The objective of this study was to deploy a conceptual framework developed by M. Forbes using a geographic information system (GIS) approach to assess the functionality of wetlands in the Galveston Bay Area of Texas. This study utilized geospatial datasets which included National Wetland Inventory maps (NWI), LiDAR data, National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) imagery and USGS National Land Cover data to assess the capacity of wetlands to store surface water and remove pollutants, including nitrogen, phosphorus, heavy metals, and organic compounds. The use of LiDAR to characterize the hydrogeomorphic characteristics of wetlands is a key contribution of this study to the science of wetland functional assessment. LiDAR data was used to estimate volumes for the 7,370 wetlands and delineate catchments for over 4,000 wetlands, located outside the 100-yr floodplain, within a 2,075 square mile area around Galveston Bay. Results from this study suggest that coastal prairie freshwater wetlands typically have a moderate capacity to store surface water from precipitation events, remove ammonium, and retain phosphorus and heavy metals and tend to have a high capacity for removing nitrate and retainremove organic compounds. The results serve as a valuable survey instrument for increasing the understanding of coastal prairie freshwater wetlands and support a cumulative estimate of the water quality and water storage functions on a regional scale.

The purpose of the project was to develop a Web application using GIS data that would map addresses or coordinate information and then find any hazardous areas that may fall within a given distance to this location. The geographic area of this project covers the extent of cities San Bernardino, Redlands, and Yucaipa, California.

<p>Seasonal road design in mountainous terrain consists of four main phases: route selection, field investigation, surveying, and analysis. The first phase, route selection, consists of two parts: selecting control points at strategic locations, and then determining potential routes between those points. Two geographic information system (GIS) geoprocessing automations were developed to aid a road planner in determining routes between control points. Both automations utilized Environmental Systems Research Institute&rsquo;s (ESRI) ArcGIS software package. The first method developed was the least cost path method, which makes use of ArcGIS&rsquo;s cost path tool to find a route between points following a gradual slope. The second automation was the side hill method, which utilized a variety of ArcGIS tools to maintain a uniform grade along the side of a hill between two points. The two methods were compared and contrasted based on control point locations. The least cost path method was determined to be preferable for main thoroughfares along flat valleys and ridge lines, while the side hill method was preferable for secondary roads that could be used to access steeper ground. It was concluded that the two methods can save time and increase accuracy of GIS road features for land managers planning new seasonal roads. </p>

<p> This single-case study was to explore how Geographical Information Systems (GIS) could contribute to reducing dropout and non-attainment rates in Nepal&rsquo;s secondary school system. GIS specialists analyzed information collected from parents on why their school-age children either dropped out or otherwise did not attain a secondary school education. The sample size in this study was eight, which included five sets of parent(s) whose children ages 13 to 16; either dropped out or otherwise did not attend a secondary school system, and three GIS specialists. Economics, teachers, and government were three themes that emerged from the parents&rsquo; interview. Interviews with GIS specialists reveled that GIS could assist in addressing dropout and non-attainment issues. In the context of Nepal, GIS is a still a new technology. The Government of Nepal lacks adequate infrastructure in areas of human resources, training and technical resources, and the central data repository system required for the proper use of GIS. GIS specialists recommended augmenting Nepal's information technology infrastructure by implementing a sustainable Enterprise GIS, and an Educational Management Information System. This research work recommends that identification of strategic solutions for student retention issues will require a concerted effort by not only governmental leadership, but also policy-makers, and non-government community leaders. The Government of Nepal may need to play vital role in overcoming existing economic and political barriers to improve IT infrastructure. GIS technology is certain to emerge as an important tool for making a difference in the planning process for minimizing dropout rates and enhancing enrollment ratios across the country. The recognition of both a need for change and the changes required are two important themes that emerged from the research study.</p>

Climate change studies and examinations of increasing sea levels and temperatures show storm intensity and frequency are increasing. As these storms are increasing in intensity and frequency, the effects of these storms must be monitored to determine the probable damages or impacts to critical infrastructure [2, 35]. These storms suddenly create new demands and requirements upon already stressed critical infrastructure sectors [1]. A combined and interdisciplinary effort must be made to identify these stresses and to mitigate any failures. This effort is needed so that the 21st Century Smart Grid is robust and resilient enough to ensure that the grid is secured against all hazards. This project focuses on anticipating loss of above ground electrical power due to extreme wind speeds. This thesis selected a study region of Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, and Tennessee to investigate the skill of fragility curve generation for this region, during Hurricane Irene, in the Fall of 2011. Three published fragility techniques are compared within the Midwest study region to determine the best skilled technique for the low wind speeds experienced in this region in August 2011. The three techniques studied are: 1) Powerline Technique [6], a correlation between “as published” state based construction standards and surface wind speeds sustained for greater than one minute; 2) the ANL Headout Technique [37], a correlation of Hurricane Irene three second wind gusts with DOE situation reports of outages; and 3) the Walker Technique [1], a correlation of utility reported outages in the Eastern Seaboard counties with three second surface gusts. The deliverable outcomes for this project include: 1) metrics for determining the method best for the study region, from the archival data during Hurricane Irene timeframe; 2) a fragility curve methodology description for each technique; and 3) a mathematical representation for each technique suitable for inclusion in automated forecast algorithms. Overall, this project combines situational awareness modeling to provide distinct fragility techniques that can be used by the public and private sectors to improve emergency management, restoration processes, and critical infrastructure all-hands-preparedness. This work was supported by Western Kentucky University (WKU) and the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

With the rising cost of health care, the debate about where each dollar is spent is putting increasing pressure on decision makers. Consequently, one of the biggest challenges of providing health care to rural populations, specifically, is determining which communities should receive funding to address access to services. Defining rurality in the context of health care is a challenge that governments and health care providers have struggled with for years. Each stakeholder in Canada’s health care system has developed different criteria for defining rurality to inform policy. Currently there is a gap in academic research exploring the benefits of applying Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in rural health care policy and program decision support. GIS can provide insight into rural health care accessibility by modeling and measuring the way patients seek medical treatment. This thesis seeks to explore usability mapping issues and identify how policy makers perceive rurality when presented with information displayed on a map. Usability in this study influenced the perceived usefulness of the mapping tool. Overall study participants felt that mapping tools should be used as a form of decision support in rural health policy issues. Mapping was seen as tool to obtain quicker consensus among decision makers, to provide more context to rural issues in the study scenario, and used as a platform which could potentially assist in the identification of new criteria used to define rural health policy. In terms of usability, system usability design principles play a key role in the success and adoption of mapping tools among rural health policy makers. The study found that Google Earth’s software design violated Nielsen’s usability design principles in the following categories: Help and Documentation, User Control and Freedom, and Navigation. Despite these usability issues, participants found the mapping tool to have three main advantages over the paper-based decision support, the tool allowed them to: 1) gain a more complete picture of the surrounding communities; 2) understand the proximity of health services; and 3) gain greater awareness of the geography of the area. / Graduate

published_or_final_version / Urban Planning and Environmental Management / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Geography and Geology / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Ecology and Biodiversity / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Environmental Management / Master / Master of Science in Environmental Management