Integrated Data Management Systems using Geographic Information Systems – A presentation by ACWADAM

This presentation by ACWADAM deals with integrated data management using Geographic Information Systems. A Geographic Information System (GIS) integrates hardware, software, and data for capturing, managing, analyzing, and displaying all forms of geographically referenced information.

GIS allows us to view, understand, question, interpret, and visualize data in many ways that reveal relationships, patterns, and trends. It helps us answer questions and solve problems by looking at the data in a way that is quickly understood and easily shared. Typically, a GIS is used for handling maps of one kind or another. These might be represented as several different layers where each layer holds data about a particular kind of feature. Each feature is linked to a position on the graphical image on a map and a record in an attribute table.

GIS can relate otherwise disparate data on the basis of common geography, revealing hidden patterns, relationships, and trends that are not readily apparent in spreadsheets or statistical packages, often creating new information from existing data resources. The GIS softwares commonly in use are ESRI’s ArcGIS products, ILWIS, MapInfo, Surfer and GRASS.

This presentation is part of the training modules on planning, development and management of groundwater with special reference to watershed management programmes by ACWADAM. Please write to ACWADAM at acwadam@vsnl.net for sourcing these presentations.