Specific Geographic Information System Research Articles

SIGFIS: a Geographic Information System for Monitoring the Use of Water Resources in the State of Pernambuco

Objective: The objective is to develop a Geographic Information System for Monitoring (SIGFIS) for the oversight of water resource use in the State of Pernambuco, aiming to improve the efficiency of monitoring operations and water sustainability. Literature Review: The study is based on theories and applications of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in water resource management. Method: The methodology includes an applied and descriptive study, with data collection from sources such as APAC, IBGE, and CPRM. Documental research methods and field surveys were used, along with geoprocessing. The data were standardized and integrated into a geographic database, with the creation of thematic maps and spatial analyses. Results and Discussion: The results include an improvement in the real-time monitoring capacity of water resources, allowing for a faster response to irregularities and optimization of monitoring resources. Research Implications: Practical implications include improving the efficiency of monitoring operations and APAC's response capacity, while theoretical implications reinforce the importance of GIS in water resource management. It is expected that SIGFIS will contribute to the formulation of more robust and scientifically-based public policies. Originality/Value: This study contributes to the literature by developing a specific GIS for the monitoring of water resources in Pernambuco, demonstrating the relevance of GIS technology in promoting water sustainability and improving environmental governance.

ASSESSING THE EVOLUTION OF PADDY CULTIVATION IN KOTA BELUD, SABAH USING GIS AND REMOTE SENSING TECHNIQUES

This study aims to analyse the development of paddy cultivation in Kota Belud, Sabah using remote sensing and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) from 1990 to 2020. The cultivation of agriculture-based crops began in the early 1990s, and in 2017-2018, the Malaysian and state government identified Kota Belud as a paddy granary, making the cultivation of paddy a priority. This was in line with the National Agro-Food Policy 2021-2030, which aims to improve food security policies and reduce dependence on imports by enhancing rice production through technology reform and various initiatives. This study employed GIS and remote sensing techniques to analyse the changes in land use for paddy cultivation. Landsat TM 5 and Landsat TM 8 images were used to extract data of land use from 1990 to 2020. The results indicate that the area of paddy cultivation increased from 4,329 ha in 1990 to 12,564 ha in 2020, with fluctuations in between. The specific GIS and remote sensing techniques used in the analysis included unsupervised and supervised classification technique with accuracy classification of 94%, 86%, 98.30% and 91.60 % for year 1990, 2000, 2010 and 2010, respectively. Overall, the findings of this study can be used as a guideline by local authorities to improve rice production and food security in Malaysia.

Pavement management system: implementing project evaluation for local road administrations

Pavement Management System (PMS) is widely used by highway and airport administrations for the rational managing of pavement networks and for identifying cost-effective maintenance strategies. Local Road Administrations (LRA) need the implementation of PMS due to the limited financial, technology and specialised human resources. To lead the LRA to a more conscious and effective use of PMS, tailored procedures and tools have to be defined considering their own potentiality and requirements. For this purpose, the Geographic Information System (GIS) can be implemented, which facilitates the collection, management and analysis of road inventory and monitoring data. GIS allows to easily display on a thematic map a wide set of geographically referenced information and to relate them with spatial and data management tools. Furthermore, customised GIS-based tools can be created to enhance pavement management and to assist the decision-making phase.This paper shows how the implementation of the project evaluation phase in a tailored PMS for several local road administrations in the center of Italy, in order to support maintenance planning and to identify the effective maintenance strategies in a long-term perspective. The process is based upon a systematically and progressive application of interconnected activities, which are supported by reference documentations and specific GIS tools. Specific GIS-based tools were developed for the set-up of road database, prioritisation, selection of properly repairs and maintenance planning. To achieve a more rational and objective maintenance planning assessments, alternative maintenance scenarios were defined using predictive models to estimate the evolution of pavement conditions over time. Long-term effectiveness of alternative maintenance strategies was established using a customised strategic index (SI).

