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Thoughts on the integration of Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems Technology

He Changchui


Introduction
Information revolution has given rise to new opportunities and challenges fro social and economic development worldwide. Remote Sensing , as a branch of information technology, has been widely recognized as an efficient and essential tool for resource inventory, environment and natural hazard monitoring and environmentally sound development planning. Recently, there is an increasing interest in and a high demand for the development of geographic information systems. (GIS) technology in this region. The author holds an observation that a well integrated remote sensing and GIS technology will represent an important dimension of the modernization of natural resources and environment management In view of that, several issues in terms 0of technological policies, development strategies as well as implementation measures which are so essential to the successful introduction, assimilation of the new technologies were discussed in this paper.

1. Advanced information technology has created a tremendous impact on social and economic development. As an outcome of the information revolution, remote sensing has become an efficient and essential technology for resources inventory, environment and natural hazard monitoring and environmentally sound development planning. Many countries in the ESCAP region have adopted a policy for promoting remote sensing technology and its applications. Consequently, the region has made commendable achievements in rising to the challenge of such a new technology, which has already brought significant social and economic benefits.

2. With the advancement of computer technology and the continuous increase in remote sensing data gathering capability, geographic information systems (GIS) are rapidly becoming another important tool for resources management and development planning. Some developed countries have already started the operational use of GIS to assist in their resource management, development planning and decision making processes. It is widely recognized nowadays that decision making processes. It is widely recognized nowadays that the combined use of remote sensing and GIS technologies will enable managers and planners in the field of resources management and development as well as environment conservation to make decisions at a more scientific and rational level than ever before.

3. Developing almost in parallel with remote sensing technology, GIS technology has only become an efficient and vital tool fro fighting resource and environmental problems since fast, large capacity computers and remotes sensing data as multiple sources for updating baseline data in the GIS systems is currently applied to computerized information acquisition, storage, processing, modelling, analysis, information synthesis and specifically designed for handling geographically referenced spatial data and the corresponding attribute information. The capability of integrating different data sources through spatial modelling in an operation commonly known as co-registration is one of the most important functions in a computerized GIS .

4. Resource planning and management face more and more problems due to the scarcity of our natural resources the degradation of the environment and the global population explosion minerals energy water soils land uses urban areas climate plants animals people and the ways in which they interact are the key issues in the developing countries of the region .resolving these issues in the developing countries of the region .these issues requires the collection analysis and dissemination of massive amounts of different kinds of information .In practice this information is either presented as attribute data such as statistics or as geographic data from a variety of maps and remotely sensed imagery as well the task of resource planners managers and decision makers is to compare and combine selected pieces of information in order to come up with optimal solutions thanks of technology development GIS technology has proven to be able to assist in providing timely as well as appropriate information of decision making however the advantages of such are yet to be realized and used by developing countries where optimal planning is deemed essential.

5. Some developing member countries of the ESCAP region have come forward to initiate GIS in their national natural resources and environment management programmes .These efforts include among others the Agro Climatologically Monitoring system in Bangladesh the natural land resources in China the National Natural Resource Management system in India the National Mapping and resource information authority of the Philippines the land Evaluation system of Malaysia of natural Planning System in Sri Lanka and the change Monitoring of natural Resources System in Thailand those countries that as well just starting it intimate GIS programmers and those regional as well as international organizations and agencies that are interested in promoting GIS in the ESCAP region may concern a great deal by undertaking investigations and studies on the status of the technolo0gy in the region .

6. From an organizational point of view most GIS in this region were built in remote sensing related organizations where the infrastructure especially the main frame computer and data acquisition facilities as well and presentation facilities as well as image processing equipment already existed Moreover remote sensing data as an important source for updating GIS information are generally easy to access the physical integration of organization involved in remote sensing and geographic information systems technology has already shown certain advantages in terms of sharing technological. institutional administrative human and financial resources the developing countries in the region should seriously look in to the integration of remote sensing and GIS what ever it is appropriate so as to avoid repetitive in facilities commonly used by both technology sectors.

