GRADISS provides GIS services for Natural Resource Management to the following areas:
- Hazard and risk assessment
GIS in natural resource management is used in the reduction of a natural hazard such as flood, landslide, soil erosion, forest fires, earthquake, drought etc. GIS is used to ascertain and assess natural hazards effectively. It is also used to identify areas prone to disasters and other environmental risks. In the case of natural disasters, GIS is used to conduct risk assessments to determine the areas prone to experiencing severe weather and climate change. GIS in natural resource management is being used in analyzing, organizing, managing and monitoring the natural hazards. GIS in natural resource management provides spatial data of the disasters that have taken place before or might to occur so that early risk can be prevented. It also generates maps that show the estimated extent of damage that may occur in the event of a disaster.
- Change Detection
GIS captured, store and visualize spatial data that can be used to observer changes in environment which may affect environment. The statistics obtained from GIS in natural resource management help to study the specific area and monitoring can be done in and around the area. It is a way of studying the variations taking place in the landscape and managing the environment. GIS is used in change detection projects to monitor the impact of human activities on the environment. It is also used to identify areas that are vulnerable to these changes and may require special attention and protection. It is a useful application in land change, deforestation assessment, urbanization, habitat fragmentation etc.
- Environmental Monitoring
GIS has made it possible to monitor environmental conditions in real-time. It is used to produce maps that show ecological conditions. It determines the qualitative and quantitative data about environmental issues such as pollution, land degradation, soil erosions etc. GIS in natural resource management detects these problems and predicts future hazards.
- Forest Management and wildlife habitat analysis
Forest cover can be regenerated through sustainable management. Using remote sensing data and GIS techniques, a forest manager can generate information regarding forest cover; types of forest present within an area of interest, Human encroachment extent into forest land / protected areas, encroachment of desert like conditions and so on. This information is crucial for the development of forest management plans and in the process of decision making to ensure that effective policies should put in place to control and govern the manner in which forest resources can be utilized. The suitability and status of sites / forest area for a particular species of wildlife can also be assessed Using remote sensing data using multi criteria analysis.
- Watershed Management
Water as a resource has been diminishing over the years. The availability of clean water has been always scarce. The satellite remote sensing for hydrological applicationsincludesrainfall Global Precipitation Measurements (GPM) and Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), Soil moisture (Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) and Soil Moisture Ocean Salinity (SMOS); Actual Evapotranspiration (Surface Energy Balance System), Mapping Evapotranspiration with Internalized Calibration (METRIC) and Surface Energy Balance Algorithm for Land (SEBAL), Groundwater level monitoring by Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE). This provide information that can assist towards the development of effective water management strategies and infrastructures. This can be of crucial importance, particularly to regions on which the amount of water available is limited.
- Natural Disaster Management
Spatial data is required for the management of natural disasters such flooding, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and landslides. Satellite remote sensing is an ideal tool that offers information over large areas and at short time intervals, which can be utilized in various phases of disaster management, such as prevention, preparedness, relief, reconstruction, early warning and monitoring.
- Combat Desertification
Geospatial data can be used to define the soil types present in a given area and nutrient availability. Adverse change can always be identified once this data is collected over a long period of time. GIS data can also be used to determine the land use practices within a given area and vegetation constitution and the impact that they have on the environment. Slope information of a region can also be determined with the use of GIS records.
- Waste Management:
Solid waste management comprises several phases, starting from the stage where the waste is generated till it reaches its final destination or at a stage where it is no more a threat to the environment. It is observed that solid waste management can be bifurcated into mainly two phases. One is the waste management in the area where it is generated and second is the management of waste at dumping grounds. The primary objective for the adoption of GIS is to reduce cost and time and also to help planners make better decisions in designing solid waste management. Data captured from aerial photography, videography, and optical, thermal, microwave, or LiDAR sensors are integrated with attributes and layers of prerequisite information which could make it easy to understand the area’s waste generation nature and trend. A properly selected dumping site is essential for solid waste management as unplanned dumping and trenching of waste could be hazardous to the environment and human as well as wildlife health. The suitability of the location of the solid waste landfill is achieved by producing the digital elevation model (DEM) representing the topography of the solid waste landfill site and its nearby surroundings.