CE 215 : Introduction to GIS
Md. Nabil Zawad
Lecturer
Department of Civil Engineering
Presidency University (PU)
What is GIS ?
Geographic Information Systems
• As the name implies, GIS is a system that handles
geographical information.
• Geographical Information or Geographical Data:
- Simply, anything (i.e., objects with a spatial structure) that
can be put on a map is geographical data.
- Most often, these data are often described by geographical
co-ordinates.
• Map: A map is a generalized 2-D description of the real world.
What is GIS ?
• Basically, GIS is an integrated tool, capable of analyzing,
manipulating, storing and visualizing (usually in a map)
geographical information in order to provide solutions to real
world problems and help in planning for the future.
• In a GIS, you connect data with geography. And you
understand what belongs where. Because you don’t fully
understand your data until you see how it relates to other
things in a geographic context.
Basic Functions of GIS
So, if we breakdown the definition of GIS, it really comes down to
just 4 simple ideas:
1. Create or Capture
geographic data.
2. Manage it.
3. Analyze it and…
4. Display it on a map.
These are the
primordial functions
of a GIS.
Core Elements of GIS
1. People: GIS Specialists
2. Methods: should comply specific methods, rules & policies.
3. Data: must be reliable, relevant & accurate.
4. Hardware: Server, Computers, Printers/Plotter, Scanner etc.
5. Software: ArcGIS, GRASS GIS, QGIS, GeoDa, gVSIG etc.
WHY GIS?
• GIS simplifies geographical analysis & presentations of it.
• It can combine a lot of different information.
• GIS creates new information by combining existing data.
• Data are easier to store & handle compared to traditional paper
maps and reports.
• Handling data & maps becomes faster.
• GIS can simulate a model which is impossible in ordinary maps.
• Easy to edit & update information.
• Data are easy to visualize & can be shared with anyone, anytime.
WHO USES GIS?
• It had been estimated that 80% of
the informational needs of local
government policy makers are
related to geographic location.
• The use of GIS application in
Bangladesh started in 1991 by ISPAN
for the FAP-19 (Flood Action Plan-19)
project. The organization is now
named as EGIS (Environmental and
GIS Support Projects for Water
Sector Planning).
APPLICATIONS OF GIS
Unbelievably, GIS is being integrated in almost every discipline:
Environment: climate change, GW studies, EIA, mapping out dead zones…
Agriculture: mapping of crop/soil types, precision farming…
Weather: rainfall, temperature, weather warnings, studying weather patterns…
Transportation: transportation modelling, traffic control and mapping, ITS, road
assessment…
Real Estate & Land Planning: real estate metrics, construction, price comparison..
Media: to communicate stories with maps and target advertising campaigns…
Military: location intelligence, logistics management, spy satellites..
Police: investigation analysis, in-vehicle mobile mapping, first response,
geographic profiling…
Medical Science: public health information, health map, locating disease & its
patterns… and many more.
MAP
A map is a generalized 2-D description of the real world.
• To interpret the
complex real world,
maps must be
generalized.
• How?
- Simplify
- Sort out
- Divide the map
in different
thematic layers.
This simplification is only possible in a GIS-map which makes it dynamic
and user-friendly.
GEOGRAPHICAL DATABASE
Spatial LINK
Or Attribute
Data
Geometric UNIQUE ID
Data NUMBER
Spatial or Geometric Data
• Geographical data can be
represented as 3 different
types of geometrical
objects in a GIS:
POINT OBJECTS: (Drill
holes, Sample points, Wells
etc.)
LINES: (Roads, Watercourses
and Borders)
POLYGONS: (Land use,
Lakes and Properties)
* Geometrical Objects: Objects with
some sort of spatial structure
(Example – vegetation, topography,
buildings, roads etc.)
ATTRIBUTE DATA
• Attribute data is data that provides information about the geometrical objects.
• Every feature in a GIS map has a record in a table linked to it.
For example, a sewer pipe (represented by a line) can have information
about its length, diameter, flow rate, most recent maintenance, or an endless
list limited only by the user’s needs. These are known as attribute data.
• In the map you can highlight (select) a feature, open up the table, and examine
all the information related to it.
THANK YOU
