Application of GIS Technology in Hydrology and Water Resources

Abstract. This paper reviews the changing relation between human beings and water since the Industrial Revolution, a period that has been called the Anthropocene because of the unprecedented scale at which humans have altered the planet during this time. We show how the rapidly changing world urges us to continuously improve our understanding of the complex interactions between humans and the water system. The paper starts by demonstrating that hydrology and the science of managing water resources have played key roles in human and economic development throughout history; yet these roles have often been marginalised or obscured. Knowledge of hydrology and water resources engineering and management helped to transform the landscape, and thus also the very hydrology within catchments itself. It is only fairly recent that water experts have become conscious of such mechanisms, exemplified by several concepts that try to incorporate them – integrated water resources management, eco-hydrology, socio-hydrology. We have reached a stage at which a more systemic understanding of scale interdependencies can inform the sustainable governance of water systems, using new concepts like precipitation sheds, virtual water transfers, water footprints, and water value flow.

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Application of GIS technology in public health: successes and challenges

Parasitology ◽

10.1017/s0031182015001869 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 143 (4) ◽

pp. 401-415 ◽

Cited By ~ 29

Author(s):

STEPHANIE M. FLETCHER-LARTEY ◽

GRAZIELLA CAPRARELLI

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Control Strategies ◽

Health Sector ◽

Remote Sensing Data ◽

Environmental Data ◽

Data Availability ◽

Parasitic Diseases ◽

Gis Technology ◽

The Public ◽

Application Of Gis

SUMMARYThe uptake and acceptance of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology has increased since the early 1990s and public health applications are rapidly expanding. In this paper, we summarize the common uses of GIS technology in the public health sector, emphasizing applications related to mapping and understanding of parasitic diseases. We also present some of the success stories, and discuss the challenges that still prevent a full scope application of GIS technology in the public health context. Geographical analysis has allowed researchers to interlink health, population and environmental data, thus enabling them to evaluate and quantify relationships between health-related variables and environmental risk factors at different geographical scales. The ability to access, share and utilize satellite and remote-sensing data has made possible even wider understanding of disease processes and of their links to the environment, an important consideration in the study of parasitic diseases. For example, disease prevention and control strategies resulting from investigations conducted in a GIS environment have been applied in many areas, particularly in Africa. However, there remain several challenges to a more widespread use of GIS technology, such as: limited access to GIS infrastructure, inadequate technical and analytical skills, and uneven data availability. Opportunities exist for international collaboration to address these limitations through knowledge sharing and governance.

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Climate Change Impacts on Hydrology and Water Resources

Handbook of Engineering Hydrology (Three-Volume Set) ◽

10.1201/b16695-47 ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 754-767

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Water Resources ◽

Climate Change Impacts ◽

Hydrology And Water Resources

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Hydrological education and training needs in Sub-Saharan Africa: requirements, constraints and progress

Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions ◽

10.5194/hessd-8-10565-2011 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 8 (6) ◽

pp. 10565-10587

Author(s):

D. A. Hughes

Keyword(s):

Water Resources ◽

Critical Mass ◽

Academic Research ◽

Institutional Support ◽

Education And Training ◽

Training Needs ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Sub Saharan ◽

Hydrology And Water Resources ◽

And Training

Abstract. This paper represents a perspective on the education and training needs related to hydrology and water resources science within the sub-Saharan Africa region and discusses the requirements of the region, some of the relatively recent developments and initiatives and some of the constraints that exist and remain difficult to surmount. The requirements include the development of academic research capacity and technical skill for both the private and public sector at a variety of levels. Some of the constraints that exist include a lack of adequate funding, lack of follow-up after short training courses, lack of institutional support to continue training, and competition for major water resources development projects from organizations outside the region. One of the main conclusions is that to sustain both educational and practical expertise in hydrology and water resources science within the region there is a need to build a "critical mass" of local expertise. Part of this could be achieved by increasing networking within the region and promoting the sharing of information, tools and expertise. There is also a need to promote institutional support.

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