Wednesday, May 15: “Understanding GIS: technology that shapes space”
Organized by the Island Movement and the Center for Sustainable Development with GIS Technologies, the webinar “Understanding GIS: technology that shapes space” was held on May 15. The webinar took place within the project ETO – Energy transition of the island, and the lecturer was Antonio Morić-Španić.
Geographic Information System (GIS) plays a key role in the management and preservation of spatial resources of cities and municipalities. It enables the processing, analysis and visualization of spatial data, which is necessary for efficient organization of space. The use of GIS improves the planning and implementation of sustainable development projects, making it an invaluable tool for modern management.
The purpose of the webinar was to introduce and inform interested stakeholders of the Croatian islands about the possibilities of GIS technology for the purpose of managing the island area. Thus, over the course of an hour, Morić-Španić presented the basic functionalities and components of GIS, its importance for economic and social development, as well as its areas of application and examples of implementation.
A system that includes geometric and descriptive features
GIS is actually a combination of digital cartography and a database management system, thus enabling constant storage, editing, modeling and generation of new knowledge about space. It includes geometric and descriptive features of the location.
This system consists of a technical (hardware) and programming (software) basis, data with a spatial component, a data processing method and a human component. Morić-Španić noted that twenty years ago this kind of technology was completely unavailable and unknown. Today it is also used in school programs. He said that Hvar High School was one of the first to enable its students to work with GIS technology.
Importance of GIS
GIS is also extremely important for economic and social development. It enables better organization of work, faster creation of cartographic representations, rapid addition of spatial data. Likewise, it enables the acquisition of information about distance, directions and sizes of geographical areas, the discovery of spatial patterns, and the understanding of spatial relationships and processes.
The lecturer presented these possibilities using the example of a satellite image of the chlorophyll level and the infestation of the pine beetle on the island of Hvar. Here he also added examples of the spread of fire in Split and the density of maritime traffic in the South Adriatic.
Implementation of GIS solutions
With the help of GIS technology, a solar map was created, through which citizens can research information about the solar potential of their roofs. Some of the information included in the analysis is the geolocation of the property, the orientation of the roof surface, the slope of the roof and the type of roof covering. This analysis helps users discover which roof surfaces are optimal for installing photovoltaic panels and how much energy production can be expected.
Lecturer Morić-Španić also presented WeSea, an autonomous system for detecting changes in the coastal zone of the Adriatic Sea. Furthermore, Sea Fingers of the Island of Hvar is an interactive map of animal and plant life on the Kabal peninsula on Hvar. Also, with the help of GIS, a system of records of communal infrastructure on the island of Pag was developed.
As far as spatial planning is concerned, the Urban Planning for Citizens portal was presented, which enables interaction between interested participants in the area of Dubrovnik. Also, there is a software solution for new generation Saint Thomas spatial plans.
In the area of social policies, an example of the “Golden and Active” portal was set up, which enables easier navigation for elderly people in the city of Dubrovnik. An example in the field of education is the “HvaR&D” project, which introduced GIS systems into school curricula. Morić-Španić emphasizes here that it is extremely important to encourage and motivate young people to focus on this direction of technology, who can use the benefits of these systems for a better tomorrow.
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Cover photo: Mojca-Peter from Pixabay