Integrated Land And Water Information System Research Articles

Livelihood Activities, Climate Change and Water Resources Availability in the Lower Cross River State, Nigeria

This study aims to assess how human livelihood activities influence climate change and water resource availability in the Northern part of Cross River State, Nigeria. Majorly, the paper looked at how human livelihoods activities like deforestation for agricultural expansion, carving, and timber, exploitation of non-timber forest products, sand mining, and faulty agricultural practices among others had influenced the removal of forest vegetation cover, how these activities also influenced the reduction in rainfall and subsequent paving of ways for climate change. These activities contributed greatly to increasing ambient temperature orchestrating carbon accumulation in the surrounding environment and reduction in the amount of rainfall within the study area. Using both soft and hardware computer applications including German 12 handheld GPS, and Integrated Land and Water Information System (ILWIS), were used for data collection. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected for the study. The GIS information software package was used to manipulate and perform feature identification, recognition, classification, calculation, and ground-truthing. A structured questionnaire was also used to collect data on some livelihood activities, the influence of livelihoods activities on water availability, and climate change among others. Secondary data set include the use of satellite imageries of Bekwarra, this was acquired from the Nigeria Center for Remote Sensing and Nigerian Meteorological Center, Jos for 1987- 2017. After analysis, it was found that the forest vegetation cover is fast disappearing, the built-up area had increased and the forest and water bodies are shrunken. Ambient temperature and carbon accumulation had seriously increased, while rainfall has reduced seriously leading to climate change and reduced water availability. It was recommended among others that tree planting and afforestation, alternative sources of livelihood that are feasible, sustainable, cheap, and practicable should be introduced to reduce pressure on the natural ecosystem.

EXTENT OF URBANIZATION IMPACT ON FOREST RESOURCES IN OJU LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, BENUE STATE, NIGERIA

Several researches have been carried out on urbanization especially urban areas in Nigeria and globally, but were mostly centred on major cities and little has been done on the growth of smaller towns. This study was carry out to determine the impact of urbanization on forest resources of Oju local Government Areas of Benue State, Nigeria.. Specifically the study determined the extent and growth rate of urban areas and their impacts on forest resources in Oju local Government Area of Benue State, Nigeria. Remotely sensed images of Landsat TM and ETM+ were acquired for 1998 and 2008 while Operational Landsat Imager (OLI) was used for 2018 respectively. The images were subjected to various image processing techniques and a supervised classification using Maximum Likelihood Classifier was performed in Integrated Land and Water Information System (ILWIS) software. The classification resulted in five classes of Land use and Land cover (LULC) of forested areas, farmland, vegetation, built-up areas and water. The results shows that between 1998 and 2018 forest decreased by -231.5.km2 (63.24%) representing an annual rate of -3.16%. The built-up area increased by 150.45km2 (108.99%) at an annual rate of change of 5.45% Farmland area decreased by -30.56 km2 (-6.5%) at an annual growth rate of 0.32%. The study revealed that, loss of naturally vegetated areas was mainly as a results of urban growth and expansion, farming and logging activities with commercial activities. The study recommends awareness creation against deforestation and encouragement of community and urban forestry.

Using the Geographical Information System (GIS) Methods in Determination of Landuse Changes at Batu Sapi, Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia

The study area is in the southwestern part of the Sandakan city center bounded by latitude 05° 48’ until 05° 52’ N and longitude 117° 58’ until 118° 03’ E and covers the area of 100km2. The study area comprises the Sandakan Formation which is overlain by the Quaternary Alluvium. The landuse changes is done through the Geographical Information System (GIS) method by using the ILWIS (Integrated Land and Water Information System) software. There are four main stages involved in the GIS method to produce the thematic maps. Landuse map of the year 1980 and 2010 have been used to study the changes at the study area. The results show the percentage of urban area coverage have increased, while the village area have the highest percentage of land diminution. So, with the model of the evolution of landuse, it calls for landuse planning in the study area is more sustainable in the future.

