Applied Geospatial Technology

Coastline change and human activities in shoreline zones are two factors indicating the vulnerability and the quality of a coastal environment. In this article, coastline evolution and spatiotemporal differences on coastal touristic infrastructure are presented as two case studies. Both case studies have increasing interest among scientists monitoring sensitive coastal areas, and for stakeholders evolved in the tourist industry. The study is twofold: monitors the shoreline evolution and examines how the shoreline behavior affects the seasonal anthropogenic touristic infrastructure. Shoreline detection methodology integrates unmanned aerial systems (UAS) or high-resolution satellite images for data acquisition, and geographic object-based image analysis (GEOBIA) for the shoreline recognition and the infrastructure change detection. The methodology used produced robust results in the aspect of mapping and detecting coastline changes, coastal erosion and the human pressure due to speci...

This paper uses GIS and spatiotemporal analysis of a historically and culturally modified marine ecosystem to evaluate Pacific herring abundance, declines, vulnerabilities, and future prospects, about which a Native Tribe and state fisheries managers disagree. In 2008, the Sitka Tribe of Alaska (STA) requested that an area within its traditional waters be closed to commercial sac roe fishing to protect spawning Pacific herring (Clupea pallasi), a key species for Native subsistence and marine ecosystem health. This proposal was opposed by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), which estimated that adequate biomass was available to accommodate all herring users' needs. The disagreement exposes divisions between the Tribe's and the State's conceptualizations of the status, health, and management priorities for fisheries and marine ecosystems. The Tribe's model is one of cultivated abundance, wherein herring eggs are harvested conservatively and habitat is enhan...

This study investigated the spatial dynamics of water quality across the Shenandoah River basin using spectroscopy and chemometrics to estimate chlorophyll (Chl), colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) and turbidity using three band combinations and nutrients (total nitrogen and total phosphorous) in the Shenandoah River. The mean Chl a concentration for 555 nm, 560 nm and 640 nm were; 0.31 µg/l, 0.33 µg/l, and 0.51 µg/l respectively. Chlorophyll a showed strong correlations at band 640 (r = 0.92). The bands centered at 670/490 were the best in predicting CDOM and turbidity in the Shenandoah River Basin with an r2 = 0.56. Chemometrics analysis show that total phosphorous, nitrogen and turbidity can be predicted between 450 to 555nm and 670 to 710 nm, the range of wavelengths which indicated better predictability for spectroscopic analysis. The resultant concentration is used to develop predictive models to determine sensitive spectral variables for nitrogen, phosphorous, Chl-a, and...

The surprising difference in elevation present within a small width, no doubt gives enough head for hydropower generation in most of the rivers of Nepal. The hydropower potential of any river can be assessed by realistic, up to date and useful information from recent advances in remote sensing, geographic information system and hydrological modelling [1]. This research aims for the assessment of the RoR hydropow-er potential using spatial technology and SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) modeling in Seti Gandaki River, Kaski, Nepal. The DEM, daily precipitation, minimum and maximum temperature data, discharge records, land use and soil data were used for the SWAT model setup and simulation. The model was calibrated (2000-2010) and validated (2011-2015) with model performance of 0.85 R 2 , 0.85 ENS and 2.19 % PBAIS. One hundred seventy-one potential hydropower locations were identified that fulfilled the criterions of sufficient head (determined from DEM processing and analysis) and sufficient discharge. Then, validated SWAT model was used to simulate the river flow discharge at the potential hydropower points. The final potential locations were compared with the existing and under construction DoED (Department of Electricity Development) hydropower projects running along the Seti River for validity check. A total potential of 529.97 MW was obtained at 40 % exceedance in the Seti Gandaki River. Economic, environmental and social sustainability of each location were also examined. The study revealed that the hydropower potential of a river basin can be correctly assessed by employing a digital elevation model, stream network data and a hydrological model, such as the SWAT model, within a GIS framework.

