the design of a trauma system for Scotland. The methodology is flexible and inherently transferable to other settings and could also be used to provide assurance that the configuration of existing trauma systems is fit for purpose.