IMPLEMENTATION OF A COMPREHENSIVE AND EFFECTIVE GEOPROCESSING WORKFLOW ENVIRONMENT

Abstract. Many projects and research efforts implement geo-information (GI) workflows, ranging from very basic ones to complicated software processing chains. The creation of these workflows normally needs considerable expertise and sharing them is often hampered by undocumented and non-interoperable geoprocessing implementations. We believe that the visual representation of workflows can help in the creation, sharing and understanding of software processing of geodata. In our efforts we aim at bridging abstract and concrete workflow representations for the sake of easing the creation and sharing of simple geoprocessing logic within and across projects. We have implemented a first version of our workflow approach in one of our current projects. MARIS, the Mara Rangeland Information System, is being developed in the Mau Mara Serengeti SustainableWater Initiative (MaMaSe). It is a web client that uses the Integrated Land and Water Information System (ILWIS), our open source Remote Sensing and GIS software. It aims to integrate historic, near real time and near future forecast of rainfall, biomass, carrying capacity and livestock market information for the sustainable management of rangelands by conservancies in the Maasai Mara in Kenya. More importantly it aims to show results of a carrying capacity model implemented in a comprehensive geoprocessing workflow. In this paper we briefly describe our software and show the workflow implementation strategy and discuss the innovative aspects of our approach as well as our project evaluation and the opportunities for further grounding of our software development.

Study of Landcover Change in Yelwa-Heipang Area of Plateau State, North-Central Nigeria: A Geoinformatics Approach

Abstract. This study is a research programme carried out to detect the change in land use/land cover of Yelwa-Heipang area of Plateau State, North Central Nigeria. It lies within the South-Eastern part of the Jos-Plateau. It is about 40 km South of Jos city. It is located between latitude 9°35'16.65" N, longitude 8°52'29.91" E and Latitude 9°38'38.92" N, longitude 8°57'03.87" E (Naraguta topomap, sheet 168S.E). Two sets of Landsat images of 1975, 1986 and NigeriaSat-X image of 2012 were subjected to various image processing techniques and a supervised classification was carried out on the various images using ILWIS (Integrated land and water information system) software. The classification scheme used are bare-surface, built-up, farmland and vegetation. A follow up field work was carried out to confirm the results of the classification. The results were subjected to various statistical analyses and it shows natural vegetated area coverage increased from 5.80 sqkm in 1975 to 18.47 sqkm in 1986 and later reduced to 16.85 sqkm in 2012. Non-vegetated area which comprised built-up area, farmlands and bare surface, decreased from 42.2 sqkm in 1975 to 33.82 sqkm in 1986, then to 35.86 sqkm in 2012.The rate of change of natural vegetation between 1975 and 1986 was 1.152 sqkm per annum, while that of 1986 and 2012 was 0.108 sqkm per annum. Loss of naturally vegetated area in Yelwa-Heipang Barkin-Ladi is mainly as a result of urban growth and expansion, farming and gully erosion. Another important issue in the study area is the problem of soil erosion. In the past mining activity had led to accelerated gully erosion which has stripped substantial areas of lands of their vegetations. This has led to the formation of bare surface. Land cover of the study area during the period between 1975 and 2012 changed from a forested area to other land uses as a result of increase in population, demand for land for agricultural purposes and increase in the demand for firewood.

Assessing regional environmental quality by integrated use of remote sensing, GIS, and spatial multi-criteria evaluation for prioritization of environmental restoration.

This study was an attempt to analyse the regional environmental quality with the application of remote sensing, geographical information system, and spatial multiple criteria decision analysis and, to project a quantitative method applicable to identify the status of the regional environment of the study area. Using spatial multi-criteria evaluation (SMCE) approach with expert knowledge in this study, an integrated regional environmental quality index (REQI) was computed and classified into five levels of regional environment quality viz. worse, poor, moderate, good, and very good. During the process, a set of spatial criteria were selected (here, 15 criterions) together with the degree of importance of criteria in sustainability of the regional environment. Integrated remote sensing and GIS technique and models were applied to generate the necessary factors (criterions) maps for the SMCE approach. The ranking, along with expected value method, was used to standardize the factors and on the other hand, an analytical hierarchy process (AHP) was applied for calculating factor weights. The entire process was executed in the integrated land and water information system (ILWIS) software tool that supports SMCE. The analysis showed that the overall regional environmental quality of the area was at moderate level and was partly determined by elevation. Areas under worse and poor quality of environment indicated that the regional environmental status showed decline in these parts of the county. The study also revealed that the human activities, vegetation condition, soil erosion, topography, climate, and soil conditions have serious influence on the regional environment condition of the area. Considering the regional characteristics of environmental quality, priority, and practical needs for environmental restoration, the study area was further regionalized into four priority areas which may serve as base areas of decision making for the recovery, rebuilding, and protection of the environment.