Nigeria as a nation suffers the effect of Climate Change majorly through flood events. Recent flood disasters in Nigeria have been of major concern to lot of people, communities and industries. Floods are most common in Nigeria during the peak of the rainy season (June-October) and the 2012 flood event in Nigeria is described as the worst in recent times. The flood events have pushed rivers to overflow their banks submerging hundreds of kilometers of the urban and rural land in Kogi State which is beyond description and has attracted humanitarian assistance from both national and international organization. Chanchaga local government which is located in Niger state. Flood hazards erupt when human activities in the confluence area are not properly managed. This study uses Geospatial technique to assess the flood risk zones of the town using rainfall data from the year 2000 to 2020. Land-use and land-cover was also used to generate the ;land use of the study area. Most agricultural land over the years are being converted to built up areas. The use of digital elevation method are used to show the elevation and where water moves, since water moves from high elevation to low elevation area. Buffering was used to show the Highly vulnerability, Moderate vulnerability and Low vulnerability areas respectively Areas that lies within the 50m are the areas that are very vulnerable to flood.. In a bid to mitigate the extent of damage and casualties during a flood disaster, this study aimed at assessing, mapping and analyzing flood disaster in Chanchaga LGA, Niger state for an effective flood disaster risk management and proper planning.

In the era of global urbanization, migration phenomena—particularly urban-to-urban migration—is one of the key drivers of urban development. This has led to a higher demand for spatial-social and spatial-economic activities, tremendously spurring the changes in demographic, size, and urban socio-economics. However, many researchers agree that this phenomenon is quite difficult to understand, particularly destination choices, due to complexity in migration behavioral factors. Inspired by this, this article attempts to demonstrate the capability of the ‘MGP model', the so-called ‘migration potential model'—a GIS-based multicriteria decision analysis approach, which incorporates migration decision-selectivity factors—for spatial migration modelling in the Klang Valley, Malaysia. Empirically tested, the MGP model, intended to be an advanced approach in migration analysis, GIS, and MCDA applications that provides urban planners with information about the areas that will be the ce...

Cambodia is witnessing a “Goldilocks moment” in demographic change concurrent with shifts in land use, hydrology, and climate. These trends interact and affect food production, food costs, and food security. Drivers of these trends are typically examined separately with interacting factors considered along disciplinary margins. While science models to explore these interacting effects have been proposed, there remains an applied research gap in integrating these pieces and assessing interdisciplinary opportunities for developing food security solutions. Developed following a request from USAID to elucidate food security conditions in Cambodia, here the authors present their geospatial synthesis of the biophysical and socioeconomic drivers of current food security risk, as well as explore future trends for those conditions. The overall structure shows several interlocking or mutually reinforcing trends in systems that point towards a significant intensification of food insecurity in ...

The rapid increase in population of India forced people to migrate from rural areas and small towns to metropolitan cities for better employment, education, and, good lifestyle. Major cities of India were industrialized and required more work force in metropolitan cities, leading to uncoordinated and unplanned growth, often termed as urban sprawl. Urban sprawl destroyed the natural resources such as open green space, agricultural land, open water bodies and ground water. In this paper, an attempt has been made to monitor urban sprawl using Shannon's Entropy model, Remote Sensing, and GIS for city Jaipur, India. The changed entropy value during the years 1972–2013 proves more dispersed growth in the city. The built-up area of Jaipur has increased from 40 km2 in 1972 to 400 km2 in 2013. Land use percentage of urban settlement is doubled as compared to the urban population of Jaipur during 1972–2013. This study shows remarkable urban sprawl in fringe areas of Jaipur city in the las...

For the Hopi people, named places on the landscape localize, commemorate, and transmit traditional knowledge within a spatial context used to reference and explain Hopi history and culture—geographic information the Hopi Tribe seeks to preserve. This paper discusses the Hopi Cultural Preservation Office's use of geospatial technologies during recent collaborative efforts to document important places and associated cultural information. It considers how GIS and other geospatial technologies have been used to produce maps and digital imagery in a manner guided by traditional landscape perspectives and native epistemologies. Mapping Hopi lands provides many benefits, foremost being the preservation of place-related knowledge for future generations of Hopis. Geospatial technologies also facilitate Hopi efforts of heritage management by providing a medium that effectively demonstrates use of traditional landscapes to non-Hopi audiences.