Qualitative insights into the acceptance of QGIS in South Africa

AbstractWe conducted a study to find out whether and why South African users accepted QGIS. In the quantitative part of the study, we found that QGIS acceptance is primarily influenced by habit, followed by facilitating conditions, price value, and social influence. To better understand and explain these results, we conducted a qualitative study in which semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 12 geospatial practitioners. While a geographic information system (GIS) product was often prescribed by their workplace, interviewees had clear preferences for a specific GIS product for certain kinds of tasks, supporting the finding that habit is the main reason for using a GIS product. Interviewees used QGIS because it opens most data formats and there is one license for all functionality (facilitating conditions), is free (price value), and/or had been advised by someone important (social influence). The interviews revealed why software support (commercial or free) was not significant in the quantitative results: users think GIS support is not necessary or else available online. Identical to the quantitative study, interviews confirmed that customizability, no vendor lock‐in, improved reliability, quality, and security do not play a role when deciding to use QGIS. These qualitative results provide a deeper understanding of the quantitative results and can be used by promotors of open‐source geospatial software to increase uptake. In general, they can also help managers embed new products into any organization's workflows. In our study, interviewees and questionnaire respondents were selected to be users. Repeating the study for GIS developers and/or managers will provide further insight into QGIS acceptance.

Use of Geographic Information Systems by American Evaluation Association Members in their Professional Practice

Background: As geographic information systems (GIS) technology continues to develop and expand in its capacity and applications, it is becoming increasingly useful to many disciplines. Even so, little has been written about the place of GIS technology in evaluation practice, and there is a paucity of information as to the extent to and applications for which evaluation practitioners use such technology.
 Purpose: In this investigation, the prevalence and common applications of GIS technology in professional evaluation practice are examined. Particularly, the study was designed to estimate what proportion of American Evaluation Association (AEA) members who self-identify as evaluation practitioners use GIS in their practice, if at all, and, if so, to what extent. For those who use GIS in their evaluation practice, the specific GIS software packages and applications used also are explored.
 Setting: Not applicable.
 Intervention: Not applicable.
 Research Design: A simple random sample of American Evaluation Association (AEA) members were surveyed, with an emphasis on evaluation practitioners.
 Findings: Less than less than half (41.04% ±6.09%) of AEA members who consider themselves evaluation practitioners have ever used GIS in their evaluation practice and less than one-third (31.47% ±5.75%) have received some form of training in GIS methods. Data visualization is, by far, the most frequent application of GIS in evaluation practice.
 Keywords: American Evaluation Association; geographic information systems; technology in evaluation; evaluation practice; research on evaluation

Using GIS Mapping to Target Public Health Interventions: Examining Birth Outcomes Across GIS Techniques.

With advances in spatial analysis techniques, there has been a trend in recent public health research to assess the contribution of area-level factors to health disparity for a number of outcomes, including births. Although it is widely accepted that health disparity is best addressed by targeted, evidence-based and data-driven community efforts, and despite national and local focus in the U.S. to reduce infant mortality and improve maternal-child health, there is little work exploring how choice of scale and specific GIS visualization technique may alter the perception of analyses focused on health disparity in birth outcomes. Retrospective cohort study. Spatial analysis of individual-level vital records data for low birthweight and preterm births born to black women from 2007 to 2012 in one mid-sized Midwest city using different geographic information systems (GIS) visualization techniques [geocoded address records were aggregated at two levels of scale and additionally mapped using kernel density estimation (KDE)]. GIS analyses in this study support our hypothesis that choice of geographic scale (neighborhood or census tract) for aggregated birth data can alter programmatic decision-making. Results indicate that the relative merits of aggregated visualization or the use of KDE technique depend on the scale of intervention. The KDE map proved useful in targeting specific areas for interventions in cities with smaller populations and larger census tracts, where they allow for greater specificity in identifying intervention areas. When public health programmers seek to inform intervention placement in highly populated areas, however, aggregated data at the census tract level may be preferred, since it requires lower investments in terms of time and cartographic skill and, unlike neighborhood, census tracts are standardized in that they become smaller as the population density of an area increases.

