Dengue Fever or Malaria Control and Prevention via GIS Technologies

Controlling and preventing infectious diseases like dengue fever or Malaria is one of the main issues for public health authorities in many countries like Bangladesh. GIS technologies can play a key role to support decision makers to expand their vision of action taking in efficient strengthening control and prevention.

Dengue fever and Malaria is widely found across the world, especially between the Tropic of Cancer line with an elevation of 1,000 meters. The main transmissions, Aedes mosquitoes, usually live in a warm and wet environment. Therefore, researchers can compare with different factors, such as elevation, temperature, humidity, population density and periods, and visualize them on maps to better understand the infection.

By establishing an ecological network, researchers can identify the in-habitation of infected mosquitoes and computes the possible moving routes. Also, the analysis tools of GIS Desktop will enable the users to overlay the networks, so that the same and different periods of transmission spread can be viewed clearly on the map for following applications.

With GIS technologies, the officials in Center of Disease Control can overlay diverse map layers, which contain different factors for further analysis, as well as produce proper thematic maps, to predict the most possible spread directions and control potential risks. On the other hand, the cured or controlled areas can be shown on maps too, helping officials understand the situation and effectiveness for timely adjustment.

The research considers both time and space factors, and utilize GIS Desktop to support the analysis in a geospatial way. With GIS technologies, officers can prevent the disease more than just killing mosquitoes in known locations, but also predict the potential spots to take action in advance.

References;
http://www.supergeotek.com/Library_2_201407.aspx (http://www.supergeotek.com/Library_2_201407.aspx)

Changing the Bio-diversity of Bangladesh due to Desertification

The effect of global climate change on desertification is complex and not yet sufficiently understood. On the one hand, higher temperatures resulting from increased carbon dioxide (CO2) levels can have a negative impact through increased loss of water from soil and reduced rainfall in dry lands. On the other hand, for certain species, an increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere can boost plant growth.

Vulnerable Areas

Bangladesh is the largest delta on the earth created by alluvial deposits of the three large rivers--Ganges, the Brahmaputra and the Meghna. Including the largest ones, Bangladesh has seven hundred small rivers and a rainfall that may be one of the highest in the world. But the country is at the risk of desertification. In-depth and detailed studies are lacking in Bangladesh which could delimit precisely the area affected by or susceptible to land degradation (desertification). In terms of geographical extent, this vulnerable area includes the greater districts of Rajshahi, Kushtia, northwestern Jessore, Pabna, western Bogra and southern Dinajpur.

Causes and Effects of Land degradation

The whole-sale change of the country's environment is happening due to both human and natural causes. The country is situated at downstream of major transboundary rivers between India and Bangladesh. The diversion of Ganges water occurs at Farakka point located just 10 miles from the north-west border of the country. This situation is causing severe water shortage and is affecting the flora and fauna in the north-west region of Bangladesh. Because of Farakka barrage the water-flow was recorded at 9000 cusecs in 1994 March (with some insignificant variation in the recent years) in place of the 75000 cusecs in the same dry season before the barrage was built. Such kind of alteration causes severe climatic changes in an ecological area where it has been functioning since long. This abrupt climatic change creates adverse situation for survival of biological resources (both plants and animals) there.

Moreover, not only Farakka barrage over the Ganges, various types of water control structures have been constructed by India on about 50 shared rivers between Bangladesh and India. These water control structures are the major causes for desertification.

The artificial shortage of water flows in common rivers affects Bangladesh seriously by drying up the river beds, shrinking country's flood plains, pushing down ground water level and providing further upward access of the salinity level in the south-eastern region.

Bangladesh is located between 22" and 26" north latitude, a geographical region within which a number of deserts in Asia and Africa are located. Four hydrological regions are present in Bangladesh: a) the north-western region; b) the south-western region; c) the central; and d) the eastern region. An area of about 29000 squares miles is being occupied by the north-western and south-western part of the country. This area takes more than half of the land area of Bangladesh. In this area the highest fluctuation of rainfall levels contributes to the development of drought and aridity.

 A study of SPARRSO reported that the country's south-eastern region experiences four arid months and the north-west region six arid months in a year.

