Page 1 of 4
Journal for Studies in Management and Planning
Available at http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/
e-ISSN: 2395-0463
Volume 01 Issue 11
December 2015
Available online: http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/ P a g e | 665
Geographic Information System in Environmental Planning
Ms. Rutuja Prashant Lele
College of Engineering, Shivaji Nagar, Pune, Maharashtra
motirutu@gmail.com
ABSTRACT
Making decisions based on geography is basic to
human thinking. By understanding geography and
people's relationship to location, we can make
informed decisions about the way we live on our
planet. A geographic information system (GIS) is a
technological tool for comprehending geography
and making intelligent decisions.
GIS organizes geographic data so that a person
reading a map can select data necessary for a
specific project or task. A thematic map has a table
of contents that allows the reader to add layers of
information to a base-map of real-world locations. .
GIS maps are interactive. On the computer screen,
map users can scan a GIS map in any direction,
zoom in or out, and change the nature of the
information contained in the map. They can choose
whether to see the roads, how many roads to see,
and how roads should be depicted. GIS applications
can be embedded into common activities such as
verifying an address. From routinely performing
work-related tasks to scientifically exploring the
complexities of our world, GIS gives people the
geographic advantage to become more productive,
more aware, and more responsive citizens of planet
Earth. For any development project, the protection
of water resources is extremely important.
Construction over the drainage path or watershed
can affect the water resources of the region. The
establishment and maintenance of buffer zones along
shorelines or streams is a common management
practice used in ecological and environmental
planning. The buffer analysis tool in GIS helps in
setting buffer zones for the water bodies.
Environmental planning also addresses risks of
natural hazards and disasters. The use of
environmental and GIS data to construct a flood
hazard map has been done for many projects.
INTRODUCTION
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have
become of increasing significance for environmental
planning and assessment in recent years. One main
reason for this is the need, in Environmental
Planning, to compare a great number of area-related
data describing the affected natural resources and
their sensitivity related to the effects or impacts of
another area.
This new perspective of using GIS marks a
turning point in the use of maps, setting the stage for
a paradigm shift in environmental planning and
management, from one stressing on descriptions of
geographic space, to one of interpreting mapped data
and communicating spatially-based decision factors.
What has changed is the purpose for which maps are
used.
GIS can provide good function of information
technology for Environmental Planning, based on its
strong ability on processing spatial data and attribute
data. The applications of GIS in establishing
environmental information database, selecting sites
for projects, making environmental thematic map
Page 2 of 4
Journal for Studies in Management and Planning
Available at http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/
e-ISSN: 2395-0463
Volume 01 Issue 11
December 2015
Available online: http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/ P a g e | 666
and combining with environmental model to predict
environmental impact.
Environmental planning is embedded in a
network of international, national, and local policies
and regulations and operates with the
communication of natural and social
sciences, ecology, politics, and economics. The
role of environmental planners has increased
with mandates for environmental impact
assessment on various levels in which planners
have a pivotal role in bridging between
specialists and decision makers. Equally,
environmental planners are called upon to
develop environmental plans which are used to
inspire more ecologically informed land use
plans and help mitigate the unintended effects of
developments.
WHAT IS ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING
(EP)?
In recent times, more and more environmental
concerns have reached the public attention such as,
increase in greenhouse gas emissions, a competition
in land-use demands, the decrease of biodiversity
and growth of urban areas which consume open
spaces, creating consequences for humans and
nature. These trends challenges our society which
we can see, locally as well as globally, in rural and
in urban areas, and in every country.
Environmental Planning provides means and
procedures to deal with these pressing challenges. It
aims at organizing our needs and demands in the
environment in an efficient and environmentally
conscious way to ensure sustainable development.
Environmental planning (EP) occurs early
in the planning process and can be incorporated into
land use planning to address environmental issues.
By addressing environmental concerns early in the
project development cycle, environmental planning
helps to mitigate environmental impacts. The
environmental planning is used for sustainability
planning in urban areas, townships and industrial
parks at a smaller scale.
GIS AND ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING
The emergence of Geographic Information
System (GIS) during 1970s and the simultaneous
development in environmental planning led to a long
term association among GIS and EP. Given the large
amount of environmental data that needs to be
compiled for effective suitability analysis, GIS was
used as an efficient tool for organizing, storing,
analyzing, displaying and reporting the spatial
information.
GIS allowed the creation and modification of
the analysis that makes the best use of available data.
GIS also supported methods to apply guidelines and
criteria set by local and India’s national management
regulations.
Five major steps of GIS spatial analysis for
environmental planning include (but not limited to):
Defining criteria for the analysis
Defining data needs and base map
Acquisition and preparation of the data as
thematic maps
Creating GIS model/overlays
Evaluating results and refinement of the
model
Page 3 of 4
Journal for Studies in Management and Planning
Available at http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/
e-ISSN: 2395-0463
Volume 01 Issue 11
December 2015
Available online: http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/ P a g e | 667
Key sources of information include topographic
maps, aerial photos, satellite images and data derived
from GIS like land use, slope, water features and
environmental risks.
Image: A typical overlay of layers in GIS.
Site development suitability analysis is based on an environmental sensitivity assessment and considers
constraining factors for certain developments in the site, for example a wetland of ecological importance or land
having high slope. “Suitability levels” are first tested based on individual factors which are later overlaid to
indicate overall development suitability. This approach considers existing natural resources at the site and aims to
protect environmentally and ecologically sensitive areas.
The overlay procedures play a central role in many GIS applications (O’Sullivan and Unwin, 2003).
Several advanced techniques that are in the forefront of the advances in the land-use suitability analysis have
come up such as: multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA), artificial intelligence (AI), geo-computation methods,
visualization methods and Web GIS.
Environmental planning also addresses risks of natural hazards and disasters. Floods are one of the most
common hazards in the world and the use
of environmental and GIS data to
construct a flood hazard map has been
done for many projects. By
combining data of topography, water
resources, surface runoff and rainfall
data, possible flood risk within the site
area can be predicted. Also,
hazard areas like high slopes, soil
erosion and landslides can also
be incorporated in GIS-based
environmental planning.
CONCLUSION
GIS analysis helps in evaluating
large data at landscape and
regional level easily and helps
decision makers to visually understand the environmental consequences of the project. Environment planning can