Spatial analysis of geometric design consistency and road sight distance

Because of the high number of crashes occurring on highways, it is necessary to intensify the search for new tools that help in understanding their causes. This research explores the use of a geographic information system (GIS) for an integrated analysis, taking into account two accident-related factors: design consistency (DC) (based on vehicle speed) and available sight distance (ASD) (based on visibility). Both factors require specific GIS software add-ins, which are explained. Digital terrain models (DTMs), vehicle paths, road centerlines, a speed prediction model, and crash data are integrated in the GIS. The usefulness of this approach has been assessed through a study of more than 500 crashes. From a regularly spaced grid, the terrain (bare ground) has been modeled through a triangulated irregular network (TIN). The length of the roads analyzed is greater than 100 km. Results have shown that DC and ASD could be related to crashes in approximately 4% of cases. In order to illustrate the potential of GIS, two crashes are fully analyzed: a car rollover after running off road on the right side and a rear-end collision of two moving vehicles. Although this procedure uses two software add-ins that are available only for ArcGIS, the study gives a practical demonstration of the suitability of GIS for conducting integrated studies of road safety.

Modeling certain digital atlas map elements from the geographical information systems aspect

Besides geographic maps, atlases represent the most important cartographic models of environment. Nowadays, contemporary geographic information systems (GIS)are increasingly used ' in planning, designing and predicting the conditions and processes of complex dynamic spatial systems. Collecting data and information for a specific geographical map and GIS represents its basis.

The Milan agglomeration Strategic Noise Map

The aim of this paper is to describe the procedure used for the Milan agglomeration Strategic Noise Mapping, as defined by Environmental Noise Directive (2002/49/EC). City of Milan is a complex case study because of the presence of a plurality of sources: road traffic, railway traffic (also tram traffic) and aircraft noise (Linate airport). The assessment method is based on the guidelines contained in the "Good Practice Guide for Strategic Noise Mapping and the Production of Associated Data on Noise Exposure" (WG-AEN). The study of noise generated from several sources was carried out with the integrated use of both numerical models and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Numerical models allow us to estimate of noise levels in large areas near to a specific noise source and GIS enable the efficient acquisition, management and elaboration of geo-referenced data representative of territory, sources and buildings. By means of the study of specific GIS application it was possible to predict the global noise exposure for overall sources, by overlapping the noise maps of the single noise sources.

Integrated use of remote sensing and geographic information systems in riparian vegetation delineation and mapping

This paper presents a pilot study on riparian vegetation delineation and mapping using remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS) in the Hunter Region, Australia. The aim of the study was to develop appropriate and repeatable assessment and mapping techniques to quantify the extent of riparian vegetation within the region. Ortho‐rectified digital aerial photographs, SPOT‐4 multispectral (XS) and Landsat‐7 ETM+ images were tested to delineate the riparian vegetation and to develop a quantifiable and repeatable method of mapping the extent of that vegetation. Image processing techniques such as parallelepiped classification, tasselled cap transformation, and vegetation index clustering were used in an attempt to delineate riparian vegetation from remotely sensed images. Specific GIS analysis techniques were used for riparian zone buffering and segmentation, vegetation cover estimation, and mapping. Specific GIS scripts were developed for those processes so that they were automatic, fast, and repeatable. Various vegetation indices (VI) were evaluated and compared for their ability to discriminate riparian vegetation and its extent. The riparian vegetation was assessed and mapped at designed segmental interval (e.g. 1 km) with polygon and lineal representations. The classification accuracy was assessed against field observation and air photo interpretation (API). The overall accuracy of the photo‐based classification was about 81%, SPOT‐4 63%, and Landsat‐7 ETM+ 53%. Statistic analysis shows that there is little agreement between photo‐based classification and that from satellite imagery.

The development of a spatially explicit model to estimate radiocaesium body burdens in raccoons ( Procyon lotor) for ecological risk assessment

A spatially explicit model of raccoon ( Procyon lotor) distribution for the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Savannah River Site (SRS) in west-central South Carolina was developed using data from a raccoon radio-telemetry study and visualized within a Geographic Information System (GIS). An inductive approach was employed to develop three sub-models using the ecological requirements of raccoons studied in the following habitats: (1) man-made reservoirs, (2) bottomland hardwood/riverine systems, and (3) isolated wetland systems. Logistic regression was used to derive probabilistic resource selection functions using habitat compositional data and landscape metrics. The final distribution model provides a spatially explicit probability (likelihood of being in an area) surface for male raccoons. The model is a stand-alone tool consisting of algorithms independent of the specific GIS data layers to which they were derived. The model was then used to predict contaminant burdens in raccoons inhabiting a riverine system contaminated with radiocaesium ( 137Cs). The predicted 137Cs burdens were less than if one would assume homogeneous use of the contaminated areas. This modelling effort provides a template for DOE managed lands and other large government facilities to establish a framework for site-specific ecological assessments that use wildlife species as endpoints.

