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GIS and remote sensing in environmental management

Article  in  Journal of environmental protection and ecology · January 2012

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 GIS AND REMOTE SENSING
IN ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

Gabriela Droj1,
1
University of Oradea, Faculty of Architecture and Construction,
Oradea, B. ŞT. Delavrancea 5, g_abyg@yahoo.com

Abstract: Data analysis represented on maps have become an useful

instrument in planning, therefore the operation of overlaying maps become very
common. These techniques led to a new chapter in mapping, from the physical
displaying of spatial information to management based on spatial relationships. The
evolution from descriptive to perspective maps increased the role of computer in map
making. In the last years, this dynamic technology was known as Geographical
Information System.
Geographical Information System represents a powerful set of tools for
collecting, storing, retrieving at will, transforming and displaying spatial data from
the real world. Remote sensing from airborne and space borne platforms provides
valuable data for mapping, environmental monitoring and disaster management. The
integration of GIS, Remote Sensing and modelling technologies applied to the field of
environmental protection is an important tool for management and decision making.
In this paper, I will present an application of GIS and remote sensing in
environment protection – a case study for the area Oradea. The study consists in an
evaluation of the pollution sources in Oradea, influenced by the restructuring of the
economy from the last decade and their impact on the environment.

1. Aims
Data analysis represented on maps have become an useful instrument in
territorial planning, therefore in the years of 1960-ties manual operation of
overlaying maps become very common. These techniques led to a new chapter in
mapping, from the physical displaying of spatial information to management based
on spatial relationships. The evolution from descriptive to perspective maps
increased the role of computer in map making. In the sixties the decision making
process has developed into a quantitative process and the usage of mathematic
models for non-spatial data was often. In the last years, this dynamic technology is
known as Geographical Information System.
Geographical Information System (shortly GIS) represents a powerful set of
tools for collecting, storing, retrieving at will, transforming and displaying spatial
data from the real world. Nowadays geographical informational systems are used
especially as a decision support tool especially for planning (urban planning,
investment planning, infrastructure planning, economic development, taxation,
SWOT analysis, etc.), resource management and impact studies.
Remote sensing from airborne and space borne platforms provides valuable
data for mapping, environmental monitoring and disaster management. However, to
explore the full value of these data, the appropriate information has to be extracted
and presented in standard format, in order to import it into geo-information systems
and therefore allow efficient decision making processes. The process, which usually
is used for extracting information from these images, is based on classification.
In the following paragraphs will be presented the possibility to integrate
geographical informational systems, remote sensing and different modeling
technologies in the field of environmental protection, as well as an important tools
for management and decision making.

2. Background

The map represents the traditional method for storage and displaying the
spatial information, it is an abstract representation of the geographic space allowing
the increase or generalization of the most important details and also allows hiding
unessential details in order to fulfill its objectives.
Realization of maps supposes collection of the geographical data from the
field. Collection of the spatial data is realized by specific methods of topography and
cadastre. The main sources for obtaining geographical data are topographic
measurements, scanning or digitization of the existing maps and also by remote
sensing.
Today remote sensing is a major source of data and information. Using the
remotely sensed images we can obtain up-to-date, cheaper, and larger variety of data
for different applications, including environment protection.
In order to explore the information stored in remote sensing data, the
appropriate information has to be extracted and presented in standard format. The
process, which usually is used for extracting information from these images, is based
on classification.
Classification or clustering is the process of automatically grouping a given
set of data into separate clusters such that data points with similar characteristics will
belong to the same cluster. In this way, the number of clusters is reduced. In the
process of image classification is based on multi spectral analyses of the pixels. An
image classification is acceptable if the distortion of the image is minimal. In
classical cluster analysis each pixel must be assigned to exactly one cluster.
Classification methods can be categorized into supervised classification and
unsupervised classification depending on clustering method.

3. Experiment - GIS in Environmental Management in Oradea

3.1 Input data

For Oradea municipality there are two types of remote sensing data available:
airborne image collected in 2005 and space borne image, IKONOS collected in 2002.
In the figure 1 we present a fragment from each type of images.

The both images are used in GIS and environmental management. Each
image was used to extract different type of information or to combine the
information offered.

3.2. Digital terrain modeling

 A digital terrain model (DTM) is a digital representation of ground surface,
topography or terrain. Automatic measurement techniques like photogrammetry and
airborne laser scanning, output bulk points, with a high density. The DTM is realized
in the post processing phase usually by creating the TIN or by interpolation.
To test the creation of DTMs it was selected an area from north hills of
Oradea municipality. For DTM generation it was used the photogrammetric
measurement of spot elevations from an orthorectified airborne image of the target
area. The TIN of the area was generated using ARCGIS Desktop 9.1. In the pictures
below we represented the 3D model created.[2]

3.3 Green area recognition by image classification

For recognition of different type of information from the remote sensing data
is used a technique called classification. Image classification represents the
processing technique, through which the data represented in the image (pixels) are
grouped in a certain number of categories. In the classification process is produced
the data grouping in clusters according to certain several commune characteristics or
based on a priori known information.
Green area recognition for Oradea municipality was done by supervised
image classification.
The supervised classification is a clustering procedure assisted by users, and
based on the image recognition by using the former data (maps) or the users’ own
experience.