Fifty per cent land area of our country is covered by wetlands. The physical size and ecological diversity of the country's wetlands are shrinking by various important causes, among the major ones are human activities like the flood embankments, water diversion, siltation and ground water extraction. Because of the additive factors, biodiversity in Bangladesh is depleted by deforestation, improper forest conservation, agro-chemical use and industrial establishments, large-scale development and flood projects, land use changes, and biological resource over-exploitation. Some of the above reasons contributed to the destruction of the natives and secondary forest diversity, including indigenous species. Encroachment on forest lands for agriculture and settlement, exploitation of resources like bamboo and canes, reduced freshwater flow in the Ganges river system, increased salinity intrusion in the Sundarban mangrove forest, converting forest for urbanization and industrialization are among the main causes for loss of biological diversity in the country.

Biodiversity losses

The biodiversity depletion is caused by degradation of land, erosion of valuable top soil, creeping salinity, over extraction of ground water, indiscriminate land conservation, declining soil fertility, water logging and destruction of forests.

During last 100 years, all species of rhinoceros, wild buffaloes, wolves and swamp deer have disappeared from Bangladesh. At least one reptile, the marsh crocodile, has disappeared from the wild. Among the listed 129 species of wildlife, the threatened and endangered included the list of 37 mammals, 21 reptiles, two amphibians and 69 birds. The tentative list of threatened plants includes 27 species of vascular plants, including nine endemic (Report: 1991).

The terms 'land degradation', and 'desertification' (and sometimes 'drought') have been used so widely and in such diverse contexts that they have often created problems in interpretation among policy makers. The dynamics of land degradation/desertification are best understood within the context of the natural environment and human intervention into that environment. Land degradation/desertification is not an isolated climate induced phenomenon, rather it is an aberrant and unsustainable human response to the broad parameters of the natural environment. With a dedicated agenda, local action and appropriate technology, it is not impossible to offset the effects of land degradation, and strike an equilibrium between the seemingly incompatible process of land degradation and sustainable land management.

GIS Solution for Health Science

A geographic information system (GIS) is a computer-based tool that organizes and displays data. In the health organization, GIS provides powerful tools for geographic and spatial analysis, and it allows you to visualize data that may have gone unseen in spreadsheets, charts, and other reports.

GIS puts information at your fingertips, allowing you to obtain accurate information quickly. By integrating database operations, such as query and statistical analysis, with geographical and spatial visualization, you are able to predict, plan, and recommend interventions and strategies with confidence.

What is GIS doing for Health Organization Today?

GIS technology is powerful and affordable. Its strengths lie in its ability to create, access, integrate, and publish large amounts of geographically relevant information. Here are just a few of the ways GIS is working in health organizations today:

• Track infectious diseases and identify gaps in child immunizations.

• Conduct market studies and document health care needs of a community.

• Manage materials, supplies, human resources, and logistics.

• Maintain locational inventories of health care facilities, providers, and vendors.

• Route health care workers, equipment, and supplies to service locations.

• Publish health care information using maps on the Internet.

• Manage patient care environments and clinical resources.

• Distribute clinical data in a visual and geographic form.

• Locate the nearest health care facility or health care provider on the Web.

 Courtesy: ESRI

BIOME: Landslides in Chittagong, Bangladesh

BIOME: Landslides in Chittagong, Bangladesh: "Landslides are a natural phenomenon, but it is accelerated by human action. It is now a great concern in south-eastern parts of Bangladesh ..."

Landslides in Chittagong, Bangladesh

Landslides are a natural phenomenon, but it is accelerated by human action. It is now a great concern in south-eastern parts of Bangladesh like Sylhet, Moulvi Bazar, Habigang, Chittagong and CHT. It can be defined as the downward movement of a large mass of earth or rocks from a hill or mountain due to natural variability and human activity. Landslide is not a new theme in the context of Chittagong. During the last three decades, Chittagong suffered about 12 landslides. Death toll during the last three decades is around 200.

