Modeling of Landslide‐Generated Tsunamis with GRASS

This paper assesses different approaches in education between Western and Eastern Europe. It is based on a case study, comparing which compares universityies conventions inbetween Spain and Czech Republic, focusinged on e-learning and Open Source softwareources. The Eeducation system at Polytechnic University in Valencia (UPV) puts much more emphasis on open source solutions and elearning compared to the situation in Czech Republic. gvSIG is an open source geographic information system (GIS), co-developed at UPV as ain collaboration of commercial companies with research institutions. Lecturers at UPV significantly integrate free and open source (FOSS) into classes as well as they participate in open source communities like Planet gvSIG, gvSIG Outreach or Association for the promotion of FOSS4G and the development of gvSIG. In fact, a complex system for self-education in the field of GIS has been developed there. It combines positive relationship to open source solutions and takes advantage from all sections together. The “Aula Virtual” project is a virtual training classroom using the virtual educational platform. Great emphasis is put on step-by-step video tutorials. 300 videos are uploaded on PoliTube Channel, which contain both video and audio and “time-stamps-links”. Time-stamp allows the possibility to switch among videos and other sources (annotation, webpages, etc.) dependent on the student’s individual requirements. Compared to the situation in the Czech Republic, where proprietary software is still preferred in the academic sphere, this topic brings place for discussion. This paper discusses two different points of views, benefits of both of them and proposes a solution with regard to the specifics of Czech university education.

In this work a comprehensive solution for the Gatanga Water Trust (GWT) has been developed to assist it in managing its water supply and distribution. The solution comprises two subcomponents: a mapping component and a billing component which are tightly coupled together. The proposed system uses stable open source products for the mapping component and the database. At present the GWT uses outdated maps and sketches for design and installation of a new water supply infrastructure. A billing system is in place which is used to manage client accounts, record meter readings, prepare bills and record payments made. This presents a somewhat disjointed approach to management of the water supply and its attendant infrastructure. The database that stores the account information is very different (softcopy) from that storing the spatial information (hardcopy/paper based). In the proposed solution, a single database is used, centralized or distributed. The mapping component provides an interface through which preliminary design of new and planned infrastructure can be done. After installation, these are reflected in the database and the information becomes available as soon as it is stored. The billing component uses the same database to manage account information. Since the information is managed in one system, there is a streamlined and orderly flow from data collection to the final products from the system. The proposed solution leverages advancement in technology by providing two approaches - a desktop application for users within the Trust's intranet and a web mapping application for users utilizing the wider internet. Key words: Open source, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), water supply, billing, distribution.

This paper presents the development of an open source geographical information system (GIS) software module for mapping solar energy resources for urban areas. The main goal of this work is to demonstrate the potential use of the r.sun module, a component of GRASS software, in calculating real solar radiation for urban areas. Modelling of the spatial distribution of solar radiation is one of the program functions. The r.sun module is dedicated for that purpose; however, it can only generate the spatial distribution of potential solar radiation. To get the real solar radiation maps it is advisable to use meteorological data, that describe diminution of solar radiation caused by cloud cover. In order to facilitate the generation of maps a GRASS source code modification was made. As a result, the r.sun module used in this work generates the real spatial distribution of solar radiation. The results are shown to be comparable with solar radiation satellite data obtained from the HelioClim project.

This paper outlines the research and development of a complete open source geographic information system (GIS) that offers real-time geoprocessing over the Internet. The premise of the geoprocessing is to locate mineral exploration targets that have high potential for success based on parameters chosen by the end-user of the system. Components integrated in the system include a spatial database PostGIS, a GIS processing engine GRASS, a GIS server GeoServer, a web server Apache, and front-end technologies OpenLayers and GeoExt. Appropriate data was sourced from the Geological Survey of Ireland to be used for the geoprocessing. With all the components of the GIS integrated, an individual not specialised in the use of a GIS can interact with and interrogate the data through a web browser. The GIS then provides a vital role as a decision support system for locating mineral exploration targets. Keywords-Open source; GIS; GRASS; GeoServer; Geoprocessing; Mineral exploration

Abstract. On the judicial basis of § 196 Baugesetzbuch (BauGB, 2018) every municipality in the Federal Republic of Germany must publish standard land values in €/m2 for its whole district area in a biennial cycle. The standard land values have to be derived comprehensively for different land use categories within this district. With the help of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) all the necessary data for the derivation of the standard land values can be analyzed. This data consists of cadastral information (ALKIS) (AdV, 2008) for each municipality district like streets, buildings, land parcels, areas of application for special building law as well as geocoded data about purchasing prices within the district’s real estate transactions. The following work contributes to both requirements, the statutory determination of the standard land values answering the legal necessity and the setting up of the generated geo data in the Web according to the transparency demanded by the European INSPIRE (Infrastructure for Spatial Information in Europe) directive. This report describes the implementation of the automated process of the setup of the relevant data layers based on ALKIS data in an Open Source GIS (QGIS) using SQL and Python scripts. The standard land values are visualized and presented in a Web GIS. After the evaluation of different alternatives, QGIS Server and Lizmap, an Open Source QGIS Web Client, were used for the web based presentation and accordingly configured.

