1. Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Lesson 1.
Amriddin Samiev, Ph.D.
TSPU,
Hungary 2012

2. Outlines Introduction Who use GIS? & what can we do with GIS
How does GIS work?
Geography database & types of data
Features of GIS
SDI
summary

3. We Live in Two Worlds . . . These Are Increasingly In Conflict
Natural World
Constructed World
Self-Regulating
Managed
. . . These Are Increasingly In Conflict

4. Context and Content Seeing the Whole Managing Places Patterns Linkages
Trends
Watersheds
Communities
Neighborhoods
Districts

5. What is GIS?

6. 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

7. Geographic Information System
Geographic – 80% of government data collected is associated with some location in space
Information - attributes, or the characteristics (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!

8. Who uses GIS? International organizations Private industry Government
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.

9. What can you do with a GIS?
The possibilities are unlimited…
Environmental impact assessment
Resource management
Land use planning
Tax Mapping
Water and Sanitation Mapping
Transportation routing
and more ...

10. 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

11. Geography and Databases
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

12. GIS provides Data Integration
Vectors
Topology
Networks
Terrain
Surveys
Images
CAD
Drawings
Annotation
Addresses
27 Main St.
Attributes
ABC
107’
3D Objects
Dimensions
Roads
Land Parcels
Population
Utilities
Land Mines
Hospitals
Refugee Camps
Wells
Sanitation

13. Two fundamental types of data
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!

14. Data Representation
Raster
Vector
Real World

15. Other 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

16. Hint – having GIS software does 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.

17. Spatial Data Infrastructure (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

18. The World Geographic Knowledge Citizens
Inventory
Decision Support

19. World Summit on Sustainable Development 2002
“Promote the development and wider use of earth observation technologies, including satellite remote sensing, global mapping and geographic information systems, to collect quality data on environmental impacts, land use and land use changes.”

20. Left - Africa Food Balance is a supply, demand and balance GIS process
Left - Africa Food Balance is a supply, demand and balance GIS process. Demand is subtracted from supply to derive food balance, showing areas of surplus and shortage. The GIS model allocates 1998 FAOSTAT domestic and import food production to produce domestic and import calorie supply surfaces for the entire African continent.
Right - The Africa water balance model draws total average annual water demand from total average annual renewable water supply to estimate a regional scale watershed water balance. Water supply is derived from ESRI ArcAtlas groundwater discharge and runoff, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Geophysical Data Center precipitation and evapotranspiration.

21. Achieving the MDGs
requires all of us…
…working together!

22. Thank You!