Investigating Changes in Coastal Environment Using Internet-Based Geospatial Data

The concerns of researchers and policy makers for the deteriorating condition of the coastal environments have increased in recent times. As the threats to the world today, such as, climate change, population pressure, urbanization and disasters are getting worse, it has become needful to give more attention to means of sustaining the human environment, especially the coastal areas. On the basis of this background, access to geospatial data through internet technology has become attractive, for investigating the impacts of dynamic processes on the coastal environment. This paper presents the result of investigation carried out in Okrika coastal areas of Rivers State, Nigeria. In particular, it discusses how internet-based geospatial data (for example; LandSat TM, ETM+ and Google Earth maps) of three epochs, were incorporated into open-source Geographic Information System (GIS), such as, Integrated Land and Water Information System (ILWIS), and applied to the investigation of land use/land cover (LU/LC) changes. The results obtained tend to show that between 1986 – 2007, 10.94% of the coastal areas was modified from water body to residential areas, 1.10% from residential areas to swamps, 0.42% from vegetation to water body and 0.93% from residential areas to water body. With these modifications, the economic mainstay of the people (marine, tourism and fishing activities) has been adversely affected. The research recommends that effective shoreline protection facility be put in place through government regulations in order to minimize further encroachment, particularly with regards to the water bodies. Also, high-resolution geospatial data as well as simple GIS applications should be made available on the internet, to enable more researchers contribute knowledge and solution to coastal crises, as well as improve collaboration within an interactive platform among policy and strategy formulators.Key Words: Coastal environment, Geospatial data, Remote Sensing, LandSat TM, ETM+, Internet, Open-source GIS.

Wetland Use/Cover Changes and Local Perceptions in Uganda

<p>With increasing population, coupled with land shortage and weather variations, wetlands in Uganda have continued to face degradation due to mainly conversion for agricultural, industrial and settlement purposes. The objective of this study was to determine the spatial and temporal wetland use/cover changes and local perceptions attributed to these changes. The study utilized three sets of ortho-rectified and cloud free Landsat TM/ETM+/MSS temporal images (30 m) of 1986, 2000 and 2011. The classification procedures were carried out using an Integrated Land and Water Information System (ILWIS) software version 3.7. A wetland classification system for Uganda developed by the National Biomass Study, 2003 was adopted to describe the wetland use/cover types. The classified images were validated in a ground truthing exercise using Global Positioning System (GPS) to improve on the classification accuracy. Key informant interviews and focus group discussions were conducted with communities adjacent to the wetlands in each of three of the ten Ugandan agro-ecological zones to determine the underlying drivers of wetland use/cover changes, while household interviews generated information on local perceptions of the changes. Significant changes were mainly observed in wetland use/cover between 1986 and 2011. Major factors responsible for these changes were subsistence farming due to intensification of growing paddy rice in Kyoga plains, an influx of migrants who accessed wetlands for daily subsistence (livestock grazing) in South western farmlands and proximity to urban centres in the Lake Victoria Crescent. In all the sampled agro-ecological zones, increased crop farming in wetlands was due to changing opportunities created by existent large markets for wetland crops. Majority (60%) of the local people perceived wetlands in their proximity to have undergone high degradation within the last 10 years, and to have declined in quantity and quality of vegetation, soil fertility and water levels. There was a noticeable variation across the sampled agro-ecological zones, with the highest proportion of local communities perceiving degradation being in Kyoga plains (76%), followed by Lake Victoria crescent (63%) and South-western farmlands (41%). Locally perceived threats to wetlands were mainly from crop growing that accounted for 33% of the frequency of mentioned threats, collection of wetland resources (30%), and prolonged floods and droughts (12%). This study confirms the importance of economic opportunities from new market outlets and migration in its various forms as key factors in land use change, especially at timescales of a couple of decades.<strong></strong></p>