This paper will present the development of a ubiquitous geographic information service (UbiGIS) by using service-oriented architecture (SOA). The major concepts of SOA: distributed structure, loosely couple, open standard and process centric approaches are used in this research for developing the prototype of an UbiGIS environment. The GRASS, which is an open source geographic information system (GIS), is used as the kernel for providing GIS functions. A distributed Web service mechanism is constructed for providing ubiquitous computing database management for GIS service. A combination of PHP and network remote control scripts is composed for the control mechanism of the UbiGIS. The results of this research can be further used as the basic infrastructure of constructing and providing functions to ubiquitous geographic information grid system.

Geographical Information System (GIS) plays an important role in e-government applications once that all government information has a geographic dimension – a street address, a transportation road, a river, a city, a state and so on. GIS apart from contributing for data integration from different data sources, enables data visualization using maps, which enhances the system usability and can help the decision-making process. This paper describes a web GIS framework that provides fast and easy deployment of e-government applications. The framework is validated by the realization of a substantial application of a Brazilian state, which contains data about health, education, industry, human development index and other socio-economic data.

Birds are widely described as powerful environmental health indicators. In Nepal, 15% of the naturally occurring bird species are nationally threatened due to human-caused habitat alteration, largely because of urbanization. However, little research and data are available allowing for science-based conservation such as species distribution models and richness/evenness calculations for birds living in urban spaces. In Nepal, the large majority of people follow Hindu or Buddhist traditions, and culturally many people see birds and other animals as spiritually divine and deserving of respect and welcoming. It is therefore common for shop owners to encourage birds to visit shops in the mornings via the spreading of birdseed, and it is customary to leave alone any nests birds have built inside of shops, religious sites, restaurants, homes and the living quarters. With first explorations in 2014 and 2015 we conducted during May and June 2016 and 2017 a rapid assessment street study of avian species roosting and nesting in and around shops and restaurants in urban centers, monasteries and religious sites in Nepal. Georeferenced avian point counts with photos, vegetation/urbanization assessments, and nest detection surveys were conducted within Kathmandu, Pokhara, and smaller mountain villages in Nepal. This was done in order to assess and describe the level of urbanization preferred by different functional groups of birds, and to determine whether birds and nests would be found in a shop and restaurant given the urbanization level of the surroundings and the religious background of the business and property owner. Our Urban ecology study closely focuses on distribution and population numbers of urban-associated species, including swallows, sparrows, pigeons, parrots and kites. We used opportunistic but representative point counts and nest surveys to provide first open access data on the effect of urbanization on generalist bird diversity. The GIS layers are the first of their kind but are globally available for most cities. Data mining and machine learning algorithms are used here to predict and extrapolate the effect of religious affiliation and urban variables on bird nest acceptance, distribution, population spread and nesting habits of avian species. This study creates the first open access and open source geographic information systems (GIS) database of bird species nesting and roosting in urban spaces within Nepal to inform and advise future management and research decisions. We promote it as a study template and rapid assessment method for urban birds worldwide for a better avian and habitat management.

The aim of this article is to present the use of GIS (Geographic Information Systems) as a support tool for cartographical mapping related to the Orienteering Sport, as a contribution for the enhancement of the currently used techniques, which result will be spread between the members of the Quadro de Mapeadores da CBO (Brazilian Federation of Orienteering), which gathers the main cartographers of the sport in Brazil and regulates the main aspects related to the production of maps for Orienteering. Therefore, the Campus of UFMS (Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul) was mapped, according to the ISSOM 2007 (International Specification for Sprint Orienteering Maps), on the scale of 1:4.000 using orthophotographs with ground sample distance of 10 cm and vectorial files (contour lines with equidistance of 1 metre and urban zoning) of Campo Grande city distributed freely by Prefeitura Municipal de Campo Grande as data source for the base map. The data was processed using the software QGIS (QGIS Development Team 2016), a free and open source Geographical Information System (GIS), and the Original Computer File was developed using OCAD software, an specific program for Orienteering maps, being validated by its utilisation on the final stage of the II Campeonato Sul-Mato-Grossense de Orientação (2nd Orienteering Championship of Mato Grosso do Sul). To ratify, in official ways, the obedience to the international specifications, it was sent to the evaluation of the Quadro de Mapeadores da CBO (the official cartographers group of CBO) and, as a result, it was approved and included in the data base of the confederation, under the register number 232.

