OVERVIEW GIS AN APPLICATION NATURAL RESOURCE By: Mangapul P.Tambunan Department of Geography Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences University of Indonesia

Why is GIS Important? GIS integrates spatial and other kinds of information within a single system. – It offers a consistent framework for analyzing geographical data. By putting maps and other kinds of spatial information into digital form, GIS allows us to manipulate and display geographical knowledge in new and exciting ways. GIS makes connections between activities based on geographic proximity. – These connections are often unrecognized without GIS, but can be vital to understanding and managing activities and resources. GIS allows access to administrative records (e.g., property ownership, tax files, utility cables, pipes) via their geographical positions.

GIS: Major Application Areas Natural resource management. – Environmental impact analysis (EIA). Street network management. – Vehicle routing and scheduling. Land parcel management. – Zoning and subdivision plan review. Facilities management. – Balancing loads in electrical networks.

GIS: Impact of Recent Advances/Needs Acquisition Level: – High resolution satellite imagery. – As data resolution increases: Costs fall. Service becomes more reliable. User demand increases. Satellite remote sensing is becoming more important in supplying data for GIS use. – Already the supply of data vastly exceeds our ability to analyze it.

GIS: Impact of Recent Advances/Needs Distribution level: – Dissemination is necessary for reducing costs, solving widespread problems, and fully utilizing available technology. – Security considerations, political divisions, and other factors will continue to inhibit sharing. – Problems will be increasingly recognized as crossing international boundaries and having global implications. More global databases will be built. – National and international GIS policies are needed.

Future of GIS An active GIS market has resulted in: – Lower costs. – Continual improvements in the hardware and software components of GIS. These developments will, in turn, result in a much wider application of the technology throughout government, business, and industry. – Need for a clear and well-defined National/International GIS policies.