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Rangitata Diversion Race’s fish screen taking shape
data in a database with attributes containing information about them. The data is then displayed either as a map, table or chart. Data can be combined to model the real world or answer questions. For example, soil moisture, soil type, vegetation cover, topography, and climate can be used to calculate the quantity of irrigation required to achieve optimum growing conditions.
What do you enjoy about it?
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I enjoy discovering patterns, looking at spatial relationships, undertaking data analysis, combining multiple layers of information, and helping people answer questions that will enable them to make informed decisions. Often in the analysis you discover additional information that wasn’t considered and adds a new angle to the discussion. I enjoy integrating science into evidence-based planning.
How is GIS mapping important for irrigation?
GIS will be very beneficial in the planning and implementation phases of irrigation. With the combination of different pieces of information and mapping layers such as soil type, soil moisture, vegetation cover, climate, topography, groundwater quantity and more. GIS can be used to calculate the volume of irrigation required and best installation location to achieve optimum growing conditions. Any of the variables can be updated and changed to give a property or catchment-wide assessment, and the assessment can be repeated when new information becomes available. Taking it to the next level, using smart technology above and below the ground the field information can be feed live into a GIS system to produce the most efficient use of a resources for any given area. Where do you see the future of GIS mapping going – could it be used to help farmers in different ways in the future?
GIS has come a long way, and Google has helped a lot with that. While people may not know what GIS is, they are familiar with Google maps. They may have used Google Maps or Google Earth to map their holidays, find a business, get directions, which is all GIS in action. In the future, GIS will become even more mainstream and user friendly with the use of AI (artificial intelligence), VR (virtual reality) and machine-learning. This is where it will help landowners, by being more user friendly with processes becoming more automated. For example, we can currently use Google to get directions from A to B. For landowners, GIS may automate and simplify the calculation of the best place for an irrigation line given the source and destination points. With driverless vehicles, it may also mean automation of fertiliser and irrigation applications.
In addition to the advances in technology and capabilities of GIS, land-practices are being scrutinised more often with farming often being in the headlines. Government legislation and national policy statements around freshwater quality, and biodiversity, mean GIS will be invaluable for landowners to plan, manage and monitor their activities and mitigate environmental impacts, as well as providing empirical evidence for the good work they already do.
What are you working on at the moment?
I have recently hosted a series of webinars with the NZ Landcare Trust, helping landowners and catchment groups map their properties, waterways, vegetation cover, infrastructure, and critical source areas. The webinars showed landowners how they can use a simple mapping tool to create maps, how they can use it for fencing estimates, fertiliser application, irrigation, water reticulation, crop rotation, revegetation, winter grazing, and feed budgets. The aim of the webinars was also to enable landowners to undertake their own mapping and give them autonomy over their content and data.
The next piece of work for NZ Landcare Trust is creating an interactive web map that enables landowners and members of the public to contact their local Landcare/catchment coordinators and to find local catchment and Landcare groups to work with.
I am also working on various town planning, spatial plans and strategy projects for local councils. These involve combining different pieces of information, mapping layers and analysis to provide the detail required for policy formulation and decision making.
The images below show examples of GIS in action. From left: a farm map; a population density graphic, and a flood assesment visual.