This chapter describes about the Open Source GIS (OSG) software in disease transmission mapping and modelling. The list of OSG software has also been analyzed for mapping and modelling of disease. Current OSG can aid from assimilating different types of maps and charts to epitomize health phenomenon for efficient insistences. Majority of the OSG use choropleth maps and other thematic maps to display spatial patterns of health phenomenon. This chapter also describes the list of open source public health data and sources of specific applications. Few examples of spatial mapping and visualization techniques of public health data have also been illustrated based on the OSG.

Twenty six years into democracy, the issue of land redistribution as promised by the government of South Africa is still far from being resolved. The government promised to correct the injustices of the past which left many black people stripped of their land and poor. The state passed the Restitution of Land Rights Act 22 of 1994 to bring back the land to the rightful owners, but to date some claimants who lodged their claims before 1998 have not seen the ‘promised land’ yet. The time that has passed since independence clearly indicates that there are challenges that are hindering the process. The Commission on Restitution of Land Rights (CRLR) is facing challenges with regard to the shortage of skilled staff to collect evidence because project officers, who are supposed to assist the claimants, seem confused by the maps. In addition, some of the rural land for expropriation has not been surveyed yet. The aim of the study was to discuss and show the importance of the involvement of Cadastral Surveying and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) in the processing of restitution of land rights claims in improving the turnaround time of claims and to show how that can be done. The case study was conducted at lot 408 Lady Selborne township situated in Pretoria North (25˚41ʹ27ʹʹS and 28˚07ʹ42ʹʹE) City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality (CTMM), Gauteng Province (GP). Qualitative research methodology was used to discuss the role of cadastral surveying and GIS. Articles, journals, books, reports and legislation documents were used to gather the required information. Another methodology used was overlay methodology which superimposes different data (cadastral documents, historical images and shape files) with common coordinates reference systems. Geomatics is regarded as a scarce skill specialising in measuring the earth size, boundary positioning, analysing structure and physical features. In this study a combination of cadastral surveying and Geographical Information System (GIS) technology was used. The focus was to investigate and locate the actual piece of land that was claimed. The role of cadastral surveying and GIS in the restitution and land claims is to paint a clear picture to those who were not there during dispossession, by giving historical background data in terms of size, historical images and maps. Another role is to serve as a mediator to resolve boundary disputes, encroachment disputes, overlapping claims and multiple claims on one piece of land, and by locating of the correct boundary beacons. This process provides an objective truth regarding land details, thereby providing clarity regarding the claimed land. Open-source software Quantum GIS (QGIS), Microsoft excel and Base Map Google satellite were used for the analysis of data. In this study, the land reform process of the Republic of South Africa (RSA) was compared with Australia, New Zealand and the Canada. These countries were chosen because they are rectifying past discriminatory injustices by allowing black citizens to claim back their land. The focus was to compare their structure in terms of specialists involved in collecting data for the purpose of compensation to the claimants. The findings revealed that competent and experienced skilled personnel can extract, analyse and manipulate data in order to collect data on claimed land. A combination of cadastral surveying and GIS can be used for research on un-surveyed land, complex overlapping claims, and to manage change detections on claimed land. Recalculation of old coordinates (points), conversions of coordinates, sides, reconstruction of parcels and other related data can be accomplished. The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) has land specialists but they are not involved in the process. The DALRRD hires external experts to resolve complex claims, while they have experts within the department. The DALRRD has resources, equipment and employees who are being underutilised. Recommendations are that research and investigations based on locating the claimed land must be conducted by professional people with the relevant experience and skills to perform the job. This will prevent disputes with landowners and help in shortening the period taken to complete research, as claimants tend to lose patience and take the Commission to court. The DALRRD also needs to understand that the most important part of a land claim is the piece of land that is being claimed, hence there should be no mistakes regarding finding enough information about each piece of land.

Over the past decade Geographical Information Systems (GIS) have evolved from a highly specialized niche to a technology that affects nearly every aspect of our lives, from finding driving directions to managing natural disasters. While just a few years ago the use of GIS was restricted to a group of researchers, planners and government workers, now almost everybody can create customized maps or overlay GIS data. On the other hand, many complex problems related to urban and regional planning, environmental protection, or business management, require sophisticated tools and special expertise. Therefore the current GIS technology spans a wide range of applications from viewing maps and images to spatial analysis, modeling and simulations.

