CoastGIS'99: geomatics and coastal environment
In the process of converting CZ raw data into coastal zone information
(CoZI), the value of the information often derives to a very large extent
from the spatial relationships connecting a data item (the attribute) to
the physical environment. One of the main functions of a Geographic
Information System (GIS) is to help manipulate and to present the raw
data in ways which translate the “data” into “information”. This paper
does not focus on the many problems related to collecting and managing
coastal zone information via a GIS (or via any other paper- or computerbased mechanism), but rather at the ability ol GIS tools to disseminate
relevant CZ information at appropriate scales, in acceptable time frames,
to aid in decision making.
But collecting and processing CZ data is only the starting point. Once
data has been converted to information, that information must somehow be presented to many different types of user, from laypersons with
little or no appreciation of either IT or GIS to experts in CZ process
modeling and management. For example, the level of GIS needed to
help raise awareness of CZM issues amongst the public or at a local
government meeting does not necessarily need to be as sophisticated
as that used for research or management purposes. For widest impact,
CZ information dissemination programmes should work quickly,
effectively and easily, via the Web or CD-ROM (using a Web browser
interface), especially as more and more people are becoming familiar
with Web browsers. CZ information dissemination tools need to have
“consumer product” ease (of installation and use) and desktop software
packages such as Microsoft’s MapPoint 2000 could be key, ubiquitous
tools for future use by non-experts. In an excellent text covering many
examples of Web-enabled GIS and related tools, Brandon Plewe (Plewe,
1997) uses the term “distributed geographic information” (DGI) to
refer to the widespread distribution of GI in any form, from the simplest
“free hand” maps on a Web page to network based collaborative GIS “in
which GIS users at remote locations share common data and communicate with one another in real time".
Base maps and thematic data
To fully understand the problems and potential benefits m using the
Internet and Web-enabled software to deliver CZ information to users,
it is necessary to first look at the characteristics of the types of data being
processed. To analyse coastal zone data spatially and to present the
resulting information to decision-makers require access to a relevant
‘base map’ onto which the thematic data is “mapped”. This is true
whether you are working via the Internet and World Wide Web or
locally on an in-house intranet, via a CD-ROM on your local workstation
or directly from the hard disk for your desktop application. A number
of questions immediately arise in relation to the base maps and to how
the thematic data is collected or derived and then presented.
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In the process of converting CZ raw data into coastal zone information
(CoZI), the value of the information often derives to a very large extent
from the spatial relationships connecting a data item (the attribute) to
the physical environment. One of the main functions of a Geographic
Information System (GIS) is to help manipulate and to present the raw
data in ways which translate the “data” into “information”. This paper
does not focus on the many problems related to collecting and managing
coastal zone information via a GIS (or via any other paper- or computerbased mechanism), but rather at the ability ol GIS tools to disseminate
relevant CZ information at appropriate scales, in acceptable time frames,
to aid in decision making.
But collecting and processing CZ data is only the starting point. Once
data has been converted to information, that information must somehow be presented to many different types of user, from laypersons with
little or no appreciation of either IT or GIS to experts in CZ process
modeling and management. For example, the level of GIS needed to
help raise awareness of CZM issues amongst the public or at a local
government meeting does not necessarily need to be as sophisticated
as that used for research or management purposes. For widest impact,
CZ information dissemination programmes should work quickly,
effectively and easily, via the Web or CD-ROM (using a Web browser
interface), especially as more and more people are becoming familiar
with Web browsers. CZ information dissemination tools need to have
“consumer product” ease (of installation and use) and desktop software
packages such as Microsoft’s MapPoint 2000 could be key, ubiquitous
tools for future use by non-experts. In an excellent text covering many
examples of Web-enabled GIS and related tools, Brandon Plewe (Plewe,
1997) uses the term “distributed geographic information” (DGI) to
refer to the widespread distribution of GI in any form, from the simplest
“free hand” maps on a Web page to network based collaborative GIS “in
which GIS users at remote locations share common data and communicate with one another in real time".
Base maps and thematic data
To fully understand the problems and potential benefits m using the
Internet and Web-enabled software to deliver CZ information to users,
it is necessary to first look at the characteristics of the types of data being
processed. To analyse coastal zone data spatially and to present the
resulting information to decision-makers require access to a relevant
‘base map’ onto which the thematic data is “mapped”. This is true
whether you are working via the Internet and World Wide Web or
locally on an in-house intranet, via a CD-ROM on your local workstation
or directly from the hard disk for your desktop application. A number
of questions immediately arise in relation to the base maps and to how
the thematic data is collected or derived and then presented.
31