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GIS and Remote Sensing for Natural Resource Survey and Management
Mohamed Elias
Technical Manager
Global Scan Technologies
Dubai, UAE
Email: elias@belhasa.ae
Abstract:
The socio-economic development of any country is based on land resources and water resources. Due to increase in population, these resources are over stretched often leading to resource depletion. There is need to prudently manage these delicate resources. Remote Sensing and GIS techniques can be applied effective measure to generate data and information for sustainable development. After more than 25 years of satellite-based land remote sensing experimentation and development, these technologies reached almost all sectors of Earth science application. The use of remote sensing data and derivative information has ever promise of entering into mainstream of governing at local and regional level.
Global Scan Technologies, Dubai implements the latest advent in spatial mapping technologies for natural resource survey and management and have carried out various project for UAE Government Organisation. The application includes :
- Landuse / Landcover study- Visual and digital interpretation of satellite imageries are implemented to prepare pre-field map based on spectral/tone/texture homogeneity. Pre-field interpreted map and digitally enhanced satellite data is used on the ground to identify different land use and land cover classes and to generate geodatabase for the land use and land cover.
- Vegetation Mapping- The classification system is open ended and is based on globally followed principles of vegetation classification using Climate/ Physiognomy / floristics. Based on the spatial extent, separability using remote sensing and ground information on vegetation distribution a geodatabase has been generated for Vegetation theme.
- Soil Mapping - The satellite data is interpreted based on photo-elements like tone, texture, size, shape, pattern, aspect, association etc. The first step in image-interpretation is the delineation of landscape units. The discrimination of landscape units and soil mapping units is based on lithology, relief, drainage pattern, natural vegetation, and sometimes land use along with the associated image elements . Field Survey is executed proceeding the preliminary interpretation of satellite imagery. The soil mapping units is evaluated for different land capability classes following USDA land capability classification based on soil, topography etc., limitations
- Geology and Hydrogeology mapping- The first step in generation of Geology and Hydrogeology Map is the Preliminary interpretation of satellite imageries for demarcation of Lithological boundaries, lineament ,other structural feature interpretation and characterization of various geomorphic units.
Extensive field survey has been taken to verify the pre-field interpretation data and finally the lithology, geomorphology and structural maps are integrated to finalize the map and to generate Geodatabase for Geology and Hydrogeology Themes.
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