Community-based development through collaboration amongst software developers and researchers distributed globally has led to a wealth of feature-rich applications of Free and Open Source Software for Geoinformatics (FOSS4G). In the FOSS4G, development model online source code repository, mailing lists, and a Wiki provide the software developers and users with a virtual and ubiquitous platform for the implementation of new methods, algorithms, and tools as well as for refinement and enhancements of the existing code. For end users, this development model provides highly interoperable, sophisticated software at no cost. This approach is both flexible and immune to vendor lock-ins. Further, the reproducibility of results and quality assessment of methods is greatly facilitated since full access to the underlying algorithms is guaranteed. The source code is typically published under free and open source software licenses with end-user rights to run the program for any purpose, to study how the program works, to adapt it, and to redistribute copies including modifications. The FOSS4G offers software libraries for map projection and data format conversion, desktop Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Web mapping/Web–GIS, spatial databases, geostatistics, and metadata catalogues. Most FOSS4G software packages run natively on common operating systems and may be installed and used without restriction in any commercial or non-commercial environment at no cost for the end users. Open Source Geospatial Foundation (OSGeo, http:// www.osgeo.org) serves as an umbrella organization whose mission is to support the collaborative development of FOSS4G and promote their widespread use. OSGeo provides a common forum and shared infrastructure for improving cross-project collaboration. Acceptance of a project to OSGeo depends on a successful incubation process which includes a detailed source code audit to identify any license incompatibilities in the code. This incubation process also confirms that the project is supported by a healthy community, including validation of the rules and processes governing the project's management. Since its inception in 2006, OSGeo has been providing organizational support for building a vibrant international community to advance geospatial technologies and solutions using open source software, open data and open standards. This special issue is brought forth with the aim of presenting the rich capabilities of FOSS4G to foster original research and enable deployment of innovative solutions. The issue covers a broad range of topics, highlighting the diversity of methods, tools, and applications of FOSS4G. The first two papers introduce new tools and applications for vegetation analysis, first as a M. A. Brovelli (*) Environmental, Hydraulic, Infrastructures and Surveying Engineering Department, Politecnico di Milano-Campus Como, Via Natta 12/14, 22100 Como, Italy e-mail: maria.brovelli@polimi.it

Land suitability maps are useful tools for protecting soil resources. The main objective of this study was to elaborate and assess soil suitability maps for different rainfed and irrigated crops. This study was conducted in the North-East area of Tunisia, three speculations were adopted (Cereals, arboriculture and vegetable crops) in both rainfed and irrigated conditions. Arithmetic multiplication methods were used based on Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) classification based on Free and Open Source Geographic Information System (QGIS) tools and soil pedological properties, slope, elevation and climatic data. Overall, regardless of rainfed or irrigated conditions, results showed that the studied soils were particularly suitable (S1) for cereals crops and marginal suitable (S3) for arboriculture crops with 20.44 and 23.71%, respectively. More particular, we registered an improvement in soil land suitability under irrigated conditions for cereals with 28.63%. The findings indicated that using the GIS system, the soil in the study area is more suitable for cereals and then for arboriculture under irrigated conditions, which requires some improvement in use strategies and good management of the soil resources. In our study area, where agricultural productivity and environmental and the impact of climate change are in a struggle, classifying land on the basis of soil capacity and suitability could help define the best agricultural practices to apply in order to preserve soil functions could help define the best agricultural practices to be applied in order to preserve soil functions.

Целью исследования является повышение эффективности экосистемы города и уменьшение временных затрат на формирование сравнительного анализа исследуемых компонентов в атмосферном воздухе. Представлена структура исходных данных, предоставленных лабораторией охраны окружающей среды для визуализации мест загрязнений атмосферы. Приведены проектные решения разработки программного обеспечения в виде ментальных схем и блок-схем. В результате разработано программное обеспечение с использованием географической информационной системы (ГИС) с открытым кодом и системой управления реляционными базами данных MS SQL Server, что делает ПО универсальным с возможностью использования в любой местности. The purpose of the study is to increase the efficiency of the city ecosystem and reduce the time spent on the formation of a comparative analysis of the studied components in the atmospheric air. The authors present the structure of the initial data provided by the environmental protection aboratory for visualization of atmospheric pollution areas. Design solutions for software development in the form of mental diagrams and block diagrams are given. As a result, special software was developed using an open source geographic information system (GIS) and a relational database management system MS SQL Server, which makes the software universally applicable in any area.