MalaysiaGIS.com

Source: New Straits Times

Government agencies can benefit from the National Land Information System (NALIS) and the geographical information system (GIS) technology especially in resource management, environmental monitoring and planning of development projects.

Nalis, which is aimed at creating efficient sharing, exchange and dissemination of geographic information among Government agencies and end-users will provide an impetus for an accelerated growth of the GIS technology.

The project - the pilot will start this year - is initiated to fulfil the need for a cross-sectoral decision making on land and resource management.

GIS, meanwhile, has the ability to integrate information from multiple sources. Information gathered from Nalis and the GIS can then be used for improved decision-making in Government agencies, according to Datuk Abdul Majid Mohamed, director-general of the Department of Survey and Mapping.

Delivering a keynote address at the opening of the 2nd GIS Asia Pacific Conference and Exhibition in Kuala Lumpur last week, Abdul Majid said there are more than 12 Government departments, especially land-related agencies, using the GIS systems today.

Among the users, he said are the Department of Environment, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Statistics, the Department of Drainage and Irrigation, and the Department of Town and Country Planning. The users also include the Department of Geological Survey, the Department of Forestry, the Department of Valuation and Property Services, the Public Works Department and the Economic Planning Unit.

According to Abdul Majid, the Department of Survey and Mapping is currently developing digital cadastral and topographic databases which will form the basic blocks of the GIS in all Government agencies.

He said a key feature of the GIS us that it allows users to see the future impact of today's use of land.

"As an example, if you were to put a factory in an area, the GIS technology can help you see what kind of impact it will have on the neighbouring residential areas," Abdul Majid said.

"Or in another scenario, if you were to cut timber in a forestry area, you can work out what the reserve would be like in, say, the year 2000."

In order to benefit from the system, he said that users must be sure that the data used is accurate and up-to-date.

The use of GIS, he added is also fast gaining acceptance among countries in the region to better monitor and manage their finite resources.