Introduction to Geographic Information

Systems (GIS)- with a focus on

localizing the MDGs

Carmelle J. Terborgh, Ph.D.ESRI

www.esri.com

Flying Blind

Jul 24th 2003 Jul 24th 2003 The Economist The Economist

We Live in Two WorldsWe Live in Two Worlds

Self-Regulating Managed

Natural World Constructed World

. . . These Are Increasingly In Conflict

• Watersheds• Communities• Neighborhoods• Districts

Context and ContentContext and Content

• Patterns• Linkages• Trends

Seeing the Whole Managing Places

Abstracting the Real WorldAbstracting the Real World

What is GIS?

• A Geographic Information System (GIS) is a computer-based system including software, hardware, people, and geographic information

• A GIS can: create, edit, query, analyze, and display

map information on the computer

Geographic Information SystemGeographic Information System

• Geographic – 80% of government data collected is associated with some location in space

• Information - attributes, or thecharacteristics (data), can be used to symbolize and provide further insight into a given location

• System – a seamless operation linking the information to the geography – which requires hardware, networks, software, data, and operational procedures

…not just software! …not just for making maps!

Who uses GIS?Who uses GIS?• International organizations

UN HABITAT, The World Bank, UNEP, FAO, WHO, etc.

• Private industry Transport, Real Estate, Insurance, etc.

• Government Ministries of Environment, Housing, Agriculture,

etc. Local Authorities, Cities, Municipalities, etc. Provincial Agencies for Planning, Parks,

Transportation, etc.

• Non-profit organizations/NGO’s World Resources Institute, ICMA, etc.

• Academic and Research Institutions Smithsonian Institution, CIESIN, etc.

• The possibilities are unlimited… Environmental impact assessment Resource management Land use planning Tax Mapping Water and Sanitation Mapping Transportation routing and more ...

What can you do with a GIS?What can you do with a GIS?

How does a GIS work?How does a GIS work?

• GIS data has a spatial/geographic reference

This might be a reference that describes a feature on the earth using:

• a latitude & longitude• a national coordinate system• an address• a district• a wetland identifier• a road name

• A GIS stores information about the world as a collection of thematic layers that can be linked together by geography

Polygon 3 Scrub 17 Very high Clay

Geography and DatabasesGeography and Databases

GIS providesGIS provides Data Integration Data Integration

VectorsVectors

TopologyTopology

NetworksNetworks

TerrainTerrain

SurveysSurveys

ImagesImages

CADCADDrawingsDrawings

AnnotationAnnotation

AddressesAddresses

27 Main St.27 Main St.

AttributesAttributes

ABCABC

107’107’

3D Objects3D Objects

DimensionsDimensions

• Roads• Land Parcels• Population• Utilities• Land Mines• Hospitals• Refugee Camps• Wells• Sanitation

Two fundamental types of Two fundamental types of datadata

• Vector A series of x,y coordinates For discrete data represented as points, lines,

polygons

• Raster Grid and cells For continuous data such as elevation, slope,

surfaces

• A Desktop GIS should be able to handle both types of data effectively!

Raster

Vector

Real World

Data RepresentationData Representation

Other features of a GISOther features of a GIS

• Produce good cartographic products (translation = maps)

• Generate and maintain metadata• Use and share geoprocessing

models• Managing data in a geodatabase

using data models for each sector

Hint – having GIS software does Hint – having GIS software does not a cartographer make!not a cartographer make!

• Good to know something about these issues when creating a map and doing spatial analysis… Scale/Resolution Projection Basic cartographic principles

regarding design, generalization, etc.

GIS is (rapidly) evolvingGIS is (rapidly) evolving

Projects Systems Networks

Integrated Coordinated Cooperative

Societal

Collaborative

Problem Statement – ?????*

Formulate the question

Mitigate and change Seek solutions

Observe, acquire data

Analyze

Diagram courtesy of Michael Goodchild, UCSB

Geospatialdata

Socio-Economic

data

Ground-BaseddataOther

Ancillarydata

* Added

GIS as part of your GIS as part of your decision making process…decision making process…

Spatial Data InfrastructureSpatial Data Infrastructure(SDI)(SDI)

• Definition - the technology, policies, standards, human resources, and related activities necessary to acquire, process, distribute, use, maintain, and preserve spatial data

• Part of many nation’s e-Gov strategy

• www.GSDI.org

The WorldGeographicKnowledge

Citizens

Inventory

Decision Support

World Summit on World Summit on Sustainable Development Sustainable Development

20022002

““Promote the development and Promote the development and wider use of earth observation wider use of earth observation technologies, including satellite technologies, including satellite remote sensing, global mapping remote sensing, global mapping and and geographic information geographic information systemssystems, to collect quality data on , to collect quality data on environmental impacts, land use environmental impacts, land use and land use changes.”and land use changes.”

Poverty Poverty IndicatorsIndicators

Monitoring fair trade -Monitoring fair trade -local banana farmerslocal banana farmers

A Tale of Two Cities

The formal and the informal

Both deserve GIS… complexity is not an accuse!

GIS for planning underdeveloped areasGIS for planning underdeveloped areas

Source: Rosario Giusti de Perez

The lack of public open space.Barrios have a percentage of public space between 5% and 10%. In the average city total space constitute over 30% of the total space.

Urban poverty measured in terms of quantity and quality of public space.

The absence of adequate infrastructure,Urban furniture and maintenance which combined produces unhealthy and insecure conditions.

GIS for planning underdeveloped areasGIS for planning underdeveloped areas

Source: Rosario Giusti de Perez

DEALING WITH A COMPLEX MORPHOLOGY REQUIERES: Understanding the existing physical order

Identifying the social order conformed by community ties and with no physical evidence

Transformation capacity is determined through a detailed review of the built form

GIS for planning underdeveloped areasGIS for planning underdeveloped areas

Source: Rosario Giusti de Perez

Sustainability is preserving the small social groups

Analysis of the social network and community ties

The social network is topology related.

GIS for planning underdeveloped areasGIS for planning underdeveloped areas

Source: Rosario Giusti de Perez

……working together!working together!

Achieving the MDGs Achieving the MDGs requires all of us…requires all of us…

Thank You!Thank You!cterborgh@esri.comcterborgh@esri.com