Ecosystem recovery analysis of mine tailings at Mhangura copper mine through normalised difference vegetation index

Remote sensing techniques are increasingly being employed in monitoring environmental change. Vegetation indices such as normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI), are useful in estimating primary production, an important component of ecosystem function. The success of rehabilitation on mine tailings may be indirectly assessed through NDVI changes. Mine tailings at Mhangura copper mine, Zimbabwe, have not been monitored since their rehabilitation following the mine closure in 2000. The present study indirectly assesses primary productivity over the tailings dams as a way of establishing the extent of ecosystem recovery. NDVI images were obtained from the United States geological survey (USGS), global visualisation viewer (GloVis) website. These were processed using the Integrated Land and Water Information System (ILWIS) Version 3.3 GIS software. Two-way ANOVA showed significant differences in NDVI between the sites (p < 0.05). Actual NDVI trends over the years could not be established. NDVI values over the dams were also significantly different from those in adjacent natural Acacia woodland. These observations were supported by principal components and hierarchical cluster analyses. The NDVI analysis thus showed a good establishment of grass on the dams with poor tree cover when compared with the Acacia woodland. This suggests a positive movement towards recovery. However, factors preventing tree establishment need to be investigated. Keywords: Ecosystem development, normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI), remote sensing, tailings rehabilitation.

Zavkhan River and Its Catchment Area Delineation Using Satellite Image

The purpose of this research is to define initial parameters of Khyargas Lake-Zavkhan River and its catchment area using satellite images. The study has been done by two datasets: 1) Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) at a horizontal spatial resolution of 90 meters, 2) The Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) at a horizontal spatial resolution of 30 meters, using two different models of ArcHydro and Integrated Land and Water Information System (ILWIS) softwares. Main methods of models, that were used in this research are the Deterministic-8, the steepest slope, the spread, the seek computations and the trace analysis. Moreover, input data of the modeling are digital elevation model (DEM) and lake position, outlet location of the river. DEM based ArcHydro model was run on the both datasets, and ILWIS model was run on SRTM data. Several intermediate results were produced while the models run, and initial parameters of the Zavkhan River, its catchment area have been defined at the end of the model. Moreover, final results of the models were compared with each other and with the result of previous research, and with the reality. The result of this study can be used in baseline and advanced research on the catchment area. Besides of that, the result can define a spatial boundary of study on Zavkhan River and its catchment area. Moreover, it would have support for decision-making on ground and surface water resource, distribution and management. Further research, which will cover the entire territory of Mongolia, has to be done using same methodology. The 332nd decision on “River catchment areas of Mongolia” of the Minister of Nature, Environment and Tourism in 2009 has to renew, if a result of that study would be accepted from vocational organization and experts.

Coupling agricultural non-point source (AgNPS) model and geographic information system (GIS) tools to predict peak runoff and sediment generation in the upper River Njoro catchment in Kenya

Human interference in the upper River Njoro catchment has led to the increased exposure of the land to accelerated erosion. An application that combined the capabilities of remote sensing, geographic information system (GIS) and agricultural non-point source (AgNPS) model was used to estimate peak runoff rate and sediment yield from the upper River Njoro catchment. Remotely sensed Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) images were used to obtain land cover and associated AgNPS model input parameters. Other input parameters for the model were extracted from GIS layers using the agricultural non-point source-integrated land and water information system (AgNPS-ILWIS) interface. Surface water quantity and quality data including peak runoff and sediment yield of selected storm events were obtained from two gauging stations, within the catchment. Base flow separation was done so that measured direct peak runoff rate and sediment yield generated by direct runoff could be determined and compared directly with the model simulated results. Simulated peak runoff rates in Upstream (Treetop) station were satisfactory with an EFF of 0.78 and a percent error of 4.1%. The sediment yield was also reasonably estimated with an EFF of 0.88 and a 2% error. The downstream (Egerton) station results were also satisfactorily predicted with peak runoff rate having an EFF of 0.69 and a 5.5% error of estimates, while the estimated sediment yield had an EFF of 0.86 and a 2.5% error. Key words: Peak runoff, sediment, agricultural non-point source (AgNPS), geographic information system (GIS), integrated land and water information system (ILWIS), soil loss.

