From the Field to the Desktop - GIS at your Service   While only 6 years old, GIS in Qatar has moved quickly from infancy to maturity. For the more established government agencies that adopted the technology when it was first introduced to the country in 1990, the extensive process of automating the maps of their respective topologies, be it existing properties, the country's drainage system, or the road network nears completion. For these agencies, various analytical applications are now in regular use to assist them in performing their daily work. Because of its responsibility for maintaining the country's land use records, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture's (MMAA) Planning Department is called upon daily to provide accurate information about parcels and properties. With more than 90 gigabytes of the country's base map and digital ortho image data available across GISnet, the fiber optic network linking the various agencies using GIS technology, questions, queries, and disputes can now be settled at the office rather than in the field. This provides a significant savings in both time and expense. Supervisors with many requests for property line or easement clarification, but limited time for field work can now immediately bring the parcel in question up to the screens of their computers and, using an orthoimage as a backdrop, can easily determine the accuracy of the parcel boundaries and its relationship to adjoining properties and the proximity of utility connections, sewage lines, and local roads and roundabouts. Previously, the supervisor would first have to collect the various map sheets detailing the infrastructure in question from the responsible agencies and then schedule a trip to the field to compare the various maps with the existing property before making any decisions regarding landuse issues. MMAA's Drainage Division too makes regular use of its on-line GIS. Mohamed Al Hajri, Head of the Drainage Division, recently sent the following letter to Zul Jiwani, Head of The Centre for GIS. The letter details the analysis and resolution of a drainage problem with the use of GIS. "Drainage Division recently received a request from HE The Undersecretary of our Ministry to look into the problem faced during the rainy season at the Umm Salama Girls elementary school in Old Rayyan. The school gets flooded during the rainy season. Apparently after a rainfall, the school is not in operation for a week, sometimes even for a longer period. The Undersecretary wanted us to find the cause of the problem and suggest ways to solve it. The school is located in Old Rayyan where we, unfortunately, do not have a proper surface/ground water network yet. Our first task was to send our survey teams to collect data (both conditional and positional) for the existing drainage features inside the school. We found that the internal foul sewers emptied into a septic tank located in the school compound while the surface/ground water sewers drained into a septic tank located outside the school. This septic tank eventually overflows into a foul sewer manhole adjacent to it. Within an hour after the data was collected, my GIS staff prepared a plot of the area, that included digital orthoimagery showing the internal as well as the external drainage. The orthoimagery gave a clear picture of the situation. We also acquired spot heights for the area from your Digital Elevation Model. Since we have conducted a positional survey of our manholes in the area around the school, we could compare the spot heights to our cover levels. From the comparison, the spot heights near the manholes were all within 10 cm of the cover level of the manhole. I was quite impressed with the accuracy of the levels and I thought I would write a little note to tell you that the data was very useful in helping us find the cause of the problem. The cause of the flooding can now be attributed to the fact that the school is in a low-lying area compared to its surroundings. The engineers and designers can now plan a strategy knowing these facts. Once again, GIS has played an important role in our day-to-day business and I would like to thank you for providing us with the data which assisted us in finding the cause of the problem. Your cooperation has been much appreciated." With kind regards, Mohamed Al Hajri, Head of Drainage Division. CONTENTS NEXT