AGSE 2012

July 16 – 20, 2012, Faculty of Geoinformation and Real Estate, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

AGSE 2012: Geoinformation - Catalyst for planning, development and good governance

Prof. Dr. Franz-Josef Behr: Strategic Process Management for Introducing GIS

In this workshop a concrete path for the introduction of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) in public agencies or private companies will be introduced. The whole process consists of ten different phases, starting with the initialization and ending with the productive usage of the system. Aspects of the strategic planning of the institution are presented, as well as requirement analysis, and conceptual database modeling and conceptualization of the IT infrastructure. Based on these findings information products are described and assigned to specific organisational units. In a cost-benefit-analysis different categories of benefits which can be accrued by introducing GIS are taken into account. A methodology of assessing monetary benefits for all information products is presented. By a call for tender the system introduction is announced to possible vendors. Further steps like evaluation of submitted offers and testing of offered systems prepare the final decision. By data import and usage of interoperable services the GIS starts its operational use.

Prof. Dr. D. Schröder: Spatial Analysis with Open Source - gvSIG and SEXTANTE

Prof. Rainer Kettemann: Implementing OGC conformant webservices using PostGIS and GeoServer

Prof. Gertrud Schaab: Atlas making and atlas reading – What are the skills required?

Atlases from a suitable means for communicating complex and large amounts of spatial information and are generally considered a higher form of cartography (Kraak & Ormeling, 2001). As a final product of the BIOTA East Africa project such a printed atlas was produced with two thirds of its 1000 copies having been distributed in Kenya and Uganda. In the first part the workshop provides insights in the atlas making process and its challenges covering the conceptualizing phase, the actual realization of atlas content, and finally the printing. The second part is dedicated to the working with the atlas. Here we learn what kind of questions the atlas can answer and how it thus contributes to environmental education, decision making, and research. Md. Zahid Hasan Siddique: ILWIS - advanced topics

Veronika Wendlik: Python in three hours

The use of Python as a programming language is increasing rapidly. With the release of ESRI’s latest ArcGIS version (ArcGIS 10), customizing with VB.NET is gradually giving way to Python. The present add-on option for VB will end with this release; it will not be available in ArcGIS 11. But there is no need to worry; Python offers a perfect replacement with added advantage! It is not only stable and independent from the operating system used, it is also a dynamic and flexible programming language. Additionally, Python can be used for web-programming, programming of Graphical User Interfaces as well as for complex programming and geoprocessing tasks. How useful this relatively new programming language can be, shall be demonstrated using different examples; one of them being customizing ArcGIS. Note: A basic understanding of programming is assumed. If any special help is required, this can be given in a general lecture in the morning. Sajid Pareeth: Raster based analysis using R statistical software

Arathyram R.S.: Application of MODIS 1 km LST product for characterisation of UHI

Sooraj N P.: An Introduction to Ecological Niche Modelling Using DIVA GIS

Pulsani Reddy: Fuzzy logic analysis

Florian Moder: Above Ground Biomass Estimation, based on Remote Sensing Methods for CDM and REDD

The UNFCCC Conference in Bali in 2007 established the political framework for the policy process “Reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation in developing countries” (REDD). Participating parties confirmed the urgent need to take further action to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and adopted a work program for further methodological work. That program focuses on assessments of changes in forest cover and associated greenhouse gas emissions, methods to demonstrate reductions of emissions from deforestation and the estimation of the amount of emission reductions from deforestation. REDD itself is considered to be an important component of a future climate change regime beyond 2012, in terms of mitigation and adaptation. In this way, REDD can be seen as a tool not just for mitigating climate change, but also for conserving biodiversity and a range of ecosystem services of global and local interest. The objective of the proposed workshop is to get familiar with remote sensing based methods, which are suitable to assess and monitor deforestation and forest degradation and correlate it with biomass measurements on the ground. The method proposed in this workshop, delivers statistics and maps on forest area, forest area changes, biomass, carbon stock and their respective changes on multi-temporal basis applying optical data such as Landsat-7 ETM+, SPOT or others. Results generated by this method can serve as a basis for the baseline assessment required by REDD. The proposed workshop will include a brief introduction of LCCS (Land Cover Classification System), developed by the FAO as an appropriate classification scheme for REDD. Alternative remote sensing approaches of direct biomass assessment for REDD by applying Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) should be discussed in this context as well.