Question 10: Who uses GIS and Why?
GIS has evolved into a technology
that is used by a huge number of industries and agencies to help plan,
design, engineer, build and
maintain information
infrastructures that effects our everyday lives. The table below lists common
users of GIS.
Industry |
Use of GIS |
Forestry |
Inventory and management of resources |
Police |
Crime mapping to target resources |
Epidemiology |
To link clusters of disease to sources |
Transport |
Monitoring routes |
Utilities |
Managing pipe networks |
Oil |
Monitoring ships and managing pipelines |
Central and local government |
Evidence for funding and policy e.g. deprivation |
Health |
Planning services and health impact assessments |
Environment agencies |
Identifying areas of risk from e.g. flood |
Emergency departments e.g. ambulance |
Planning quickest routes |
Retail |
Store location |
Marketing |
Locating target customers |
Military |
Troop movement |
Mobile phone companies |
Locating masts |
Land ReGIStry |
Recording and managing land and property |
Estate agents |
Locating properties that match certain criteria |
Insurance |
Identifying risk e.g. properties at risk of flooding |
Agriculture |
Analyzing crop yields |