What is it?
Geoinformatics is the science and the technology which develops and uses information science infrastructure to address the problems of geography, cartography, geosciences.
The term ‘Geoinformatics’ is a combination of two words- Geology or Geography and Informatics.
Thus, it deals with integrating computer science and geosciences to solve complex scientific questions
The realm of Geoinformatics is very broad because it comprises of subjects like Remote sensing, GPS, GIS, cartography, hydrology, climatology, Aerial photography, photogrammetry etc. Hence it has application in various fields
For example: Recently Commerce and Industry Ministry launched GIS-enabled Land Bank System.
Here are some of the advantages of using GIS technology:
- It has the ability of improving the organizational integration. GIS would then integrate software, hardware and also data in order to capture, analyse, manage and so display all forms of information being geographically referenced.
- GIS would also allow viewing, questioning, understanding, visualizing and interpreting the data into numbers of ways which will reveal relationships, trends and patterns in the form of globes, maps, charts and reports.
- Geographic Information System is to provide a help in answering questions as well as solve problems through looking at the data in a way which is easily and quickly shared.
- GIS technology could also be integrated into framework of any enterprise information system.
- And there would be numbers of employment opportunities.
On the other hand, there are as well some disadvantages that might be experienced because of using the GIS technology. And some of those drawbacks are the following:
- GIS technology might be considered as expensive software.
- It as well requires enormous data inputs amount that are needed to be practical for some other tasks and so the more data that is to put in.
- Since the earth is round and so there would be geographic error that will increase as you get in a larger scale.
- GIS layers might lead to some costly mistakes once the property agents are to interpret the GIS map or the design of the engineer around the utility lines of the GIS.
- There might be failures in initiating or initiating additional effort in order to fully implement the GIS but there might be large benefits to anticipate as well.