The use of Geographic Information System (GIS) in the frame of the contingency plan implemented during the 1999-2001 avian influenza (AI) epidemic in Italy.

A Geographic Information System (GIS) is a very powerful and flexible software tool for effective management of spatially referenced data (e.g., geodata). Coupling database and GIS technology provides the tools for a detailed analysis of spatial patterns and distributions in veterinary applications. A specific veterinary GIS (VetGIS) toolbox was developed to perform the calculation of indices such as Lorenz curve, GINI index, and a kernel-based animal density estimation. This software was employed for the analysis and management of avian influenza in Italy during the 1999-2000 epidemic.

Using Emerging Technologies to Meet the Requirements of State Source Protection Initiatives

AbstractA Source Assessment Survey (SAS) conducted for Fort Hunter Liggett (FHL), provided an opportunity to combine geographic information system (GIS), global positioning system (GPS), and georeferenced digital aerial photographic technologies to meet California's source assessment requirements. Source protection is rapidly becoming the preferred method of ensuring the production of safe drinking water throughout the United States. These innovative technologies were applied to delineate FHL's water sources; identify possibly contaminating activities (PCAs) that could threaten source water quality; analyze the PCAs to identify those that represent a significant threat; and recommend mitigation strategies. In the future, combining GIS, GPS, and digital aerial photographic technologies will continue to improve analysis of the threats PCAs pose with respect to a myriad of hydrogeologic, hydraulic, and topographic considerations. Specific GIS functions enable data to be manipulated to conduct a spatial threat analysis of PCAs. The most important application of these innovative technologies is the attention‐grabbing, easily interpreted graphics that visually communicate to individuals and the command structure the consequences of specific activities. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

A GIS Application For EnvironmentalManagement In The Semi-arid Ecosystem OfSerra Da Capivara National Park, Piaui,Northeast Brazil

