Role of Information Technology in Environment and Human Health

Role of Information Technology in Environment

and Human Health

Information technology has tremendous potential in the field of environment education and health
as in any other field like business, economics, politics or culture. Development of internet
facilities, www,GIS and information through satellites has generated a wealth of up-to-date
information on various aspects of environment and health. A number of softwares have been
developed for environment and health studies which are used friendly and can help an early learner
in knowing and understanding the subject.
Database: Database is the collection of interrelated data on various subjects. It is usually in

computerized form and can be retrieved whenever required. In the computer the information of
database and can be very quickly retrieved. The comprehensive database includes wildlife database,
conservation database, forest cover database etc. database is also available for diseases like
HIV/AIDS, Malaria, Fluorosis, etc.
Remote Sensing and Geographical Information System (GIS): Satellite imageries provide us actual
information about various physical and biological resources and also to some extent about their state
of degradation in a digital form through remote sensing. We are able to gather digital information on
environment aspects like water logging, desertification, deforestation, urban sprawl, river and canal
network, mineral and energy reserves and so on.
Geographical Information System (GIS) has proved to be a very effective tool in environmental
management. GIS is a technique of superimposing various thematic maps using digital data on a
large no.of inter-related or inter dependent aspects. Several useful soft-wares have been developed
for working in the field of GIS. Different thematic maps containing digital information on a number
of aspects like water resources, industrial growth, human settlements, road network, soil type, forest
land, crop land or grassland etc. are superimposed in a layered form in computer using softwares.
Such information of polluted zones, degraded lands or diseased cropland etc. can be made based on
GIS. Planning for locating suitable areas for industrial growth is now being done using GIS by
preparing Zoning Atlas. GIS serves to check unplanned growth and helps in providing correct,
reliable and verifiable information about forest cover, success of conservation efforts etc. They also
provide information of atmospheric phenomena, like approach of monsoon, ozone layer depletion
many new reserves of oil; minerals etc. with the remote sensing and GIS play a key role in resource
mapping, environmental conservation, management, planning and environmental impact
assessment.
It also helps in identifying several disease infested areas which are prone to some vector-borne
diseases like malaria, schistosomiasis etc. based upon mapping of such areas. There are several
Distribution Information Centres (DICs) in our country that are linked with each other and with the
central information network having access to international database.
World Wide Web: A vast quantum of current data is available on World Wide Web. One of the most
important on-line learning center with power web is Iwww.mhhe.com/environmental science and
multimedia Digital Content Manger (DCM) in the form of CD-ROM provides the most current and
relevant information on principles the most current and relevant information on principles of
environment science, various problems, queries, applications and solutions.
The World Wide Web with resource material on every aspect, class-room activities, digital files of
photos, power-point lecture presentations, animations, web-exercises and quiz has proved to be
extremely useful both for the students and the teachers of environment studies.
The role of online learning center website has the following features:
1. Student friendly features. These include practice quiz, how to study tips, hyperlinks on every
chapter topics with detailed information, web exercises, case studies, environment maps, key-terms,
career information, current articles, interactive encyclopedia and how to contact your elected
officials.
2. Teacher-friendly features include in addition to above supplement resource charts, additional case
studies, answers to web exercises, solutions to critical thinking questions, editing facility to add or
delete questions and create multiple versions of same test etc.
Information technology is expanding rapidly with increasing applications and new avenues are being
opened with effective role in education, management and planning in the field of environment and
health.

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Role of Information Technology in Environment

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Database: Database is the collection of interrelated data on various subjects. It is usually in

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