Professional landscape architecture organizations have requested training from educational institutions based on new skills and methodologies in the curriculum development of students. Landscape architects need to visualize and evaluate the spatial relationships between the different components of the landscape using two-dimensional (2D) or three-dimensional (3D) maps and geospatial information, for which spatial orientation skills are necessary. The data from six workshops conducted throughout the 2010-2020 period, in which 560 second-year engineering students participated using different strategies and technical tools for spatial orientation skills' development, were collected in a unique study. Factors such as the technology used, the gaming environment, the type of task, the 2D/3D environment, and the virtual environment were considered. The Perspective-Taking Spatial Orientation Test was the measurement tool used. The results show that mapping tasks are more efficient than route-based tasks. Strategies using 2D and a 2D/3D combination are more effective than those with only 3D. First-person perspective gaming environments are also a valid alternative. The technologies applied in this study are easy to use and free, and a measurement tool is provided. This facilitates an interdisciplinary approach between landscape architecture education and professional practice since these workshops could also be easily carried out by professional bodies for landscape planning and management.

Coastline change and human activities in shoreline zones are two factors indicating the vulnerability and the quality of a coastal environment. In this article, coastline evolution and spatiotemporal differences on coastal touristic infrastructure are presented as two case studies. Both case studies have increasing interest among scientists monitoring sensitive coastal areas, and for stakeholders evolved in the tourist industry. The study is twofold: monitors the shoreline evolution and examines how the shoreline behavior affects the seasonal anthropogenic touristic infrastructure. Shoreline detection methodology integrates unmanned aerial systems (UAS) or high-resolution satellite images for data acquisition, and geographic object-based image analysis (GEOBIA) for the shoreline recognition and the infrastructure change detection. The methodology used produced robust results in the aspect of mapping and detecting coastline changes, coastal erosion and the human pressure due to speci...

Coastline change and human activities in shoreline zones are two factors indicating the vulnerability and the quality of a coastal environment. In this article, coastline evolution and spatiotemporal differences on coastal touristic infrastructure are presented as two case studies. Both case studies have increasing interest among scientists monitoring sensitive coastal areas, and for stakeholders evolved in the tourist industry. The study is twofold: monitors the shoreline evolution and examines how the shoreline behavior affects the seasonal anthropogenic touristic infrastructure. Shoreline detection methodology integrates unmanned aerial systems (UAS) or high-resolution satellite images for data acquisition, and geographic object-based image analysis (GEOBIA) for the shoreline recognition and the infrastructure change detection. The methodology used produced robust results in the aspect of mapping and detecting coastline changes, coastal erosion and the human pressure due to speci...

Professional landscape architecture organizations have requested training from educational institutions based on new skills and methodologies in the curriculum development of students. Landscape architects need to visualize and evaluate the spatial relationships between the different components of the landscape using two-dimensional (2D) or three-dimensional (3D) maps and geospatial information, for which spatial orientation skills are necessary. The data from six workshops conducted throughout the 2010–2020 period, in which 560 second-year engineering students participated using different strategies and technical tools for spatial orientation skills’ development, were collected in a unique study. Factors such as the technology used, the gaming environment, the type of task, the 2D/3D environment, and the virtual environment were considered. The Perspective-Taking Spatial Orientation Test was the measurement tool used. The results show that mapping tasks are more efficient than rout...

Have you ever wondered why things are where they are? Most people probably don't think about this question much. Through life's experiences we learned that certain things can be expected to be where they are relative to other things. Schools are near residential neighborhoods. Doctor's offices are near hospitals. Unless something calls attention to it, you probably don't think about why something is where it is; you just know that's the case. This paper about how a geographer, practicing his craft, was able to solve real world problems. The street opinion is that geography is about place names; knowing where all the countries are; that's not the “geography” I know and not what I want to be known for doing. I am an applied geographer who likes to solve problems, which if solved, make a difference in society. This is a story about how my life was intertwined with Jim Anderson's life and experiences as an applied geographer as well as numerous other applied ...

