Using GIS: What can you do with GIS?

As a managment and analytical tool, GIS can help us do a great deal. From mapping where things are to indicating density by geographical area, the scope of what you can do with GIS is broad.

Below are examples of what can be done with GIS. Consider your situation and figure out how GIS can be used by organisation and yourself.

Uses of GIS:

1. Map Location: mapping where things are allows us to find where we are, where we are going and where a feature is. Mapping locations also allows us to recognise a pattern with regards regularly occuring features. 

2. Map Quantities: mapping quantities allows us to understand activity or variable in an area. Mapping the most to least of a variable helps us make decisions and compare locations. Such comparisons could include crime stats, number of schools or percentage of people over 60 years of age.

3. Map Densities: Densities indicate the occurance of a feature or attribute of a location or area. Mappingdensity is useful where the concentration of heterogenous features is high, making visual patterns recognition difficult. Density mapping also allows feature and attribute mapping on a known and equivalent scale. Population maps are a good example of density mapping.

4. Proximity: Proximity mapping is simply idenifying features that are nearby to an identified features. This seems trivial, but when considering the possible flood area of a dam and identifying nearby features, like towns and national electircal infrastructure, help management and scenario planning.

5. Map Change: Mapping change is possible by comparing areas across the same variable but at two points in time. Such mapping allow behavioural understanding and antcipating future needs. The impact of an action can also be visualised when mapping change.

6. Ring-Fenced Activity: Identifying a particular area and identifying what features exist in that area and how quantities or densities change, allows us to understand a system. Specific action can then be taken for a specific area.