GIS based village information system: A tool for decentralized planning
Student name: Ms Taruna Chauhan
Guide: Mr V.S.P.Sinha
Year of completion: 2010
Host Organisation: Development Alternatives
Supervisor (Host Organisation): Mr Anand Kumar
Abstract: Planning is now a widely accepted way to handle complex problems of resource allocation and decision-making. It involves the use of collective intelligence and foresight to chart direction, order, harmony and progress in public activity relating to human environment and general welfare. The need for a suitable information system is increasingly being felt in all planning and developmental activities, whether these are for urban or rural areas .In order to provide a more effective and meaningful direction for better planning, monitoring and development, Geographic Information System (GIS) based village information system is required. Village information system (VIS) is web based knowledge system that provides the means by which stakeholders can explore a decision problem using existing information, experiment with possible solutions, view other people’s ideas, formulate their own views, and share these with the wider community.
A study is undertaken in the districts of Bundelkhand region in India to demonstrate the integration of village-level spatial and non-spatial data in GIS environment into a useful informatics tool for decentralized planning. The emergence of Geographic Information System as a powerful tool for spatial analysis and storage has in effect alleviated the problem by computerization of the spatial data.GIS provides a commonly understood and powerful framework for collecting, organizing, and managing structured data and arriving at a precise decision.. Many different types of data can be displayed on maps and a great deal of information can be summarized. The visual display of information can reveal patterns and relationship that may not be apparent in tabular displays.This tool will assist the decision-makers in planning implementation and monitoring of various projects for development in different fields and to generate various socio-economic views for identifying candidate villages for various development activities. Village level data/information on developmental indicators: education, health, livelihoods, civic amenities and natural resources can be available at a few clicks. Mathematical and logical queries based on various attributes can be carried out to get the desire results. Complete information about a village can be obtained by just clicking on the map.GIS based village systems can provide the planners an accurate spatial view of the district at different levels such as district, block, village level in GIS environment. In the present study, a GIS based Village Information System is designed and developed for 4 dsitricts of Bundelkhand.
KEYWORDS: Village Information System, Decentralized Planning, Decision Support System, Geographic Information System, Development Indicators.