The transition of a city to a smart city depends on the preservation of open spaces because they can ensure both a safe and a quality living. In a smart city context, it is important for planners to pre-allocate resources during planning phase in order to satisfy the demand during catastrophic events. Geo-computation approaches can contribute towards the spatial-optimization of urban open-spaces for evacuation purposes in cases of catastrophic events. This work will use a location allocation spatial model to facilitate the planing of urban evacuation actions in Mytilini, Lesvos, Greece. Spatial analysis techniques have evolved during the last decades, mainly due to increased computation resources and other complementary technological advances. In this article, the authors attempt to show the contribution of spatial analysis in emergency management planning towards the smart city vision.

Cocoa occupies 6 million hectares in humid coastal West Africa where 70% of the world supply is grown, 90% of which is produced on 2 million family farms of 2 hectares or less. Here, at least 16 million people depend on cocoa but earn only $100/person/year from the crop. There is need to optimize the farming system, minimize the environmental impact of technologies, and improve socio-economic dynamics. This study identifies areas with potential for intensified cocoa farming and where maximum impact to household income could be achieved without deforestation. The selection involves defining suitability criteria, preparing an inventory of available data, determining suitability based on identified criteria, and combining suitability into hierarchical preferences based on weights proposed by local experts. GIS and Multi-Criteria land Evaluation technique using biophysical, socioeconomic, and demographic variables were employed in selection. Nineteen administrative units were selected i...

The integration of spatial technologies with humanistic approaches to scholarship is expanding and creating new opportunities and challenges for students. Documenting information about source material is a fundamental step of the historical research process. Traditional geospatial data documentation is maintained within standardized metadata forms, but these are not well suited for documenting historical sources and are cumbersome for people new to GIS and metadata. The Spatially Interactive Literature Analysis System Study Tool (SILAS.ST) addresses this and other usage issues for students in undergraduate humanities courses. Through customized toolbars and map templates designed to be used with Esri software, SILAS.ST lowers the barriers to understanding the parameters of spatial datasets while at the same time models the processes of historical inquiry, documentation, and communication of research results. The use of natural language and focused prompts help students begin to unde...

Professional landscape architecture organizations have requested training from educational institutions based on new skills and methodologies in the curriculum development of students. Landscape architects need to visualize and evaluate the spatial relationships between the different components of the landscape using two-dimensional (2D) or three-dimensional (3D) maps and geospatial information, for which spatial orientation skills are necessary. The data from six workshops conducted throughout the 2010–2020 period, in which 560 second-year engineering students participated using different strategies and technical tools for spatial orientation skills’ development, were collected in a unique study. Factors such as the technology used, the gaming environment, the type of task, the 2D/3D environment, and the virtual environment were considered. The Perspective-Taking Spatial Orientation Test was the measurement tool used. The results show that mapping tasks are more efficient than rout...

Labeling geographic areas into rural or urban classes has implications to public policy, distribution of funds and services, as well as analysis and research. Rural-Urban classifications are often limited to dichotomous, county-based comparisons on geographies that can be too large and diverse to effectively assess and resource health care needs and services. Using an existing census tract based classification system, a modified rurality classification layer is proposed and used as a foundation layer in support of research, mission and income programs at a National Non-profit Organization. This system is analyzed by integrating with health services and program data to better understand accessibility and availability of health services, to assess available program offerings, and to evaluate the geographic distribution of health care providers and facilities. The analysis illustrates how identifying intra-rural differences can play a pivotal role in understanding patient needs, assign...

A panel session on “Applied Geography and Education” was held at the 2011 Association of American Geographers Annual Meeting. Each panelist presented their observations and suggestions followed by a roundtable discussion. Potential directions for enhancing applied geography education are grouped by student recruitment and retention, professionalism, career familiarization and networking, career listings, research, strategy, and internationalism.