7. institutional and administrative procedures may vary from one country to another and are harder to address .data are currently collected and analyzed for the specific use of many different agencies for many different purposes these data are not Necessarily easily in corrected or even appropriate to support wider decision making process they are even easily over looked process are needed to ensure that information can be incorporated in to different project structures as required this can only be achieved through interagency co operation and co-ordination in goal GIS applications.

8. Several successful examples in the ESCAP region have shown that it is only through projects designed to address specific regional national and local resource planning or environmental issues that appropriate institutional linkages can be developed and key administrative problems addressed such issues at both the regional and the national level as drought desertification land degradation and geological hazards for which more frequent and comprehensive information is needed to more manageable systems designed to support district or local land development planning such as urban information systems or water shed management systems.

9. Human resources development remains a key factor for successful implementation and application of integrated GIS . In many developing countries when describing a GIS one tends to description that over looks the most essential component the people needed to interact with the system and make it function effectively in addition to having the right hardware and software staff to perform a job the effective use of a GIS requires adequate staff training as wells planning organization and supervision in order to maintain the quality of information and the integrity of the final product needed from the course of decision making the importance of brain ware development should be addressed as the first priority before any hardware and software technology transfers take place proper measures should be worked out accordingly to gurante systems operation and application as directed by the users in the initial stages.

10. In many developing countries of the region resources information collection and processing systems are still relatively underdeveloped accordingly the developing and application of GIS technology at the country and sub country level will in many cases need the accompanied by the improvement of existing information collection systems if such is the case parallel consideration of developing remote sensing technology an important data acquisition capability with GIS technology an important data acquisition capability with GIS technology might be worth investigation. One of the first steps when considering such integration is to have a thorough survey in to the potential users to determine their information needs. Cost/benefit analysis and future risk forecasting will enable the sustained development of expensive technological systems, especially in developing countries, where financing is always one of the first concerns. Such technology should not be promoted as “something we must have because everyone else has it” but rather as something that eventually will yield benefits greater than its costs.

11. Although many GIS are project oriented or problems oriented, it is essential to consider in the initial stages the possibility of information sharing among resources planners, managers and decision makers, as well as among other groups of potential users. In this context, it is of paramount importance to form united policies at the national level in terms of data standardization and normalization as well as technology compatibility, complementarily and continuity. These policies may involve very technical problems such as the identification of a data structure suitable for storing all forms of spatial data in the design of an integrated spatial database. Other problems that may be equally important are hardware interfaces, geometric accuracy requirements, generalization of features from different data sources and comprehensive modelling for data analysis and use. Several countries in the region have attached great importance to the establishment of national standards and regulations for GIS. Therefore, exchanges of experience in such endeavors will be highly beneficial.

12. Despite certain sensitivities arising from specific GIS with large map scales and high topographic accuracy, many GIS are of practical use both regionally and internationally. These include early drought monitoring, vegetation index and desertification mapping, flood-plain monitoring and geological hazard monitoring and mitigation. Regional and international co-operation and co-ordination for such activities are considered to be of paramount importance in terms of mobilizing multiple resources following a multi disciplinary approach.

13. The economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific has come a long way toward being a catalyst in promoting remote sensing technology and applications in the region through its UNDP funded Regional Remote Sensing Programme, and commendable progress has been achieved. Recent, the region has envisaged an increasing interest in and a high demand for the integration of remote sensing and GIS technology for national decision making in promoting the economic and social development process. In view of the fact that GIS represent another dimension of modernization of resource management, comprehensive planning for their integration of the remote sensing and GIS technology should be emphasized both at the regional and the national level. The regional or national remote sensing programmes should therefore incorporate this integration exercises as a major component their projected activities during the next decade.

14. As the integration of remote sensing and GIS would further promote the evolution and development of information collection and processing for resource managers and planners, as well as decision makers, it is important to keep pace with the technological development and adjust policies and strategies, and make appropriate plans to rise to the challenge of this emerging technology, which will most likely become fully operational for resource management in the next decade. In view of the fast developing, practical uses as well as futuristic characteristics of such technologies, an important factor for furthering technological advancement is to create awareness of the evolving scenarios of the technologies and change the attitude of resources managers, planners and decision makers towards a more scientific and rational decision-making process. The exercise should be viewed as a compositional part of the promotional effort in formulating programmes for systematic education and training of large numbers of competent technological specialists.