Watershed Characteristics and Their Implication for Hydrologic Response in the Upper Sokoto Basin, Nigeria

Most African river basins lack flow data, a condition which has affected river basin operations. Flood is a common occurrence on the Sokoto basin but poor data base has affected various research efforts and flood mitigation attempts in the basin. This present study will study basin variables using a GIS approach with a few to gaining insights to the flood potentials of Sokoto basin. Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission (SRTM) image covering 5o-7o E and 12 o to 14oN was used in this study. The analysis was carried out using the Integrated Land and Water Information System (ILWIS) and ArcGIS environments. Sinks were removed from the STRM, and the flow direction map was generated as an input for drainage extraction, river ordering and basin catchment extraction. Drainage network overlay was carried out on the generated hill-shade map and on a portion of SPOT image covering the Upper Sokoto catchment for visual analysis. Altogether, 44 basin variables were generated with a view to appraising flood and water resource management in the basin. The results showed that the Upper Sokoto basin is an alluvial catchment; located in a relatively low lying area where high level of deposition is experienced. It is sinuous in nature, circular in shape and compact. These characteristics coupled with the relatively high volume of precipitated water of 14,511,439,620 m³/year are indications that the basin has high flood potential. The paper recommends construction of levees to protect farmlands, efficient reservoir operation and sustainable watershed management for the purpose of environmental management in the Sokoto basin.

Tuul River and Its Catchment Area Delineation from Satellite Image

The purpose of this research is to define basic parameters of Tuul River and its catchment area using satellite images. The study has been done by two datasets 1) Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) at a horizontal spatial resolution of 90 meters, 2) The Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) at a horizontal spatial resolution of 30 meters, using two different models of ArcHydro and Integrated Land and Water Information System (ILWIS) softwares. Main methods of models, that were used in this research are the Deterministic-8, the steepest slope, the spread, the seek computations and the trace analysis. Moreover, input data of the modeling are digital elevation model (DEM) and outlet location of the river. DEM based ArcHydro model was run on the both datasets, and ILWIS model was run on SRTM data. Several intermediate results were produced while the models run, and basic parameters of the Tuul River, its catchment area have been defined at the end of the model. Moreover, final results of the models were compared with each other and with the result of previous research. The result of this study can be used in baseline and advanced research on the catchment area. Besides of that, the result can define a spatial boundary of study on Tuul River and its catchment area. Moreover, it would have support for decision-making on ground and surface water resource, distribution and management. Further research, which will cover the entire territory of Mongolia, has to be done using same methodology. The 332nd decision on “River catchment areas of Mongolia” of the Minister of Nature, Environment and Tourism in 2009 has to renew, if a result of that study would be accepted from vocational organization and experts.

Remote Sensing-GIS Supported Land Cover Analysis of Gashaka-Gumti National Park, Nigeria

This paper, using remotely acquired data and field survey analyzed land cover types, classified (supervised) and observed mean tree species distribution between the two sectors of the Gashaka-Gumti National Park (GGNP). Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapped (ETM), 1999 imagery; Two scenes P186R054 and P186R055 were analyzed using Integrated Land and Water Information System (ILWIS) soft ware version3.2a for the land cover types and classification. Using GPS, sample units coordinates and altitude were determined and species distribution per 625m2 of unit area were surveyed in the field while, soil types and characteristics were restricted to published documents and field checks. Percentages of cover types and mean species distribution per unit area as well as significance variation in mean species distributions between the two sectors were calculated using student t- test. Result of the data analysis revealed based on set criteria seven land cover classes, which further computed into their percent (%) surface cover. Result of the of the cover types indicated Wood/grass lands constituted 52.42%, gallery forest 20.84% lowland forest 8.46%, montane grass land 9.05% montane forest 5.25%, water bodies/streams 0.62%, rock outcrop 1.80% and bare surfaces 1.54%. The observed mean distribution of tree species per sample unit show means of 41, 48, 46 densities and 9, 10, 9 diversities for the northern, southern sectors and the entire park respectively. Soil type, altitude, nearness to water channels and slope gradient are noted among the determinant factors in observed cover types and distribution pattern. Key Words: Biodiversity, Gashaka-Gumti, Land cover, Remote Sensing-GIS, Species distribution