Coastline change and human activities in shoreline zones are two factors indicating the vulnerability and the quality of a coastal environment. In this article, coastline evolution and spatiotemporal differences on coastal touristic infrastructure are presented as two case studies. Both case studies have increasing interest among scientists monitoring sensitive coastal areas, and for stakeholders evolved in the tourist industry. The study is twofold: monitors the shoreline evolution and examines how the shoreline behavior affects the seasonal anthropogenic touristic infrastructure. Shoreline detection methodology integrates unmanned aerial systems (UAS) or high-resolution satellite images for data acquisition, and geographic object-based image analysis (GEOBIA) for the shoreline recognition and the infrastructure change detection. The methodology used produced robust results in the aspect of mapping and detecting coastline changes, coastal erosion and the human pressure due to speci...

Coastline change and human activities in shoreline zones are two factors indicating the vulnerability and the quality of a coastal environment. In this article, coastline evolution and spatiotemporal differences on coastal touristic infrastructure are presented as two case studies. Both case studies have increasing interest among scientists monitoring sensitive coastal areas, and for stakeholders evolved in the tourist industry. The study is twofold: monitors the shoreline evolution and examines how the shoreline behavior affects the seasonal anthropogenic touristic infrastructure. Shoreline detection methodology integrates unmanned aerial systems (UAS) or high-resolution satellite images for data acquisition, and geographic object-based image analysis (GEOBIA) for the shoreline recognition and the infrastructure change detection. The methodology used produced robust results in the aspect of mapping and detecting coastline changes, coastal erosion and the human pressure due to speci...

Patricia A. McAnany (Department of Anthropology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA), Sarah M. Rowe (Research Laboratories of Archaeology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA), Israel Quic Cholotio (Community Mapping Program, Riecken Foundation Libraries, Guatemala), Evelyn Caniz Menchú (Community Mapping Program, Riecken Foundation Libraries, Guatemala) and José Mendoza Quic (Community Mapping Program, Riecken Foundation Libraries, Guatemala) The challenges of building research partnerships around community mapping are critically reviewed in reference to the politics of heritage and identity among Indigenous Maya communities in highland Guatemala. This paper discusses how the goals and interests of archaeologists meshed with those of indigenous mappers in five communities that chose to participate in the mapping program. Based on responses to a survey about the mapping project, participants report joining in order to enhance self-determination, gain c...

Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs) have crucial roles to play in traditional warfare, asymmetric conflicts, and also civilian applications such as search and rescue operations. Though satellites provide extensive coverage and capabilities crucial to many remote sensing tasks, UAVs have distinct edge over satellites in dynamic situations due to shorter revisit times and desired area/time coverage. The course, speed and altitude of a UAV can be dynamically altered, details of an activity of interest monitored by loitering over the area as desired. A fundamental requirement in most UAV operations is to find geo-coordinates of an object in the captured image. Most small, low-cost UAVs use low-cost, less accurate sensors. Matching with pre-registered images may not be possible in areas with low details or in emergency situations where terrain may have undergone severe sudden changes. In these situations that demand near real-time results and wider coverage, it is often enough to provide approx...

This document describes a capstone learning exercise designed for undergraduates enrolled in an introductory geospatial tools course. The overarching theme of the exercise, Colorado 14ers, Pixel by Pixel, is mountain geography. While immersed in a digital mountainous landscape, students explore topics of geomorphology and geomorphometry and discover how it is possible for a summit that rises well above 14,000 feet not to qualify as a true Colorado ‘14er’. To address these topics, students examine freely-available digital elevation models (DEMs) using common geospatial analysis tools. The exercise was developed with five purposes in mind: (1) students should be introduced gently to geospatial software; (2) students should enter upper-level geography courses armed with basic computer skills and a diverse geospatial toolkit; (3) students should internalize the fact that invariably digital geographic explorations are influenced by scale; (4) students of geography should be able to ident...

