1.

Introduction

Dr. F. N. Karanja

Content

1.0. Overview 1.1.Definitions 1.2. Basic concepts of GIS 1.3. Why GIS 1.4. Brief History of GIS 1.5. Anatomy of GIS 1.6. Examples of areas of application

Objectives

At the end of this topic the learner should be able to:

Define GIS Explain the basic concept of GIS Know the history behind GIS Know the components of GIS

1.0. Overview: What is Spatial Science?

Reliable decision making in industry, science and society involving key economic, environmental and social issues requires high quality information of which much of that information has a spatial component (location on earth) that can be mapped or communicate where a person or object is located. It requires an integrated approach to the sciences and technologies of measurement, mapping, analysis and visualization of data.

1.1 Definitions
Geographic Information Systems is a term applied to computerized information storage, processing and retrieval systems that have hardware and software specifically designed to cope with geographically referenced spatial data and the corresponding attribute data. The sources of such spatial data could be maps, field surveys, censuses, aerial photographs and satellite imagery. It is therefore evident that these data sets vary in format, level of detail, accuracy, and reference. The ability of GIS to combine spatial data from different sources and non-spatial data(attribute data) distinguishes it from other data processing softwares.

GIS software architecture

GIS Hardware System

Basic Functions of a GIS

1.2 Basic concepts of GIS

Context of GIS Usage

Spatial data handling is a multidisciplinary concept Disciplines that can be distinguished include:

Develop Spatial Concepts Data acquisition means Formal and theoretical foundation Application oriented Support spatial data handling in legal and management aspects.

Discipline Characteristics and Samples

Development of Spatial Concepts Means of Capturing and processing spatial data Geography, Cognitive Science, linguistics, psycology Remote Sensing, Surveying, cartography, photogrammetry

Formal and theoretical foundation Applications

Computer Science, Expert systems, maths, statistics

Archaeology, Architecture, Forestry, Earth Sciences, Reg&Urban planning Legal Sciences, Economy

Support

1.2. Why GIS

Poor maintenance of Geospatial data Maps and statistics are often out of date Data and information are inaccurate Inconsistency of Geospatial data Lack of standards No sharing of geospatial data No retrieval capacities Lack of scientific decision making

Benefits of GIS

Geospatial data maintained in a standard format Easy to revise and update Search, analysis and representation much easier Possibility of value added products Possible to share and exchange data Productivity more improved Time and cost saved Lead to better decision making.

1.4. Brief History of GIS

Controversy about the history of GIS since parallel developments took place in North America, Europe and Australia but much of the published history focuses on the US contributions. What is certain is that the extraction of simple measures largely led to the development of the first real GIS namely the Canadian Geographic Information System (CGIS) in the mid-60s as a computerized map measuring system. In the late-60s, the US bureau of the Census recognized a need for creating digital records of all US streets to support automatic referencing and aggregation of census records. In separate developments cartographers and mapping agencies were debating on the use of computers to reduce on the costs and shorten the time taken to create a map. The UK Experimental Cartography Unit (ECU) pioneered high quality computer mapping in 1968 and published the worlds first computer-made map in a regular series in 1973 with the British Geological Survey.

1.4. Brief History of GIS cont.

National mapping agencies e.g. Britains Ordnance Survey, Frances Institut Geographique National and the US Geological Survey and the Defense Mapping Agency (now the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency) began to investigate the use of computers to support the editing of maps, to avoid the expensive and slow process of hand correction and redrafting. It was not until 1995, that the first country (Great Britain) achieved complete digital map coverage in a database. Remote Sensing also contributed to the development of GIS as a source of technology as well as source of data. GIS took off in the early 1980s, when the price of computing hardware had fallen to a level that could sustain a significant software industry and cost-effective application.

Recall Basic Functions of GIS

Data Acquisition and pre-processing Database Management and Retrieval Spatial Measurement and Analysis Graphic Output and visualization

1.5. Anatomy of GIS

Software People

Data Network

Hardware Procedures

1.6. Examples of Areas of Applications

1.6. Examples of Areas of Applications Cont.

GIS as a tool for Governance

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GIS as a marketing tool

GIS for water management

GIS for Tax assessment

GIS for School management

Health Application

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Application-Telecommunication

Infrastructure-Application

Crime-application

Comparison of Low and high income areas

Visualization Examples

Examples Cont.

Examples Cont.

The End