Integrated remote sensing and GIS study for hydrogeomorphological mapping and delineation of groundwater potential zones in Khallikote block, Ganjam district, Orissa

The present study attempts to delineate different groundwater potential units using remote sensing and geographic information system (GIS) in Khallikote block of Ganjam disrict, Orissa. Thematic maps of geology, geomorphology, land use and land cover, drainage density, lineament density, slope and DEM (digital elevation model) were prepared using the Landsat Thematic Mapper data in 3 spectral bands, band 7 (mid-infrared light), band 4 (near-infrared light), Band 2 (visible green light). Relationship of each layer to the groundwater regime has been evaluated through detailed analysis of the individual hydrological parameters. The SMCE (Spatial Multi-Criteria Evaluation) module in ILWIS (Integrated Land and Water Information System) supports the decision-making process for evaluating the ground water potential zones in the area. The study shows that more than 70% of the block is covered by medium to excellent category having good ground water potential.

Comparative cluster analysis to localize emergencies in archaeology

Abstract In the Northwestern Peru, near the city of Trujillo, an Italian Archaeological Mission (MIPE), in close collaboration with the National Institute of Culture (INC) of Peru, is working on the site of Chan Chan, the widest archaeological complex in the world for the constructions in raw earth. The mission is carrying out a multidisciplinary survey with the purpose to study a methodology for the site maintenance and the creation of a local center of documentation. Inside this project we want to explain a step of the research by means of a remote sensing analysis based on a Quickbird high-resolution image. By applying some image classification techniques, it has been possible to investigate the whole archaeological site, with the aim of a better definition of its general features and of a contribution to the exploitation of the surroundings. This analysis was carried out in open source environment implementing and performing two different classification algorithms and comparing the final results. As we had at our disposal no set of reliable ground truth of the study area it was necessary to follow an unsupervised classification approach. The off-line clustering techniques have been: K-means and Fuzzy K-means. Both approaches rely on minimizing a cost function of dissimilarity (distance) measure. We have overcome the problem of data group overlapping in a hard classification testing a fuzzy approach where each observation belongs to a cluster with a fuzzy membership degree. The resulted classification clearly separates the central archaeological site from the areas intensively cultivated and besides puts in evidence the coastal band, characterized by a reduced parceling and by the presence of damp zones. Another purpose of this research has been also to individualize the principal features of the Chan Chan site, possibly, by putting in evidence some archaeological emergencies and discovering new mark and signs. We performed every phase by the software Integrated Land and Water Information System (ILWIS) 3.4 developed by the ITC of Enschede and open source from July 2007. All collected information are useful to organize a master plan in a GIS, dedicated to the conservation of the archaeological complex.

IRS-LISS-III and PAN data analysis for landslide susceptibility mapping using heuristic approach in active tectonic region of Himalaya

Structurally disturbed zones of Himalaya are among the worst landslide affected regions in the world. Although landslides are induced/triggered either by torrential rain during monsoon or by seismic activity in the region, the inherent terrain conditions characterize the prevailing basic conditions susceptible to landslides. Using remotely sensed data and Geographic Information System (GIS), geological and terrain factors can be integrated for preparation of factor maps and demarcation of areas susceptible to landslides. Moderate to high resolution data products available from Indian Remote Sensing satellites have been utilized for deriving geological and terrain factor maps, which were integrated using knowledge driven heuristic approach in Integrated Land and Water Information System (ILWIS) GIS. The resultant map shows division of the area into landslide susceptibility classes ranked in terms of hazard potential in one of the structurally disturbed zones in western Himalaya around Rishikesh.