Cocoa occupies 6 million hectares in humid coastal West Africa where 70% of the world supply is grown, 90% of which is produced on 2 million family farms of 2 hectares or less. Here, at least 16 million people depend on cocoa but earn only $100/person/year from the crop. There is need to optimize the farming system, minimize the environmental impact of technologies, and improve socio-economic dynamics. This study identifies areas with potential for intensified cocoa farming and where maximum impact to household income could be achieved without deforestation. The selection involves defining suitability criteria, preparing an inventory of available data, determining suitability based on identified criteria, and combining suitability into hierarchical preferences based on weights proposed by local experts. GIS and Multi-Criteria land Evaluation technique using biophysical, socioeconomic, and demographic variables were employed in selection. Nineteen administrative units were selected i...

Road traffic accidents come at a high price: 1.25 million road traffic deaths occurred globally in 2013. As the road network and the environmental conditions contribute significantly in the cause of accidents, it is crucial to understand where and when they occur, in order to plan actions for road safety improvement. For this reason, the Region of the North Aegean, Greece, in collaboration with the University of the Aegean, has established a spatial database and a web-based geographic information system (webGIS) for the registration, storage, visualization and analysis of the traffic accidents occurred in its jurisdiction. In this article, besides the development and operation of the system, the authors present a spatio-temporal analysis of the data collected since 2004 for the island of Lesvos. Hot spots and risky periods were identified, leading to useful conclusions and directions for road safety improvements.

This article establishes relationships between racial/ethnic diversity, segregation, and employment-by-industry-types in the counties of Tennessee. Using the American Community Survey and NAICS data, diversity scores, entropy indices, and location quotients for major-employment are computed for Tennessee's 95 counties. Cartographic analysis, followed by correlations, principal components and regression analyses help establish the above relationships. The north-east and west-central regions of Tennessee have concentration in primary-sectors of economy whereas counties with concentration in creative-class economy (e.g., Williamson, Davidson) have higher presence of Asians, and with greater human capital (education). Simultaneously, these are also the most segregated despite being diverse. Counties with higher diversity and higher share of African-Americans are segregated, despite having employment concentration in diverse set of industries. Enormous growth potentials exist in the ...

Flooding is recurrent in Nigeria, occurring yearly at different scales. This geared the need for a study to reveal local government areas (LGAs) that are at risk and vulnerable to flooding. The multi-criteria approach was adopted, using geospatial techniques and data. Factors considered were elevation, slope, rainfall intensity, and distance to river. The factors were classified, reclassified, rated, and weighed in a systematic process. Nineteen states and 114 LGAs face high risks, especially communities in the Niger Delta, around the lagoons of Lagos, along River Niger, Benue, and the Cross-River. Also, 125 LGAs in 18 states face medium flood-risk vulnerability. Consideration the population density of communities, Lagos State is the most vulnerable because of LGAs with high population densities within high flood-risk zones. Other states with communities exposed to high flood-risk vulnerability include Rivers, Kogi, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, and Delta. The study provides info...

Cambodia is witnessing a “Goldilocks moment” in demographic change concurrent with shifts in land use, hydrology, and climate. These trends interact and affect food production, food costs, and food security. Drivers of these trends are typically examined separately with interacting factors considered along disciplinary margins. While science models to explore these interacting effects have been proposed, there remains an applied research gap in integrating these pieces and assessing interdisciplinary opportunities for developing food security solutions. Developed following a request from USAID to elucidate food security conditions in Cambodia, here the authors present their geospatial synthesis of the biophysical and socioeconomic drivers of current food security risk, as well as explore future trends for those conditions. The overall structure shows several interlocking or mutually reinforcing trends in systems that point towards a significant intensification of food insecurity in ...

The present article utilizes high resolution Geoeye 2 imagery for mapping and monitoring pollution concentrations of 22 km stretch of river Yamuna passing through Delhi state, by developing regression models between water quality parameters (WQP's) and the corresponding spectral reflectance values. Water samples collected from the sampling locations were analysed for 20 WQP's and grouped into four classes namely; (WQP)organic, (WQP)inorganic, (WQP)anion and (WQP)cation. Several spectral band combinations as well as single bands were probed for performing multiple linear regression (MLR) analysis with the four WQP classes. Results reveal relatively strong positive correlations for band combination viz. [mean RGB × √B/R] with all four WQP classes yielding high R2 value (∼0.85) and RMSE (∼1.03) amongst other selected band combinations. Spatial distribution maps were generated that substantiates to the actual in-situ pollution concentration levels thereby evidences the potential...

