Presentation Transcript
Slide1: GIS : Introduction and Application for Environmental Health Studies Alan Willmore
Senior Statistical Systems Officer
Centre for Epidemiology and Research
New South Wales Health Department
Overview: Overview GIS – an introduction
GIS applications for environmental health
Slide3: Geographic Information System
GIS handles SPATIAL information
Information referenced by its location
GIS makes connections based on spatial proximity
Maps are just one product of a GIS
A way to visualise analysis
The objective: to improve decision making What is GIS ?
Slide4: GIS - a formal definition “A system for capturing, storing, checking, integrating, manipulating, analysing and displaying data which are spatially referenced to the Earth. This is normally considered to involve a spatially referenced computer database and appropriate applications software”
Chorley Report, 1987
Slide5: GIS concepts are not new ! London cholera epidemic - 1854 +
Slide6: GIS components Applications ? G I S Spatial data Computer hardware / software tools
Slide7: What makes data spatial ? Place name Postcode Distance & bearing Description
Slide8: Categories of spatial data Point
GPS
Street address
Soil sample grid
Line / Polyline
AHS boundary
Postcode boundary
Road centreline
Raster
Aerial photograph
Landsat-7 satellite imagery
DEM
Slide9: Resolution of spatial data Scale is important
1:100,000 means 1cm = 1 kilometre
Spatial resolution refers to the relative accuracy or precision of spatial data
E.g. Landsat-7 satellite images have 30 metre cells
Slide10: GIS Software MapInfo Professional (demo)
Vertical Mapper
ESRI ArcGIS
Spatial Analyst
Geostatistical Analyst
Manifold
GRASS
Free open source
PostGIS
Free open source
Slide11: Summary GIS handles SPATIAL information
GIS is a valuable tool for managing and analysing environmental health datasets
Don’t underestimate the time involved in obtaining data in the form you need
Similar for learning how to use a GIS software package