Chapter One

Introduction to GIS

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 Objectives:

This chapter is designed to provide the student with:

 An overview geographic information systems.

Understand components of GIS,

Understand sources of Spatial Data

Understand types of GIS data

GIS Functions

Application of GIS

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What does GIS stand for?

• Geographic

• Information

• System

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 Geographic Information System
 Geographic :- 80% of government data collected is associated
with some location in space.

 Information:-attributes, or the characteristics (data), that 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.

GIS is …not just software!

…not just for making maps!

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 What is a Geographic Information System?
 Geographic Information System (GIS) has been defined in various
ways.

 Geographic Information System (GIS) – GIS is a computer-

based information system that enables capture, modeling,
manipulation, retrieval, analysis and presentation of
geographically referenced data. (Worboys, 1997)

 GIS as "a computer based system that provides four sets of

capabilities to handle geo-referenced data: data input, data
management (data storage and retrieval), manipulation and
analysis, and data output.( Arnoff 1989)

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 Cont.…
 A powerful set of tools for collecting, storing, retrieving,
transforming, and displaying spatial data from the real world.
(Burroughs, 1986)
 A computerized database management system for the capture,
storage, retrieval, analysis and display of spatial (location
defined) data. (NCGIA, 1987)

 An information technology which stores, analyses and display

both spatial and non-spatial data. (Parker,1988).

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 Cont.…
 A GIS is "an organized collection of computer hardware, software,
geographic data, and personnel designed to efficiently capture,
store, update, manipulate, analyze, and display all forms of
geographically referenced information" (ESRI, 1990, pp. 1-2).

 A decision support system involving the integration of spatially

referenced data in a problem solving environment. (Cowen, 1988)

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 What are the components of a GIS?

 GIS is an integration of five basic components.

GIS is NOT only software

and hardware.it also includes.

Data -spatial and non spatial.

Trained personnel
Protocols.

 GIS integrates hardware,

software, data ,people and
procedure.

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 Components of a GIS
These components must be well integrated for effective use of GIS.
1. People
Define and develop the procedures used by a GIS.
Involves in data collection, data storing, processing and analysis.
2. Data
GIS often incorporates data from multiple sources, For example
satellite, aerial photograph.

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 Cont.….
3. Hardware for GIS

 A fast computer, large data storage capacities, and a high-quality,

large display form the hardware foundation of most GIS
 A fast computer is required because spatial analyses are often
applied over large areas and/or at high spatial resolutions.

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 Cont.….
4. GIS Software

 GIS software provides the tools to manage, analyze, and effectively

display and disseminate spatial information
 GIS software provides the specific tools to view, edit manipulate
spatial and non spatial data to generate and extract the information
required.
 There are many public domain and commercially available GIS
software packages. Examples of GIS package is listed below.

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 ArcGIS
 ArcGIS, in its various online, desktop, and server versions,
comprises the most popular GIS software suite.
 It is developed by the Environmental Systems research Institute
(ESRI).

 ArcGIS, supports multiple data formats, many data types and

structures and literally thousands of possible operations that may
be applied to spatial data.
QGIS
 QGIS is an open-source software project, it is free, stable, changes
smoothly through time.
 Supports a wide variety of data types and formats, and runs different
operating systems.

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GRASS
 GRASS, the Geographic Resource Analysis Support System, is a
free, open source GIS that runs on many platforms.
 Developed by the U.S. Army Construction Engineering
Laboratory.
5. Procedures/Methods
 Are the steps taken in a well defined and consistent method to
produce correct and reproducible results from the GIS system
 The procedures used to input, analyze, and query data determine
the quality and validity of the final product.

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 Sources of Spatial Data
 Spatial data can be generated from the following
sources/techniques:
 Maps
 Satellite data/images
 Aerial photographs/ortho-photos
 Ground surveying (using tools e.g. GPS, )
 Existing Digital data (GIS data) etc

 Since the real power of GIS lies in their ability to combine and
analyze georeferenced data from range of source we must pay
attention to the issues of data quality and error as data from
different source are also likely contain different kind of error.

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 GIS Data Types
GIS technology utilizes two basic types of data.
1. Spatial data:
 Describes the absolute/relative location of geographic features. Or
simply give an address (a specific location).
 Data that has specific location according to some geographic
referencing system.

