NESPAK - GIS Capability and Experience

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Jack angermond, Environmental System Research Institute, Redlands, California

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The application of GIS is limited only by the imagination of those who use it.

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YEARS OF EXCELLENCE

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he Geographical Information System (GIS) Sector continues to grow exponentially in the engineering and environmental sectors and is now an accepted part of most of the projects undertaken by NESPAK. GIS is being used in a wide range of applications including urban and regional planning, environmental risk analysis, forest management, hazard analysis, emergency response, transportation planning, wildlife management and agriculture.

NESPAK, being the pioneer in GIS for the last 22 years, is ideally positioned to capitalise on its vast experience and its portfolio of GIS projects has increased manifold. NESPAK has so far acquired 65 GIS projects at home and abroad. Out of these, 53 projects have been completed while 12 are in operation stage.

NESPAK scope of services and experience in the GIS Sector are given below:

SCOPE OF SERVICES Satellite Imagery Procurement and Processing: Identification of the type of satellite imagery, acquisition, geo-referencing, enhancement, interpretation and digital classification.

GIS/CAD Data Conversion: Digitisation of maps and contours using vector GIS and Computer Aided Design (CAD) systems, scanning, rastervector-raster conversion, map joining and attribute attachment.

GIS Field Data Collection and Verification: Data collection through field surveys, topographic survey, etc., being applied to all types of features such as roads, rivers, dams .

Photogrammetry: Aerial triangulation, stereo compilation, feature collection (topographic/planimetric maps), digital terrain model, ortho rectification and mosaicing.

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1973-2013

GIS Database and Model Development: Development of GIS databases consisting of thematic map layers, e.g., land use, soils, elevation, geology, slope, roads, watersheds, floodplain map layers and their integration with hydrologic, groundwater, evapotranspiration, watershed and river flow models.

Geographic Data Analyses: Network analysis, spatial analysis, and geostatistical analysis.

intense resource evaluation based on satellite imageries, potential sites for recharge dams and deep groundwater development were identified. A Disaster Mitigation Plan was prepared with GIS overlays and modelling.

GIS in Dam Engineering: GIS is being used extensively in a number of ongoing hydropower projects. Topographical mapping at a large scale, catchment area studies geological mapping and resettlement studies have been carried out for the Kalabagh Dam, Diamer Basha Dam, Mangla Dam Raising and Mirani Dam projects.

GIS Application Development: Web GIS application, customised GIS application development.

GIS in Utilities Mapping: As many as 14 projects have been carried out in the utility network sector. Details are given below:

Map Production: Map production at various scales and sizes.

EXPERIENCE NESPAK offers a broad spectrum of GIS services in satellite image processing, map digitisation, GIS survey, GIS database development and its integration with engineering models and GIS application development.

Todate, NESPAK has developed GIS database and models for utilities mapping, flood forecasting, watershed management, irrigation, dam engineering and design, urban development .

GIS in Water Sector: NESPAK offers extensive GIS services in the water sector. The Company has so far completed 28 projects in this sector and the important ones include the Indus Basin Model Revised (IBMR), Sindh Water Sector Improvement Phase-I Project (WSIP-I), NeelumJhelum Hydropower Project, Greater Thal Canal Project and Alborz Integrated Water Resources and Environmental Management Services.

Detail of experience is given below: (i) Flood Forecasting: In the field of flood forecasting, NESPAK has carried out the Indus Basin Flood Forecasting Project. The project integrates meteorological satellite and radar data with flood forecasting models and GIS flood plain maps to predict expected areas of inundation for any part of 3,500 km long Indus Basin. (ii) Drought Mitigation and Planning: GIS has been utilised to evaluate the impacts of prolonged drought in Pakistan in Rod Malazai, Pishin District, Balochistan and Soan Valley, District Khushab, Punjab. After an

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(i) Power Distribution System Mapping: NESPAK developed a GIS for 11 kV network of one of the grid stations for the Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) for managing information of the power distribution network from the grid station to the transformers. The conventional database for consumer data management has been linked to the base map to record consumer location. This can be helpful for further analyses to aid power engineers in load balancing and location-based loss statistics. (ii) Gas Distribution System Mapping: A GIS has been developed for the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited. Complete distribution system of Sui Gas network from SMS (Short Message Service) to consumer has been digitised with the help of existing maps, latest satellite imageries .

