GIS - Geographical Information System

Article 1 of the Decree on Nature Parks states:
"A Nature Park is a rural area of great biological and geographical interest, subject under this Decree to measures designed to protect its environment, in harmony with the aspirations of the populace and the economic and social development of the area in question".

Environmental protection and management are thus a major feature of a Nature Park, while retaining a pleasant living framework and viable economic activities for its inhabitants.

In order to protect the natural heritage and living framework, these must first be thoroughly understood, which means that inventories have to be drawn up. An inventory of sites of major biological interest, plus an inventory of the heritage, economic resources, etc.

An enormous amount of data has to be held and processed. The data can only be stored clearly and definitively and the diversity of information managed by using modern IT resources.

The Geographical Information System (GIS) is the ideal tool for solving this type of problem.

What is a GIS?

A GIS is a computer tool for handling different types of data which are placed geographically on a map support (georeferencing).

It is a set of data identified in space, structured in such a way that useful reports can easily be extracted when making decisions.

A GIS is a database system for entering, storing, extracting, searching and displaying georeferenced data.

Why a GIS?

The specific capacities of a GIS make it a unique tool suited to a very wide range of applications.

Geographical Information Sytems give a cartographic and spatial dimension to the data linked with a project. They make it possible to analyse, understand, and solve problems.

Some areas of use of the GIS: agriculture, development, land registry, ground management, management of natural sites, local authorities, etc.

How does it work?

A GIS stores the data regarding the project in the form of themed sections which can be linked together by their geographical coordinates.

These sections, or layers, can be superimposed.

Alphanumeric data, structured as a database, are linked to these sections.

Two types of geographic model can be used: the raster model and the vector model.

Raster type maps consist exclusively of the single type object and cannot be modified or selected (images) in a traditional GIS. These objects are not intended to carry information, data or attribute of objects, but permit very accurate location on screen. They are usually bitmap, tif, jpg, etc. files.

Vector numeric bases are usually the result of digitization.

They consist of geometric objects of the individual, linear and surface type, to which information can be attached.

Alphanumeric databases contain information which is attached to the vector type cartographic database objects.

The Hauts-Pays Nature Park has one of these decision-making tools.