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 In the figure above, the addresses in the database are locational, and
are therefore considered spatial data.
 The owner name and value of the property are non-spatial data.
Example: Remotely sensed imagery, Road networks, aerial
photography, dam sites, land use/land cover map.

2. Attribute data
 Describes characteristics of the spatial features.
 These characteristics can be quantitative and/or qualitative in nature.

 Attribute data is often referred to us non spatial or tabular data.

 E.g. Human resource and financial data of an organization.

NB. Simply, spatial data are the „where things are‟ data and
attribute data the „what things are

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 GIS Functions
GIS has the following basic functions.
1. Data capture
 GIS provides methods for inputting geographic (coordinate) and
tabular (attribute data).
 This function is required to convert the data from the existing form
to the form that is suitable for use in GIS.

 This may include direct spatial data capture i.e. data primarily
captured from the environment using satellite remote sensing,
aerial photographs and field survey.

 GIS also involves indirect spatial data capture i.e. data derived
from existing sources that have been collected for other purposes.

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 We can capture spatial data indirectly through:

 Scanning existing printed maps,

 Digitizing satellite image,
 Processing data purchased from data-capture firms or international
agencies (e.g. Ethiopian mapping Agency), and so on.

 Scanning involves the use of scanners over existing hard copy maps.
 Digitizing
 Is a cost effective indirect method of data capture
 Converts analog paper based maps into digital vector data
 We can get georeferenced data into GIS by digitizing
existing maps.

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2. Stores data
 GIS is able to store both spatial and non-spatial data
3.Query
 GIS provides utilities for finding specific features based on their
location/coordinate or attribute values.
4. Analysis
 Is different method of processing carried out to convert raw data
GIS data into information.
 GIS has the ability to answer questions regarding the interaction
of spatial relationships among multiple datasets.
Example:
 Proximity Analysis/ buffering is used to determine the proximity
between different spatial features

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 Overlay analysis: is the process of integrating different data layers
together using some degree of transparency.

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5. Display
 GIS has tools for visualizing geographic features. The
preview/display gives a snapshot/quick look of the data.

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 6. Prediction/Application
GIS study has many application in a wide range of disciplines.
the purpose of GIS study is often for prediction.

Questions a GIS can Answer

 A GIS, by linking spatial and attribute information in a flexible,

integrated database, allows the user to answer a number of
questions

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 ESRI (1992) noted that a GIS can answer five generic types of
questions. These are in increasing order of complexity:

 Location: Where is it…?

 Condition: What is it…?
 Trends: What has changed since…?
 Pattern : How is it distributed…?
 Modeling : What if…?
1. Where is it…? (LOCATION).
 Project manager can use the GIS to determine what vegetation,
habitat, soil type, rock type or hydrologic conditions exist at the
proposed site.

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 2. What is it…? (Condition).
 Suitability analyses – “where is the best place for…” school site,
mall site and irrigation or dam site.
3. What has changed since...? (Trends).
 Land use/cover change on urbanization process, heat flux.
 Land use/cover change on hydrological processes and or climate
change; water table levels
 Land use cover change on erosion process
4. What spatial patterns exist? (Patterns).
 For example, Drought vs Drought indicators or attributes.
5. What if...? (MODELING).
 The most complex use of a GIS involves tying the GIS to a known
set of relationships, scientific laws, etc., to model real-world
phenomena
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 Applications of GIS
• Urban Planning, Management & Policy Civil Engineering/Utility
• Zoning, subdivision planning Locating underground facilities
• Land acquisition Designing alignment for freeways, transit
• Economic development Coordination of infrastructure
• Code enforcement maintenance
• Housing renovation programs Business
• Emergency response Demographic Analysis
• Crime analysis Market Penetration/ Share Analysis
• Tax assessment Site Selection
• Environmental Sciences Education Administration
• Monitoring environmental risk Attendance Area Maintenance
• Modeling storm water runoff Enrollment Projections
• Management of watersheds, floodplains, School Bus Routing
wetlands, forests, aquifers Real Estate
• Environmental Impact Analysis Neighborhood land prices
• Hazardous or toxic facility siting Traffic Impact Analysis
• Groundwater modeling and contamination Determination of Highest and Best Use
tracking
Health Care
•Political Science Epidemiology
• Redistricting
Needs Analysis
• Analysis of election results
Service Inventory
• Predictive modeling 25
Thank You!

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