I think it is time to think how we can mitigate losses caused by landslides. At first we have to identify vulnerable areas by GIS based hazard mapping, plan to shift the people who are at risk to safe areas, kick off site and service scheme for urban poor etc. Hill cutting should be totally stopped, no agricultural cultivation should be allowed on hills, proper plantation of trees and creation of green belts on hills and quick drainage of rainwater must be ensured. Lastly, the local administration should be more active and people's awareness must be raised to avoid repetition of such incidents in future

Landslides in Chittagong

Landslides are a natural phenomenon, but it is accelerated by human action. It is now a great concern in south-eastern parts of Bangladesh like Sylhet, Moulvi Bazar, Habigang, Chittagong and CHT. It can be defined as the downward movement of a large mass of earth or rocks from a hill or mountain due to natural variability and human activity. Landslide is not a new theme in the context of Chittagong. During the last three decades, Chittagong suffered about 12 landslides. Death toll during the last three decades is around 200.

I think it is time to think how we can mitigate losses caused by landslides. At first we have to identify vulnerable areas by GIS based hazard mapping, plan to shift the people who are at risk to safe areas, kick off site and service scheme for urban poor etc. Hill cutting should be totally stopped, no agricultural cultivation should be allowed on hills, proper plantation of trees and creation of green belts on hills and quick drainage of rainwater must be ensured. Lastly, the local administration should be more active and people's awareness must be raised to avoid repetition of such incidents in future

Climate Changes and effects on Bangladesh

Bangladesh is likely to be among the countries that are the worst affected by climate change. Climate change refers to the changes in climatic elements behavior, due to natural variability and human activity. Changes in the world’s climate are not new. But it was now being a world great concern, due to unplug or misbehave of climatic variability’s. Such as more frequently attacked extreme events in human society in last few decades as, extensive floods, cyclone, tidal surge, tsunami, drought, river bank erosion etc. UNDP has identified Bangladesh to be the most vulnerable country in the world to tropical cyclones and the sixth most vulnerable country to floods. On the average, 80 tropical cyclones are formed every year all over the globe. Bangladesh is a part of humid tropics, with the Himalayas in the north and the funnel shaped coast touching the Bay of Bengal in the south. This peculiar geography of Bangladesh causes not only the life giving monsoons but also catastrophic ravages of cyclones, norwesters, tornadoes and floods. The Bay of Baegal is an ideal breeding ground for tropical cyclone. From historical records it has observed that increases the number of natural hazards and events. The amount of looses and death are decreases due to natural hazard in Bangladesh. Such as in 1991 cyclones, the total death is 1, 40,000. On the other hand in 2007 SIDRs, total death is only 3500. But the intensity of cyclone SIDR is more than 1991 cyclone. In Aila, May 25, 2009 the total death is 179 (Prothom Alo, June 3, 2009). This is only possible for intensive disaster management programmed of Bangladesh.  However, Bangladesh is a deltaic country located in the lower part of the basins of the three greatest rivers in the world—the Ganges, the Brahmaputra and the Meghna. The floodplain of these rivers and their numerous tributaries and distributaries cover about 80 percent of the country. As a result of the flat topography of the floodplain every year one third of the country are annually flooded and occurred a lot of losses. Also, the NW region of Bangladesh is more prone to drought than others. During the last 50 years, Bangladesh suffered about 20 times from drought conditions. Drought is more responsible for famine in northern Bangladesh also desertification process. Drought adversely affects crop production in Bangladesh. For geographical settings Bangladesh has a great vulnerable in Earthquake. However for climatic change, Bangladesh also has a great vulnerability in Sea level rise, Tsunami, Global warming, Green house effects, etc.

Extreme events due to climate change are natural phenomena. We could not stop it. But we have to learn live with it as cope or mitigate it by disaster management. We have to strengthen the cyclone warning system and adopt protective and relief measures to minimize their onslaught. Strong built house have to built and coastal embankment have to build high above the sea level to serve as cyclone shelters. People from the low lying areas in the coastal areas in the coastal region can be evacuated into these shelters in the event of a cyclone, navigate the rivers and ensure the smooth flow of all national and international rivers. National and international organization fund should be collected for preparedness, development and rehabilitation program fro proper disaster management. Lastly, it should be remain that to save our planet we make to use this planet environmental friendly as stop deforestation and more aforestation stop built barrage on rivers locally and internationally. Come to the developed nations and sign this agreement to reduce the use of CFC and CO and maintain Kyoto Protocol, CDM, Yokohama Strategy, and Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) 2005-2015.