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G.I.S. for Dummies |
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A Light Hearted Commentary on GIS by an Ethiopian GIS Professional… Back in 1984 when I graduated with a BS in Electrical Engineering and a minor in Computer Science, I was not sure where life would lead me as far as a career was concerned. As an Ethiopian immigrant struggling with where to go and what to do, I moved to California and started working (legally, of course) at the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in its mid-Pacific regional office as a CAD (Computer Aided Drafting) Computer Specialist. I worked with power plants, substation, and pumping plant schematics on a sophisticated Intergraph system. I enjoyed it, but it was not the kind of job you woke up singing about, even though I was grateful to God that I had a job. Then one day "they" said, "We need someone to manage the GIS system so we are sending you to a technical conference to get you going." GIS? What the heck was that? The concept and my curiosity about it took me on a wild ride. Today, that ride continues, and has become even wilder. I have been working in the GIS field for over 16 years now and I find that it is a driving force technology that really makes a difference in how we humans view our world, and, most importantly, the environment we live in. It touches everything we do and everything we are. So by now (unless you are a GIS guru) you are wondering what GIS is and so who cares, Mr. Mike? And why would someone submit this to the now famous editors at SELEDA to be profiled as a special feature of Ethiopians in Science and Technology? [Editors reply: We are far from famous… but neither are we editors. But go on…] So let's begin. More than likely, you are viewing this with your web browser on your computer. Your computer requires electricity, so do your lights. The building your are in, viewing your monitor, is located in such a way that it is wired for electricity. And, more than likely, you have access to water and perhaps paved roads as well to facilitate the ride home. Maybe on the way home you need to stop and get a Caramel Macchiato at Starbuck's, then stop by your local supermarket to buy some food, you know, so you don't starve to death. All these things around you are places on planet Earth related to each other by geographic location and by what resources they provide you. These locations and resources, from your favorite coffee hangout to your favorite store, the way electricity and water are brought to you, the way your transportation networks and emergency systems are built, all these things depend on intelligent, geographically referenced information designed to meet the needs of society. Location matters. Geography matters. The science and technology that is used to manage all this complex geographic relationship we have with our planet is called, everyone say it with me, Geographic Information System (GIS). A GIS is comprised of people, computers and geographically referenced databases that are designed to enable analysis and inventory of our planet and its resources. With a GIS we are able to manage our water resources, forests, agricultural needs, urban growth, crime analysis, emergency response, demographics and economics, to mention just a few. It enables us to make very well informed decisions on what we do with our world. The beauty of a GIS is that, within it, it stores information on WHERE an event took place, as well as enabling us to know ABOUT the event. For example, it could pinpoint the location of all bank robberies in the past 3 months. Or perhaps the location of all post offices within a the city. Or perhaps the farm areas that grew only rice this year. This opens a really fantastic gateway for us to expand our minds and our understanding of the world around us. A properly built and managed GIS can be the one integrating technology that can answer questions such as: Where is the nearest hospital? What's the fastest way to get there? Got milk? Where's the nearest store? Got Berbere? Nearest Ethiopian store? Where should I open my store to minimize competition? How many acres of wetlands will be destroyed if we build a city here? Where is Sadam's headquarter? Fastest route to a 911-distress call? Where will the water go if the dam breaks? How fast is the hurricane approaching Charlotte, NC? What is happening to our ground water? Where is the contamination coming from? How many acres of rice are growing in your region? I have been using GIS to help the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation answer similar questions. With our GIS we have been able to account for water resources, build emergency response action plans, manage irrigation lands, promote wildlife endeavors, and help the agency manage the vast Central Valley Project in California. Because of the nature of GIS, I have had superb opportunities to work with people from many different disciplines. I work with Soil Scientists, Hydrologists, Environmental Modelers, Civil Engineers, Chemical Engineers, Electrical Engineers, Computer Specialists, Architects, Drainage Engineers, Database Managers, Biologists, Environmentalists and Network Specialists. They all converge to GIS technology when it comes to knowing where and how their respective worlds interact with each other. It is exciting to see how their worlds take on a different meaning when they know more about how their world affects others. I am in a unique position to observe this collage of humans interact on a common ground because of GIS. In exchange, of course, I learn a great deal about the many disciplines that make the world go around. And I am humbled by what I learn and what it takes to make it all work. In my world everyday, I walk into my office, sift through all my e-mail, pour a cup of coffee and dive right into GIS work. I find that my coffee gets cold even before I have had my first sip. On any given day, the GIS lab I work in prepares "smart" map products and reports. We perform spatial analysis, create geographic databases, process satellite imagery and digitize/scan paper maps and documents. We develop programs and macros using a variety of languages to interface to our GIS software engine (ArcInfo/ArcView), perform hydrologic modeling, and… it just keeps on going and going. And when quitting time arrives, I really wish I were the pink rabbit. But one must go home and work on family and life. Our computing environment is very robust and sometimes even intimidating. We have a large UNIX server and a variety of network NT workstations/servers and X-terminals, along with a series of network printers and plotters. All systems are roaring everyday, cranking on something, for someone, for some good reason. Our software environment gets complicated as well. I manage a hybrid world of UNIX and NT systems and a variety of software designed to provide a comprehensive solution to the most complex or the most mundane questions related to geo-spatial data and the questions they naturally draw. By this point you have probably guessed that I like what I do. It's a lot of work and sometimes the reward is little, but my satisfaction comes from knowing that I am in a rapid, exciting technology that really makes me feel like I make a difference. I am finding that as I absorb more knowledge through GIS technology, I see it becoming the "unifying science" that is going to help us all see the truth of our natural world, our problems, our greed, our ambitions, the politics of it all, and perhaps even find the common ground by which we can dissolve the anguish of human suffering and injustice. Yes, perhaps a bit idealistic. Even some of my colleagues would give me a puzzled look. I can only tell you so much. I don't really want your Internet bandwidth filled with my relentless pursuit to convince you that I am onto something here. Check it out for yourself. Who is using GIS? (Besides Mr. Mike?) …Well how about the United Nations, the World Health Organization, NASA, AT&T, USGS, FedEx, UPS, Your City, Your County, Your 911, You?…Oh my. Take a look at these web sites to launch your quest in understanding GIS and how it affects all of us.
http://www.esri.com/gisforeveryone/index.html I wish I could write more. I have so much more to share. I hope that I have piqued your curiosity on the subject matter. Perhaps someday I can write a book… get rich. Forget about it! Peace and Good Will. SMALL>
Michael Sebhat
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