Book Review: Spatial Decision Support for Urban and Environmental Planning: A Collection of Case Studies, Edited by Davide Geneletti and Alias Abdullah

This is the first publication by Geneletti and Abdullah which brings together a concise selection of case studies of spatial decision support tools and applications. The array of tools and techniques in this edited collection of case studies includes a number of spatial planning and decision support systems that have been applied in a range of contexts from Europe, South East Asia and Latin America. The book begins with an introduction of spatial decision support tools for urban and environmental planning by Klosterman. This sets the scene highlighting the important role information technology and spatial models play in supporting planning-based activities. The introduction provides a good segue into the first chapter by Sharifi and Zucca who introduce the reader to the concept of integrated planning and decision support systems where a comprehensive conceptual framework for planning and decision making is illustrated. The authors then describe the use of the Spatial Multi-Criteria Evaluation (SMCE) module within the Integrated Land and Water Information System (ILWIS) to undertake a selection of suitable sites and designs for a new park in northern Italy. The second chapter by Sante-Riveria, Crecent-Maseda, Boullon-Magan and Miranda-Barross describes the use of the RUral Land-use Exploration System (RULES) for the purpose of comprehensive rural urban land use planning in northwest Spain. A modular approach is taken by firstly undertaking land evaluation through a number of land suitability analysis techniques. Next, an area optimisation module has been run to solve a GIS-based linear programming model. Finally, the spatial allocation module utilises the RULES spatial decision support system (SDSS) Appl. Spatial Analysis DOI 10.1007/s12061-009-9029-5

Soil erosion hazard evaluation—An integrated use of remote sensing, GIS and statistical approaches with biophysical parameters towards management strategies

Soil erosion hazard maps can be an essential tool in erosion prone areas as they explain and display the distribution of hazards and areas likely to be affected to different magnitudes. Therefore, it is very useful to planners and policy makers initiating remedial measures and for prioritizing areas. In this study, a numerical model was developed for soil erosion hazard assessment, in which Z-score analysis was combined with a geographical information system (GIS) to compute a synthetic soil erosion hazard index (SEHI). For this model, nine factors which have notable impact on soil erosion were selected. To generate the selected factors remote sensing, analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and GIS techniques along with spatial models were applied. To standardize all of the factors and establish the factor weights, the AHP method was adopted. For Z-score analysis with selected standardized factors, the Integrated Land and Water Information System (ILWIS) software was used and nine individual layers with Z-scores were prepared. Afterwards, the layers were integrated with their factor weights by means of a weighted linear combination to derive a SEHI value for each pixel. To classify the discrete SEHI map to represent a meaningful regionalization of soil erosion hazard, the equal distance cluster principle was used and graded into four levels of hazard; very high, high, moderate and low. The results depicted that in general, a moderate hazardous condition of soil erosion was found in the study area and the proposed approach was also able to identify the areas under high and very high hazards that require urgent intervention on a priority basis. Based on this study, comprehensive erosion hazard management strategies were anticipated for the efficient management of present and future erosion disaster in the area.

Spatial dynamics of cropland and cropping pattern change analysis using landsat TM and IRS P6 LISS III satellite images with GIS

The study of the spatial patterns and temporal changes of cropland is important to understand the underlying factors and the functional effects of the agricultural landscape. On the other hand, crop dynamics mapping is essential to know the overall agro-spatial diversity of the area. Therefore, this paper addressed a spatio-temporal analysis of cropland and cropping pattern change in the Bogra district of Bangladesh over the last 16 years (between 1988/89 and 2004/05). In this paper, crop mapping from multi-temporal and multi-sensor satellite images was described. Landsat TM and IRS P6 LISS III satellite images were used with GIS for spatial dynamics of cropland and cropping pattern change analysis. First, seasonal cropland maps were derived from object-based classification of satellite images, then two-date classified image differencing with GIS overlay technique and decision rules were applied. Cropping pattern change was analyzed in a spatial and quantitative way for the 16 years and for this, Integrated Land and Water Information System (ILWIS) and Land Change Modular (LCM) of IDRISI Andes were used. The results showed that in the area, mono crop cultivation was found in summer, but in winter, areas under different crop cultivation had changed dramatically. Change analysis showed that the changes mainly occurred in the north northwest and southwest of the areas, and during the time the highest change area was found under the rice-potato pattern.