The semi-arid region of Northeast Brazil includes the caatinga (scrub forest) biome, of which less than 50% of the original area now survives, and of which less than 1% is legally protected in the form of Conservation Units. The Serra da Capivara National Park, an International Cultural Landmark, is located in the southeastern region of the State of Piaui. It harbors some 130,000 hectares of caatinga with some 400 archeological sites and endemic and endangered plant and animal species from the Brazilian semi-arid ecosystem. Multiand interdisciplinary studies have been conducted in the area since 1970. The current article presents the results of a study which reviewed, organized, systematized, and standardized existing planimetric, hydrological, ecological, geomorphologic, and infrastructural information with the objective of organizing a Geographic Information System (GIS) to manage the Park. The results of the analyses of the Park's legal and land tenure situation showed quite significant overlaps and discrepancies. Its prevailing zoning regime is unsuited to its current ecological needs, while analysis of the available water accumulated in both natural and manmade reservoirs (the only sources of water in the region) recommend new measures and dynamics for managing the Park's fauna. Introduction Brazil has conservation units whose use is subject to a variety of legal characteristics and supervisory agencies. Full conservation units cover 2.61% of Brazil's national territory. Another 5.52% of the national territory is partially protected, allowing for the direct use of its natural resources [1]. Despite efforts in recent years, conservation of legally established areas in Brazil has failed to Management Information Systems, C.A. Brebbia & P. Pascolo (Editors) © 2000 WIT Press, www.witpress.com, ISBN 1-85312-815-5 38 Management Information Systems completely achieve its objectives, for a number of reasons: lack of funds and political determination to compensate landowners and squatters still living in full conservation units; lack of funds to effectively enforce established areas; lack of personnel (in both sheer numbers and level of training) under the national agency in charge of this area (the Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Natural Resources, or IBAMA), with a current ratio of 1 employee for every 27,560 hectares; gaps in the relationship between local communities and the objectives of the conservation units; limited research (concluded or under way); confusing legislation and legal framework; lack of capability on the part of public and private organizations in charge of managing protected areas; and lack of monitoring of biological diversity and factors modifying conservation units and areas surrounding them. Despite the numerous problems and inertia, Brazil has made progress in its interest and intent to conserve its biodiversity. The current study presents data from a 30-year scientific experiment in the poorest area of Brazil (with an average monthly family income of some US58.00), the semi-arid region of Northeast Brazil, where less than 50% of the original biome remains, the desertification process is expanding, and farming/cattle-raising frontiers, deforestation, and subsistence hunting have fueled the loss of biodiversity. The area studied encompasses the Serra da Capivara National Park, situated in the southeastern region of the State of Piaui, belonging to the morpho-climatic domain of the caatinga, or scrub forest [2] (Figure 1). The Park's 130,000 hectares harbor endemic and endangered animal species [3,4,5]. The flora consists of a mosaic of 5 physiognomic types of caatinga with 70% endemism [6]. 750000 7*0000 770000 780000 790000 800000 Figure 1: General localization Management Information Systems, C.A. Brebbia & P. Pascolo (Editors) © 2000 WIT Press, www.witpress.com, ISBN 1-85312-815-5 Management Information Systems 39 The multiand interdisciplinary research began in 1970 under the Museu do Homem Americano (Museum of American Man) Foundation, currently managing the Park in conjunction with the Brazilian government. Since 1992, the Park has been declared an International Cultural Landmark by (UNESCO) due to the wealth and antiquity of its archeological sites and rock paintings [7,8]. The need to enhance data analysis speed and precision in order to improve the Park's management and planning led to the creation of a specific GIS for this conservation unit, with the following objectives: • establish a common work base for all the research developed in the area; • gather together all the accumulated or existing data bases; • begin analysis of the natural or anthropogenic environmental changes; • begin analysis of the distribution and availability of water in the Park, as a resource limiting the ecosystem's dynamics; and • generate a regional model for monitoring and managing renewable natural

Geographic Information Systems: Unique Analytic Capabilities for the Traffic Safety Community

Geographic information systems (GIS) have been used for more than a decade to display crash sites. Now that their novelty has worn off, the traffic records community should ask what additional analytical benefits GIS can uniquely provide. A literature review illustrates that safety-related GIS analytical capabilities surpass the common practice of producing crash location pin maps. Additional useful GIS techniques include using grid-based modeling; producing increasingly accurate collision diagrams; verifying disparate sources of crash data; applying spatially based statistical applications; examining crash location patterns for causal factors; aligning public opinion with real data; and improving routing capabilities for pedestrians, bicyclists, and hazardous material carriers. This research explores GIS analytic capabilities that can be practically applied to crash data evaluation. A case study demonstrates that despite limited budgets and imperfect data, GIS can still help to identify potential crash countermeasures. Using a typical non-GIS source of crash data (a software package that records crashes at either an intersection or a midblock location), it was possible to place approximately 82 percent of crash locations within a GIS. When private property crashes were excluded from this process, the placement rate climbed to an estimated 94 percent for intersections and 87 percent for midblock locations. By focusing the case study on understanding the practical spatial analytical capabilities rather than merely the mechanics of specific GIS software, one can eventually take advantage of the more extensive crash and roadway data sets that will become available. Despite its many capabilities, however, GIS has not eliminated the need for a comprehensive safety analysis framework integrating the spatial and statistical queries necessary for engineering, enforcement, or educational improvements.

