GIS in Everyday Life

Wondering how to identify the accident prone zones on a road? Or how to put up your collected data in a pictorial form on a map canvas? The answer is very simple- GIS, Geographic Information system. Through the use of highly specialized and efficient technology, modern geography is able to collect, analyse, and report on data about Earth’s surface. 

Geographic Information System acts as a powerful decision-making tool for any business or industry since it allows to analyse environmental, statistical and topographic data. Data from GIS applications help companies and various industries, and consumers, make better decisions. Not only for bigger companies and scientific purposes but GIS can also be used by common people to solve their community-level problems. GIS-generated datasheets or maps are easy to read and highly efficient, even for a non-familiar person. For example, GIS can be used to generate accident prone zone map of any selected area or simply to know the crops grown in an area. These maps are easy to read and analyse. 

Let us have a look at some scenarios where GIS can be helpful and convenient. 

1. Urban planning- GIS can help select sites for new developments and analyse the growth in urbanization. It can be useful for construction sites and the laying of new paths. 

2. Environmental Impact Analysis- GIS can be beneficial for the preservation of natural resources and the creation of new eco-sensitive areas. It can also help to understand the impact of human activities on the environment. 

3. Agriculture- More appropriate techniques can be used if GIS analysis has been done over an agricultural area. Production of crops, their maintenance and harvesting can also be managed and known through GIS. 

4. Disaster management- GIS can be a source of information for disaster-prone areas. Being reliable and quick in updates, can help with rescue operations and relocating the people to the nearest safe zones. 

5. Surveying- Data collected through surveys can be easily transferred to GIS software to generate maps and reports that are easier to understand. These can be useful to develop action plans if needed.

 

Apart from the mentioned, GIS is also a tool for navigation, transportation, resource management, garbage management, water facilities and much more. Using GIS for solving the problems that we see around, not only helps to provide a solution but also does it in an effective way. This, in turn, would make things easily manageable and systematic. All we need to do is find the cause of the problem and GIS helps to provide a solution! 

 -Apoorva Pimprikar

Intern,

Geosensitive, 2022.