Management of desert grasslands requires rapid, low technology, coarse assessment methods that provide a triage-like prioritization for the manager. Such approaches necessitate the ability to quickly and effectively identify coarse-scale plant communities that provide guidance for this prioritization. Complex, computer intensive digital image classification of Landsat TM data, while marginally successful, requires time, equipment, and expertise not always available in such environments. This study identifies landform boundaries in the Armendaris Ranch, New Mexico by visual inspection of Landsat-7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper imagery and topographic maps using traditional photoreconnaissance techniques. Employing predetermined hierarchical landform classifications, it was possible to map plant communities using ecological relationships that exist between the general physiographic and vegetation settings in the area and representative geomorphic landform-mapping units. The authors’ field ...

Urban traffic congestion is a multi-dimensional phenomenon and therefore, is sensitive to certain influencing factors behaving in a random manner. Consequently, the possibility of a route characterized by smooth flow of traffic becoming congested cannot be ruled out. The present research investigation attempts to categorize different routes of the study area in terms of their degree of congestion vulnerability. Average Speed (AS), Delay Ratio of Average Speed (DRAS), Stopped Time (ST), Stopped Time Gradient (STG), and Absolute Deviation in Congestion Index Value (ADCIV) were identified as the potential influencing factors. The AHP was employed to rank the importance of the aforementioned influencing factors in triggering congestion that can sometimes lead to traffic deadlock. On the other hand, the GIS Weighted Sum Overlay technique was employed to determine the integrated impact of the influencing factors on the behavior of traffic flow. The results showed close agreement with the ...

Yam (Dioscorea spp.) is a major staple crop with high agricultural and cultural significance for over 300 million people in West Africa. Despite its importance, productivity is miserably low. A better understanding of the environmental context in the region is essential to unlock the crop's potential for food security and wealth creation. The article aims to characterize the production environments into homologous mega-environments, having operational significance for breeding research. Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed separately on environmental data related to climate, soil, topography, and vegetation. Significant PCA layers were used in spatial multivariate cluster analysis. Seven clusters were identified for West Africa; four were country-specific; the rest were region-wide in extent. Clustering results are valuable inputs to optimize yam varietal selection and testing within and across the countries in West Africa. The impact of breeding research on poverty ...

Yam (Dioscorea spp.) is a major staple crop with high agricultural and cultural significance for over 300 million people in West Africa. Despite its importance, productivity is miserably low. A better understanding of the environmental context in the region is essential to unlock the crop's potential for food security and wealth creation. The article aims to characterize the production environments into homologous mega-environments, having operational significance for breeding research. Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed separately on environmental data related to climate, soil, topography, and vegetation. Significant PCA layers were used in spatial multivariate cluster analysis. Seven clusters were identified for West Africa; four were country-specific; the rest were region-wide in extent. Clustering results are valuable inputs to optimize yam varietal selection and testing within and across the countries in West Africa. The impact of breeding research on poverty ...

Without a department of geography, Harvard University established the Center for Geographic Analysis (CGA) in 2006 to support research and teaching of all disciplines across the University with emerging geospatial technologies. In the past four and a half years, CGA built an institutional service infrastructure and unleashed an increasing demand on geographic analysis in many fields. CGA services range from helpdesk, project consultation, training, hardware/software administration, community building, to system development and methodology research. Services often start as an application of existing GIS technology, eventually contributing to the study of geographic information science in many ways. As a new generation of students and researchers growing up with Google Earth and the like, their demand for geospatial services will continue to push CGA into new territories.

