GIS Education in India-Reasons to Reflect
Brigadier M. M. Datta Fellow Emeritus & Past President IS, Fellow and Founder Past President INCA Introduction Land is thought of as a source of food, living space and materials that support human life, which in turn emphasise the alternate view that land supports the global eco-systems on which humans are dependant for future survial based on production commensurate with conservation. It is in this context that the role of remote sensing and Geographical Information System (GIS) for the study of the earth's resources assumes importance. This in turn leads to the importance and urgency of GIS education in India. Global population has increased rapidly in the Twentieth Century and is predicted to plateau at around 10 billion people by 2050 AD. The present global population of 6 billion people is not evenly distributed, and is concentrated in Nort-West and Central Europe, East Asia and the Indian Sub-continent. The projected increase in population, which will occur predominantly in developing countries, results from an increasing life-expectancy and larger base of population. A near doubling of population puts increased demand on natural resources; more people require more food, fuel, clothing, housing, water, energy and other necessities of life. Globally, land resources are being used more intensively and the land use is changing. The most dramatic change in global land use over the last three centuries has been the expansion of agriculture and the reduction of forest and range-land as a result of frontier expansion. The process of fronter expansion continues in many tropical and mountain regions, such as the Amazon, Brazil, West Africa, South and East Asia, South America and the Himalayas follwing a pattern of economic development through agriculturate expansion. The area of land on earth is 13,000 million ha; while the oceans are more extensive at 31,500 ha. The estimates of global land cover show that slightly less than 1/3rd of the land is forest, 1/3rd pg yjr ;smf od gptrdy. 1/3rd farm land and the rest occupies economical zones unfavourable fore agriculture. Why GIS Education The main development problems in less development countries (LDCs) is to increase agricultural production in order to generate food, employment and income. Eliminating under nutrition is strongly connected to more rapid agricultural development because the majority of the poor in LDCs will depend on agriculture for food and income. Example: 63% in African countries and 72% in Indian sub-continent countries to 90% in some South-Asian countries. To feed the growing population, more land will be required for food and fuel wood production and the available land has to be used more intensively. Work by Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) shows that the area under tropical forest cover is reducing by 0.8% 15.4 million ha per year. A global assessment of soil degradation, conducted by the United Nations' Environment programme, concluded that since 1945 over 1.2 billion ha or 10.5% of soil has its original biotic function moderately to severely damaged. In addition nearly 2 billion ha grass land has been substantially degraded by live-stock grazing. World biosphere reserves, which enjoy special international status, occupy 171 million ha, while world heritage sites occupy 101 million ha. Information about land cover and land use of both agriculture and nature conservation is derived using GIS and Remote Sensing (RS), supported by field sampling, The International Institure for Aero-space Survey (ITC), Enschede, The Netherlands, which began as a Photogrammetry Institute, specialized in the science of taking measurements from aerial photographs, ITC gained prominence by concentrating on these technologies, specially in the developing countries. There have been two major technological innovations since. During the 1970-1980s, satellite remote sensing became the major tool while 5 year later Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and remote sensing techniques became fully functional. Molenaar suggested that these technologies be called spatial data handling. GIS has emerged as the latest computer based tools used to handle digital spatial data and has the following elements:
GIS technology has had a slower uptake in less developed countries initially, primarily due to the lack of hardware and human capital that is, people trained in using GIS and RS. US Landsat programme which records images of the earth's surface every two weeks for the last 20 years is a rich source of data. Now, the 'Mission to Planet Earth" NASA programme is generating a tcrra byte or 1012 bytes of data per day. Remote Sensing is defined as a record of the earth's features obtained from remotely sensed images, without physical contact with the object. Satellite remote sensing is usually the most uptodate source of data and information for earth resources. It is synoptic, allowing regional scale studies to be undertaken, relatively quickly and cheaply. Continuing innovation and development of RS systems offer exiting possibilities of mapping and monitoring ladn resources as demand increases to access and use of limited natural resources in LDCs, how can GIS and RS assist in finding solution? Where and How Geographical Information Systems (GIS) have matured into a set of support tools for a multitude of applications. These range from day to day operations, management support of administrative functions, planning of resource utilization to project specific or strategic management decision support. In a university, GIS is likely to be taught or applied as a tool of research in a number of different departments. Each with its own particular emphasis. Should this education and training in GIS be carried out at graduate level or post-Graduate level? M Barry and Shirley Butcher (1998) present a methodology for reading GIS in a university after consulting 20 education institutions in Botsvana, Lesotho, Malawi, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe (1996). Again we come across the useful book of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) in school education (Primary and Secondary) by David R Green (2000) for both techers and students in the UK, thereby filling an apparent gap on the current list of Geography and GIS text books. This book though contemplated a decade ago and commissioned by Taylor and Francis are still relevant to GIS in school education today as they were a decade ago, particularly in UK. The simple way to compile this book was to put together some of the then current research and examples which had begun to appear in to a number of AGI (Association of Geographic Information). GIS education sessions and subsequently into various different conference proceeding and papers, both in UK and Europe. The main aim of these early conference sessions was to try and stimulate interest in teaching GIS in schools and much needed channels of communication and links with the agencies who might be able to help from a number of different perspective: Academia, Commerce, Industry and hopefully even school and University Teachers. Way Ahead In order to start GIS eucation in India on a sound footing. We have to proceed along the following lines:
Most authors and practitioners in the field of GIS education recognize the multidisciplinary nature of GIS and the variety of educational and research needs, ranging from simple training in the use of GIS software to fundamental research at theoretical level. It is not possible to fulfil these various needs through a single integrated educational programme. We in India should plan for GIS education at three levels viz. (a) Secondary school (b) Undergraduate level (c) Post-Graduate level. It will be necessary to plan for atleast one GIS education school or college or university in each urban center. The teaching manpower requirement and instrumentation agenda for these three levels have to be assessed. The syllabi and curricula for these levels have to be drawn up and finalized after all India discussions. The India Association of GIS has to be established at an All-India Level to Co-ordinate GIS educational programme with Indian Institure of Remote Sensing. Dehradun, The International Institute for Aero-space Survey and Earth Sciences (ITC), Enschede, The Netherlands and the International Socciety for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS). We may make a resolution to this effect and nominate a Member Secretary to commence the GIS education programme. References
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