GIS is an information system that is used to input, store, retrieve, manipulate, analyze and output geographically referenced data or geo-spatial data in order to support decision making for planning and management of land use, natural resources, environment, transportation, urban facilities and other administrative records.
GIS is used in the following areas -
Telecom and Network services
GIS data assists wireless telecommunication organizations to incorporate geographic data into the complex network design, planning, optimization, maintenance and activities. This technology allows telecom to enhance a variety of application like engineering application, customer relationship management and location based services.
GIS in Mapping
Mapping is a central function of GIS that offers a visual interpretation of data. GIS visually represents the data in a mapped format. Google map, Bing map, Yahoo map are the best examples of web based GIS mapping solution.
Transportation Planning
GIS can be used in managing transportation and logistical problems. GIS gives the best route for the transportation based on flattest route, least damage to habitats and least disturbance from local people. GIS can also help in monitoring rail systems and road conditions.
Tourism Information System
GIS provides a valuable toolbox of techniques and technologies of wide applicability to the achievement of sustainable tourism development. Tourists can measure distance, find hotels, restaurant and even navigate to their respective links with the help of GIS.
Environmental Impact Analysis
Many human activities produce potential adverse environmental effects which include the construction and operation of highways, rail roads, pipelines, airports, radioactive waste disposal and more. GIS is fully integrated and widely accepted for helping government agencies to conduct EIA, manage programs that support farmers and protect the environment.
GIS can be used to create more effective and efficient farming techniques and analyze soil data. This is widely used by the farmers in developed countries to retain soil nutrients and earn maximum yield.
Disaster Management and Wetland Mapping
GIS can help with risk management and analysis by displaying which areas are likely to be prone to natural or man-made disasters like flood, earthquake, etc. and allows the insurance agencies to assess the monetary value of property loss.
During the flooding, wetlands help to reduce flood levels and to trap suspended solids and attached nutrients. GIS provide options for wetland mapping, design projects for wetland conservation and helps in creating wetland digital data bank.
Determine land use or land cover changes and Urban Planning
With GIS technology, land use or land cover changes due to time or natural forces or deforestation in different areas can be determined. GIS is used to maintain and manage the agricultural, water and forest resources, monitor agricultural crop yield and crop rotation, and afforestation.
GIS technology is also used to analyze the urban growth and its direction of expansion, and to find suitable sites for further urban development based on proper accessibility, thickness of the land, vacancy and supply of water are to be considered.
Land Information System
GIS based land acquisition management system will provide complete information about the land. It would help in assessment, payments for private land with owner details, tracking of land allotments and possessions identification and timely resolution of land acquisition related issues.
Needless to say:
In everyday life, there’s a lot riding on GIS for spatial decision-making.
GIS is a powerful tool that finds a home in almost every discipline around the globe. Millions of decisions are being powered by GIS. Recent developments in GIS hold much promise to enhance integrated management of all available information and the extraction of desired information to promote sustainable development.