From 2010 to 2013, the White Mountain Apache Tribe and the University of Arizona, with funding from the National Science Foundation, hosted the Western Apache Ethnography and Geographic Information Science Research Experience for Undergraduates. Designed to foster practical skills and scholarly capacities for future resource managers and anthropologists, this field school introduced Apache and non-native undergraduate students to ethnographic field research and GIS tools. Building upon the extensive arrays of geographical, cultural, and historical data that are available for Western Apache territory, field school students engaged in community-based participatory research with Western Apache elders and tribal natural and heritage resource personnel to contribute to the Western Apache tribes' efforts to document their cultural histories, traditional ecological knowledge, local understanding of geography, and issues of historic and contemporary resource management. This essay revie...

Drought occurrence, frequency and severity in the Upper Tana River basin (UTaRB) have critically affected water resource systems. To minimize the undesirable effects of drought, there is a need to quantify and project the drought trend. In this research, the drought was estimated and projected using Standardized Supply-Demand-Water Index (SSDI) and an Artificial Neural Network (ANN). Field meteorological data was used in which interpolated was conducted using kriging interpolation technique within ArcGIS environment. The results indicate those moderate, severe and extreme droughts at varying magnitudes as detected by the SSDI during 1972-2010 at different meteorological stations, with SSDI values equal or less than -2.0. In a spatial domain, the areas in south-eastern parts of the UTaRB exhibit the highest drought severity. Time-series forecasts and projection show that the best networks for SSDI exhibit respective ANNs architecture. The projected extreme droughts (values less than ...

When a disaster occurs, the response depends critically on an estimate of the affected population. However, retrieval of crucial statistics can be time consuming, often at the expense of the neediest populations. This article reviews spatial population estimation techniques and datasets that facilitate disaster response and management. The authors conclude that the LandScan population distribution estimates best suit the needs of Population Explorer, an Internet GIS that presents a way to quickly deliver answers to queries about local population and demographic composition to users who may not be formally trained in GIS or demography. By referencing LandScan population distributions, Population Explorer retrieves adjusted, official census population counts, for user-defined point buffers, line buffers, or polygons on a global map. Participants from a variety of agencies, i.e., government and non-government, local and international, can collaborate in updating baseline population est...

Does the spacing of time intervals used for model input data have an impact on the model's subsequent calibration and so projections of land use change and urban growth? This study evaluated the performance of the SLEUTH urban growth and land use change model through two independent model calibrations with different temporal extents (1972 to 2006 vs. 2000 to 2006) for the historical Italian cities of Pisa Province and their surroundings. The goal in performing two calibrations was to investigate the sensitivity of SLEUTH forecasts to longer or shorter calibration timelines, that is does calibrating the model over a longer time period produce better model fits and therefore forecasts? The best fit parameters from each calibration were then used in forecasting urban growth in the area up to the year 2027. The authors findings show that the spatial growth estimated by the model was strongly influenced by the physical landscape and road networks. The forecast outputs over 100 Monte ...

LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE USE OF GEOSPATIAL INFORMATION AND TECHNOLOGY IN MAPPING UNTIL RT/RW LEVEL FROM TWO CITIES (YOGYAKARTA AND SOLO)

Abstract

Geospatial Information and Technology are really helpful and challenging in supporting Dengue Project in Yogyakarta and Participatory Planning in Solo (Solo Kota Kita Project). Two different projects supported by different Organization and different purposes. In other side, both projects were starting with the same simple idea and basic needs; the detailed geospatial information until RT/RW level for supporting their projects.

Involving local peoples have made both projects introduced geospatial information and technology to the peoples and directly or indirectly invited them to think geospatially in solving their problems in dengue control project activities in Yogyakarta and village planning in Solo.

Geospatial Information and Technology in Dengue Project Yogyakarta was used in collecting data, monitoring, mapping and analyzing information related dengue project, while in Solo Kota Kita project using geospatial information for mapping and analyzing environmental and resources in village level packaged into mini-atlases. This paper describes how lessons learned from the use of geospatial information and technology in mapping until level of RT/RW in two different things based on experiences and observations of the writer when joined in the projects.

Key words: Geospatial, Mapping, Solo Kota Kita, Dengue Control Yogyakarta