Eventually, the network will be linked to simulation models. (iii) Sanitary Drainage Mapping: NESPAK has provided complete GIS services for Sanitary Drainage Master Plan for Jeddah City. The entire existing sanitary network was digitised from the existing drawings and overlaid on high resolution satellite imagery. Relevant attribute data was attached with each pipe segment for a total of 1,800 segments. Data for 24,000 manholes was prepared. NESPAK also provided GIS services for the Sewerage and Drainage Scheme for Southern Lahore Project. (iv) Water Supply System Mapping: Another NESPAK project in the utilities sector is the Quetta Water Supply and Environmental Improvement Project. Water supply network has been digitised and all the parametres have been incorporated for various nodes and lines in the network. The network is now linked to MIKE Urban Software of the Danish Hydraulic Institute and simulates the flow distribution in the network.

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YEARS OF EXCELLENCE

(v) Corridor Mapping: NESPAK also renders services in corridor mapping which includes corridor selection and route selection for a collision-free corridor. Corridor selection includes identification and mapping of constraints, i.e., environmentally protected areas, steep slope areas, water bodies, built-up areas, prohibited areas and heritage sites within a specific corridor.

NESPAK has carried out Iran-Pakistan Gas pipeline 800 km route selection and 1,300 km long power transmission line from Karachi to the upcountry using the same technique.

Development of GIS Geospatial for Five Cities in Punjab, Satellite Imageries of 42 Military Cantonments of Pakistan, Sindh Six Cities Improvement Investment Programme, Rawalpindi Improvement Project, Integrated Master Plan for Lahore and Integrated Master Plan for Multan.

GIS in Highways Sector: NESPAK also offers GIS services for the projects relating to roads and highways. NESPAK provided services for Corridor and Alignment Study of Batinah Expressway, Detailed Field Inventory Planning and Preparation of Krookies Along Batinah Coastal Highway, Treatement of Landslides on Kohala-Mzaffarabad Road, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Sialkot-Lahore Motorway Project.

GIS in Urban Planning: As many as 15 projects have been carried out in the Urban planning sector by NESPAK. The important ones are the

Iran-Pakistan Gas Pipeline Project Under the Iran-Pakistan Gas Pipeline Project, GIS database has been developed for land use, environmental, hydrological and route constraints marked on 5 km wide route corridor with detailed topographical survey of 200 m finalised route corridor. A web GIS application on ESRI ArcGIS Server has also been developed to disseminate spatial information to the project stakeholders through a virtual private network.

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Sindh Water Sector Improvement Project Phase-I Under the Sindh Water Sector Improvement Project Phase-I (WSIP-I), an Integrated Information System (IIS) based on the Management Information System (MIS) and Geographical Information System (GIS) has been developed. The IIS consists of both spatial and non-spatial datasets of key performance indicators (KPIs) of project components linked with the geo-database to locate critical performance areas and disseminate information to stakeholders through a web mapping application.

Alborz Integrated Water Resources and Environmental Management Services, Iran NESPAK developed GIS database for this World Bankfunded project in Iran besides core services. A web mapping application was developed on ESRI ArcGIS Server platform to facilitate the stakeholders to access geo-spatial Basin Wide Water Knowledge Database through Internet.

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YEARS OF EXCELLENCE

Sindh Six Cities Improvement Investment Program NESPAK services for the Sindh Cities Improvement Investment Program (SCIP) included base maps and GIS databases of water supply network, sewerage network and solid waste management in six cities namely Mirpurkhas, Tando Allahyar, Umerkot, Tando Adam, Shahdadpur and Sanghar by survey and mapping of the existing water supply and sewerage networks.

Neelum-Jhelum Hydroelectric Project Main GIS activities involved on the Neelum-Jhelum Hydroelectric Project are the procurement of high resolution satellite imagery, collection of ground control points using DGPS, ortho rectification, watershed modelling, geological mapping, 3D simulating, generation of digital elevation model, preparation of geological cross sections and faultline delineation using Landsat 5 and SPOT 5 satellite imageries.

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