3.3.1 Definition and verification of the training areas

Training is the first stage of a supervised classification. In this step the user
must define training areas for each class interactively on the displayed image. The
areas may be specified both on polygon and on pixel basis. The three classes of
information defined are: streets, houses and green areas. The signature files were
created using a fuzzy membership function based on the sigmoid curve, in this case
the accuracy of the signature files are acceptable, over 90 %( table below).[3,4]

3.3.2. Classification procedure

In order to obtain the classified image we used the signature files created in
the training step. The actual classification was made by using the MINDIST
(minimum distance) and MAXLIKE (maximum likehood) methods.[4]

3.4. Geospatial Data Processing and spatial analysis

The case studies selected, in order to exemplify the geospatial data processing
and spatial analysis, are consisting in scenarios created for the fiscal zoning process
of Oradea municipality in 2005. The studies were made to analyze the evolution
from the first fiscal zoning system which was established in 2001, till 2005, when the
actual zoning system was proposed to be updated.
In this study we compared the impact of the values of indicators used by the
fiscal zoning system and their influence over the taxation for both fiscal zoning
systems implemented in Oradea (the system from 2001 and the system from 2005).
 A change regarding the values of some indicators was proposed in order to
update the fiscal zoning system from 2001.[1]
Oradea had a fiscal zoning system based not on concentricity but on the
indicators. These indicators were grouped in four categories: basic public services
(water, sewage, heating, gas etc), public services (public transportation, telephony),
other services (commercial area, green area) and restrictions and environmental
indicators.
The geospatial date owned by the city hall of Oradea was used to implement
the GIS application. The source for this data was IKONOS satellite image. For the
implementation were used the majority of the classes: street, street segment, public
transport stations, functional zoning, risk zone and parcels.
The restructuring of economy and the public investments made in the city
changed the quality of life and imposed modification of the fiscal zoning. The main
public investments made in the city with a major impact over the environmental
indicators were: the construction of the ring road which led to deviation of heavy
traffic from the inner city (2004) and the initiation of introduction of natural gas
(2003) and extension of sewage network (starting with 2003). The relocation of
pollution sources situated in the inner city had also impact on the environmental
indicators.[1]
The first step regarding geospatial data processing and spatial analysis
regarding the environmental indicators was to identify the changes in the source of
pollution. These sources were established with the experts of EPA and consisted in:
companies known by EPA as polluters, hospitals which have incinerators and
residential areas were the heating was done with wood or fossils. These residential
areas are not connected to the central heating system and don’t have natural gas
connection (at the moment of the study). The environmental indicators needed for the
fiscal zoning were established as spatial intersection between buffer zones and street
segments, but by considering a uniform dispersion of the pollution. The buffer zone
was considered with radius of 500 m.

4. Results and Discussions

In this paper was presented an application of GIS and remote sensing in
environment protection – a case study for the area Oradea. The first step of the study
represented the collection of environmental data from remote sense data. The
increased quality of satellite and airborne images, the diversity of available remote
sense data for Oradea makes this field very important in providing valuable up-to-
date information for environmental monitoring and disaster management. In order to
extract environmental information from these images are used supervised
classification processes. The main advantages of the supervised classification are
given by the possibility of defining the type of clusters. The unsupervised
classification generates clusters regarding a threshold value, but this method is useful
where is no “a priori” information known.
The second step of the study was an evaluation of the pollution sources in
Oradea, influenced by the restructuring of the local economy from the last decade
and its impact on the environment. This study was a component of the scenarios
which were created in order to update the fiscal zoning for the city of Oradea. The
modeling of pollution necessary for the scenarios has to be improved. The main
deficiency of the scenarios was to consider a uniform dispersion of the pollution (500
m).

5. Conclusion
The case study presented in this paper offers an example over the possibility
of improving environmental management by using modern techniques of data
collection and management. Remote sensing data is a very useful source of accurate
and up-to-date information for environmental management, planning and impact
studies.

References
1. CHIRILĂ, E.; DROJ, G.; DROJ, L. – A modelation of the property taxation
system -Case study Oradea, AGORA – STUDII, 2006,
2. DROJ, G. - Justifying GIS Modeling Uncertainty: A Practical Approach,
IJCCC Vol. III, 2008,
3. DROJ, G. - The applicability of fuzzy theory in remote sensing image
classification, Studia Universitatis Babes-Bolyai Informatica, Volumul LII,
Nr 1, 2007,
4. DROJ, G. - Remote Sensing Image Classification, Editura Universităţii din
Oradea - Analele Universităţii din Oradea, Vol. X – 2007

Figures

Figure 1 – Remote sensing from airborne and space borne

Figure 2 - Oradea 3D model

 Data streets houses green
areas
streets 95.45 4.87 1.27
houses 2.73 93.42 2.83
green 1.82 1.71 95.89
areas

Figure 2- Training sites and evaluation of signature files

Figure 3 - Supervised Classification – Methods Maxlike and Mindist

Figure 5 Source of pollution in Oradea 2001

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