GIS tools applied to the sustainable management of water resources: Application to the aquifer system 08-29

The sustainable exploitation of water resources requires planning and control methods that allow the incorporation of a great number of spatial and temporal variables. Because of its features, a Geographic Information System (GIS) seems the most suitable tool to aid in the management of available hydric resources. In this study, we have developed a specific GIS within the GESMO Project in order to better manage the 08-29 aquifer system (Mancha Oriental). This tool is intended for use by the JCRMO: Junta Central de Regantes de la Mancha Oriental (General Board of Irrigation Users of Eastern La Mancha), the organism responsible for aquifer management.This system is designed to integrate information from different sources, such as remote sensing, fieldwork data or administrative files with the cadastral subplot as a common reference. One of its functions is to expedite the control and monitoring, in real time, of the exploitation plans, which constitute the legal instrument to regulate water extractions. It will allow us to estimate the spatial and temporal distribution of water extractions needed for crops and their irrigation systems. These estimates will be highly valuable for aquifer modelling. The system also permits display of information on maps for easy handling. This visualisation allow users to more readily participate in decision-making processes.

Geographic information systems: How a World Wide Web presence can improve their availability

Geographic information systems (GIS) are increasingly being used for effective accessibility to spatial data. A GIS comprises much more than the mere storage of data: spatial data of the earth is being manipulated to create new information, perform complex spatial analyses, and generate maps and reports. An automated GIS system consists of an integrated digital database containing information about geographic features (points, lines and areas); the hardware, software and people used in the analysis of the features (geographic coordinate data); and a description of features (attribute data). It also provides the ability to query, manipulate and analyse the data. However, certain problems exist in the way access is gained to geographic data. Currently geographic data sets (e.g. maps) are scattered across South Africa and the world, with no standardised method of accessing them. Data needed by a specific GIS system must be ‘ordered’ or downloaded from a remote site. No centralised index to existing geographic data exists. The results from a specific GIS analysis are not necessarily directly available to others. When downloading and thus duplicating a set of complex data from an external site, with the purpose of further manipulation, the copy gradually becomes less current when compared to the original data set. In this paper it is argued that most of these problems can be addressed effectively by making GIS data and information available via the Internet's World Wide Web. By creating hypertext links between different GIS sites, data sets could be shared between sites: a type of online atlas system with a task‐oriented user interface geared towards map creation and fact extraction could be developed. A number of experimental interfaces between GIS application software and the Web have already been developed: these and other approaches are discussed.

On Tightly Coupling Models with Visualizations: The Package for Analysis and Visualization of Environmental Data

Environmental modeling activities can tremendously benefit from geographic information system (GIS) technology. Through integration of environmental models with GIS functionalities, modelers can address complex environmental issues and analyze results in an efficient and effective manner. Integrating environmental models with GIS functionalities is conceivable through either a loosely or tightly coupled approach. With current GIS technology, tight coupling, though highly desired, is impeded, leaving modelers with no option but to take a loosely coupled approach. We suggest that until such time that GIS technology allows tight coupling, the option is used of tightly coupling environmental models with specific GIS capabilities such as cartographic and visualization functionalities. We describe in this paper the need to advance tools to tightly couple models with visualization functionalities, and give an example of such tools as the Package for Analysis and Visualization of Environmental data (PAVE), which ...

Cellular automata and geographic information systems

Contemporary geographic information systems (GIS) suffer from a variety of problems, These include poor performance for many operators, poor ability to handle dynamic spatial models, and poor handling of the temporal dimension. Cellular automata (CA) have much in common with raster GIS and also excel in many of the areas in which GIS are deficient. Specifically, CA provide explicit handling of dynamic spatial models and time. In addition, if special hardware—cellular automata machines—are used, the potential for considerable performance benefits exists. Many spatial analytical operators behave, in effect, as CA, with the specific GIS functions representing the CA transition rules. Examples of such operations include filtering and diffusion. If the spatial operators are considered to be CA, an improved ability to characterize the operators mathematically is achieved, resulting in an improved dynamic spatial modeling ability. In this research the similarities between the two models (GIS and CA) are examined and the ability to implement each in the other is demonstrated. In addition, the advantages of integration of the two systems, by means of a cellular automata machine as the analytical engine for GIS, are discussed.

A GIS‐Based approach for estimating truck flow patterns in urban settings

AbstractThis paper describes how a Geographic Information System (GIS) is being used to help estimate multi‐class truck flows in an urban setting. Emphasis is placed on the reasons why this approach is valuable, the specific GIS tools and techniques employed, the value added by employing a GIS‐based approach, and the results being obtained. These findings are generalized to describe the benefits that might be expected in other situations where a similar modeling approach is used.