Monday, November 6, 2000		Article

GIS to aid geologists, geographers and engineers
by Sumesh Raizada

SINCE the beginning of civilisation, man has been curious to know his surroundings. The art and technique of geography, cartography and survey existed earlier also, but perhaps in a different form. Our ancestors mastered these to understand the mysteries of land, forests and rivers. They constructed roads and bridges to establish link between towns and societies.

Columbus and Vasco da Gama, were able to explore life, culture and the unknown world around them because of application of techniques related to cartography and geography.

The scene has undergone a sea change. Present day cartographers, surveyors and photogrammetrists widely depend on software related to their discipline. Paper work has been drastically cut and limitations of conventional survey and cartography have been reduced to a large extent after introduction of advanced computerised technique called GIS or Geographic information system which is a combination of computer hardware and software specifically designed for the generation, maintenance, and optimum utilisation of cartographic data.

The GIS is a process in which software is used to study, store, display, update and analyse spatial data to solve management problems. In conventional maps, which are prepared on papers, modification is not possible. In digital maps, data is stored on computers in a digital format and can be modified or reproduced, whenever required.

Geographic information specialists are professionals who combine the functions of mapping science and surveying into a field concerned with the collection and analysis of geographic information. They prepare, present and interpret facts with the help of the GIS software and analyse geographical information.

There are enough career opportunities for GIS professionals. They are employed in civil engineering and construction firms, engineering wing of army, ocean and forest research organisations, urban planning department for construction of roads and housing colonies. These are also required in exploration and mining companies to find out areas for exploration, and also to analyse the ore bodies for prospective minerals.

They have a huge demand in power companies to monitor and analyse the electricity load on the grid network for a particular area. In transportation companies, GIS operators determine the optimum route for delivery of goods and services. On the Internet, they are used for giving a graphical representation of the users, their geographic and demographic details.

The GIS transforms data into information for planning and managing resources. It is a valuable tool in the social, medical, and engineering sciences, as well as in marketing and planning. The GIS is an essential management technique in many industrial and government departments. It not only allows analysis and mapping of sales and product information linked to a customer’s address but also relates a customer database to other useful data such as road network, census data, and other business locations. In forest research, the GIS is applied for mapping satellite imagery of forests and for estimating wild life population.

The GIS and related technologies, such as the GPS (Global Positioning Systems), have transformed the ways in which geographic information is collected, analysed, and displayed. In the GPS, satellite locates points on the earth by using radio signals transmitted via satellites. A receiver is placed near the object, which is to be studied or surveyed. The GIS is mostly done on desktop computers.

Those interested in pursuing career in the GIS, should have a background in civil engineering or architecture. Graduates or postgraduates in geography or geology with working knowledge of computers can also work as a GIS professional.

However exposure to GIS-specific software, like Arc/Info and Arc/View, is essential. ESRI, a company that has developed the GIS software, has provided career opportunities all over the world, either directly or through their partners. Another software, which is used for the GIS application is MapInfo. The ESRI offers free modules online for many introductory courses to their products. However the best way to become proficient in this software is through practical experience. Several foreign and Indian institutes provide GIS learning through classroom or through Internet. These are University of California, University of Adelaide, Clark University, Dartmouth College, University of Queensland, University of Sydney and Boston University.

ESRI India, a group company of NIIT, has pioneered a new spatial data management technology. Its education wing called the EIES provides training and courses on the GIS. The EIES has been conducting regular programs around the country for the past two years consisting of considerable practical training also. The EIES has experienced faculty from varied fields like geology, civil engineering, remote sensing and architecture. It has centres in Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta, Chennai, Hyderabad and Bangalore. These centres are equipped with the latest software, hardware & teaching aids.

The EIES also conducts special programs designed to meet specific application or training requirements, which can be arranged at customer sites also. The ESRI India has recently started training courses on the Internet and programming applications in the GIS at the above-mentioned centres.