Developing GIS based interactive atlas of Rajasthan
Student name: Ms Valerie M. Monteiro
Guide: Mr V.S.P.Sinha
Year of completion: 2010
Host Organisation: Development Alternatives
Supervisor (Host Organisation): Mr Anand Kumar
Abstract: Developing countries are characterized by a multiplicity of overlapping agencies leading to a
significant gap between the government and the people. For any country or state, planning is based
on a strong multi-disciplinary database. The availability of this data is spatially varied and often
beyond the access of the general public, leading to a dichotomy between the collection of data by
government agencies and the general public at large. This gap necessitates the need for a system
which bridges the gap that exits. A web based information system tries to fill the void by providing
the public with access to data. A web based GIS information system provides the user with
visualization facilities to both spatial and non-spatial data, otherwise beyond access.
The largest state in the country, Rajasthan is characterized by diversity in history, culture and
physiography. A large section of the population depends on a single resource base – agriculture.
Characterized by arid to semi-arid climatic conditions, sources of surface water are scare and
ground water quickly depleting. An economy in transition from agrarian to industrial, the growth of
industries and increasing exploitation of the states vast mineral resources gives rise to varied sources
of pollution and the potential for different forms of degradation. A diverse ecological setup is evident
from the presence of deserts, grasslands, and wetlands in the state, each characterized by its own
biodiversity.
A web based Interactive Atlas of Rajasthan was designed with the objective to disseminate
spatial and non-spatial data about this diverse landscape, through the medium of the internet. It aims
to facilitate planning through the dissemination of spatial and non-spatial information about various
characteristics of the state. The users of such a system could range from the general public to
officials in the concerned ministries, to planners taking a keen interest in bringing about change.
ArcGIS 9.3 was used to prepare and later integrate spatial and non-spatial databases.
AutoDesk Map Guide Studio, AutoDesk Map Guide Server were used as web based GIS platforms to
integrate the spatial and non-spatial prepared in GIS environments onto the web, a public domain
where data can be accessed by a range of viewers.
The Atlas was designed on the basis of six pre-defined themes. These include General
Characteristics, Physical Characteristics, Sources of Surface and Ground water, Major Sources of
Pollution, Environmentally Sensitive Zones, and Environmental Quality. In addition to this, maps
representing some of the pressures affecting the state were also prepared. These maps were
prepared on the basis of the Pressure State Impact Response (PSIR) framework. The PSIR framework
gives the user the opportunity to view some of the pressures affecting the state, the state of feature,
the impact that the pressure is causing to the environment and the response through state and other
initiatives to cope with it. PSIR helps to bring out gaps in the state where pressure are either too
intense, the impact great or the lack of initiative to cope with the pressure.
Key Words: Web based GIS, Dissemination of information, Knowledge base, PSIR
framework
