Thursday, June 19, 2008

THE NEED FOR GIS

Any organization, government private is in some way or another strongly linked to the geography in which it operates. A GIS that
has been designed in a proper manner has the capability of providing quick and easy access to large volumes of data of these
geographical features. The user can access & select information by area or by theme to merge one data set with another, to
analyze spatial characteristics of data, to search for particular features, to update quickly and cheaply and asses alternatives.

In simpler terms, GIS allows the user to understand geographic information in an easy manner without having to go
through large volumes of confusing data that is in tabular form. Visualizing the geography of a particular location is
no doubt easier that trying to analyze raw data.

The potential and substantial benefits of using GIS makes it a very important tool making the work of any
organization easier and more productive. Some of the potential benefits of GIS are:
♦ Opportunity to reduce sets of manual maps held and associated storage costs.
♦ Faster and more extensive access to geographic information.
♦ Improved analysis e.g.of areas, distances, patterns, etc.
♦ Better communication of information to public officers, members.
♦ Improved quality of services.
♦ Better targeting and coordination of services.
♦ Improved productivity in providing public information.
♦ Improved efficiency in updating maps.
♦ The ability to track and monitor growth and development over time.
♦Improved ability to aggregate data for specific sub areas.

Thus GIS’s have become indispensable tools for governance, commerce, and environmental and social scien

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