GIS-Related Projects

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is an indispensable tool for spatial data analysis that will be an important component of the work on both the water and coal-related air quality issues. One aspect of the CEHP will be to development of a state-of-the-art GIS research and training laboratory within the School of Resources & Environmental Sciences at SWUC. Through the CEHP, GIS training will also be provided for Chinese scientists and Chinese students in the United States, and American GIS specialists will travel to China to conduct two or more specialized workshops.

SWUC, like many universities in China, has some GIS capability. However, it is directed at undergraduate teaching at a relatively basic level. Additionally, GIS software and related analytical tools continue to develop rapidly. As this extremely powerful software takes considerable effort and time to learn to use effectively, it is relatively difficult in most settings in China to keep at a state-of-art level with regard to both software and training.

CEHP team members are partnering with the Environmental Science Research Institute (ESRI), the premier developer of GIS software, to develop a five-seat (plus instructor) training and research laboratory at SWUC with ArcInfo software and the appropriate extensions for the environmental analyses.