Course Title: Remote Sensing and GIS

Course Description
Geospatial technology is a technology used for handling geographic data and has wider application for studying
Earth and geo-environmental resources. This course deals on two major parts; i) basics principles of remote
sensing and ii) basic principles of geographic information system/sciences. The course is supported by a series
of lectures focusing on theoretical concepts of basics of RS and GIS; laboratory/practical session which is targeted
in enhancing the trainee’s practical skills on different geospatial software’s, spatial data analysis, image processing;
and image classification. Finally, the application concept of geospatial technology (RS and GIS) in environmental
resources, natural resource management, agricultural resources, forestry, water resources and land resources
monitoring and mapping will be fully covered.

Course objectives
Up on completion of the course, the students will be able to:
 Define and explain how remote sensing and GIS systems work
 Identify the most important RS data sources for geo-environmental resources
 Identify and characterize natural and artificial features on remote sensing data using their spectral response
pattern
 Generate valuable information by processing and analyzing RS data sources
 Interpret/produce map using analog or/and digital image
 Preform simple digital image classification (land use/cover analysis) using selected software and
 Explain the difference between raster and vector format
 Evaluate when raster or vector format is to prefer
 Define and explain how geographical data are gathered and stored
 Designing simple GIS databases for resource management
 Perform simple overlay analysis in both raster and vector environment
 Evaluate quality and usability of different data sources for different GIS applications and analyses
 Critically evaluate the use of GIS and RS for different types of application
 Visualize spatial information required for planning and monitoring of geo-environmental resources and use
them for planning, development, research, policy and decision making

PART ONE
Course Content Lecture Hrs.
1. PRINCIPLE OF REMOTE SENSING 1
1.1. Definition of Remote Sensing
1.2. Theories of EME
1.3. EME and EMR Spectrum
1.4. The Black and Real Body Concept of Radiation
2. INTERACTION OF ELECTROMAGNETIC ENERGY (EME) 2
2.1. Atmosphere (scattering, absorption, refraction)
2.2. Earth Surface (reflection, transmission, spectral signature)
2.3. Atmospheric Windows
2.4 Types of Spectral Reflections
3. PLATFORMS, ORBIT AND REMOTE SENSORS 3
3.1. Platforms: ground based, air borne, space born
3.2. Orbits: Geostationary satellites and polar-orbiting/ sun-synchronous
3.3. Sensors: Active and Passive

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3.4. Concept of Resolution (Temporal, Spectral, Spatial and Radiometric
3.5. Types of Satellites and their Application Area
4. DATUM AND COORDINATE SYSTEMS IN GIS 3
4.1. Basic Concept of Coordinate Systems
4.2. Concept of Datum (local and global datum)
4.3. Importance of coordinate systems
4.4. Types of Coordinate Systems (Geographic and Projected)
4.5. Types and Characteristics of Projection
4.6. Distortions Caused by Map Projections
5. DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSING AND CLASSIFICATION 4
5.1. Pre-Processing Methods
5.2. Image Interpretation and Visualization
5. 2.1. Data Acquisition and Interpretation
5. 2.2. Color Perception
5. 2.3. Color Theory (true and false colors)
5. 2.4. Fundamentals of Image Interpretation
5. 2.5. Basic Visual Image Interpretation Elements
5.3. Digital Image Classification
5.3.1. Supervised Classification
5.3.2. Unsupervised Classification
5.3.3. Classification Accuracy Assessment
5.3.4. Error matrix
6. APPLICATION OF REMOTE SENSING AND GIS 3
6.1. Forest Resource Management
6.2. Agriculture and Soil Management
6.3. Water Resource Management
6.4. Environmental Resources Monitoring and Management
6.5. Biodiversity and Range Land Management
6.6. Natural Resources Management
6.7. Land Use Land Cover Change Analysis
6.8. Climate Change and Disaster Risk Analysis
PART TWO
1. INTRODUCTION TO GIS 2
1.1.Definition and History of GIS
1.2. Element of GIS
1.3.Types of geographic features
1.4.Questions a GIS can Answer
1.5.Integration of GIS and RS
1.6.Why is GIS so Important?
1.7. Application of GIS
2. NATURE AND SOURCES OF GIS DATA 3
2.1. Nature of GIS Data
2.1.1. GIS data models (Raster and vector data models)
2.1.2. Data types (Geographic and Non-spatial (attribute data)
2.1.3. Data structures (Vector and Raster data structures)
2.1.4. Topology and topological data models
2.2. Sources of GIS Data
2.2.1. Satellite image and aerial photographs)

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 2.2.2. Field survey
2.2.3. Existing documents
2.2.4. Soft idea
2.2.5. Survey data and records
2.2.6. Digitized and scanned data
3. DATA ENTRY, DATABASE, AND MEASUREMENT SCALE IN GIS 4
3.1. GIS Data Entry
3.1.1. Digitizing (Manual, semi-automatic and automatic)
3.1.2. Scanning
3.1.3. Electronic data transfer / importing existing data
3.1.4. Data transfer from instruments
3.1.5. Existing data transfer
3.1.6. Attribute data entering
3.2. GIS Database
3.2.1. Geodatabase
3.2.2. Personal Geodatabases (single user geodatabase)
3.2.3. File Geodatabase
3.2.4. Multi-user Geodatabases
4. SPATIAL DATA ANALYSIS 4
4.1. Definition of Spatial Analysis
4.2. Data Retrieval/Extraction / Query
4.3. Classification
4.4. Vector Overlay
4.5. Raster overlay
4.6. Network Analysis
4.7. Distance/Length Measurement
4.8. Proximity Analysis (Buffering)
4.9. Hydrology and Terrain analysis
5. PRESENTATION OF GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION 3
5.1. Concept of Map
5.2. Map Types
5.3. Map Elements
5.4. Map Layouts, Printing / Exporting Maps

Assessment methods with their respective weight (%)

Assessment methods Allotted marks in %
1. Lab/Practical, Assignments 20
2. Continuous Assessment (quizzes, tests, attendances) 30
3. Final Exam 50
Total 100

Reference Books
1. Alan S. Belward and Grlos R. (1991). Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System for Resource
Management in Developing Countries KLUMER ACADEMIC PUBLISHERS, Boston.
2. Bernhandsen. 2002. Geographic Information Systems 3rd edition. John Wiley Sons. New York

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3. Campbell, J.B. (2002). Introduction to remote sensing, 3rd ed., The Guilford Press. ISBN 1-57230-640-8.
4. B.C. Panda. 2005. Remote Sensing Principles & Approaches. Indian Agriculture Research Institute. Sunta
printers.
5. Jensen, J.R. (2007). Remote sensing of the environment: an Earth resource perspective, 2nd ed., Prentice
Hall.
6. Jensen, J.R. (2005). Digital Image Processing: a Remote Sensing Perspective, 3rd ed., Prentice Hall.
7. John A. Howard. (1991) Remote Sensing of forest Resources, theory and application, Champman and Hall,
London
8. Lanheywood, Sarah, Comelius and Steve Carver. (1998). Introduction to Geographic Information System.
Pearson Education. England
9. Lillesand, T.M.; R.W. Kiefer, 1994.Remote Sensing and Image Interpretation. Third Edition. University of
Wisconsin-Madison. John Wiley & Company. New York
10. Paul M. Mather. 1999. Computer process of Remote Sensed images,. John Wiley. Sons. Chichester. New
York.
11. Peter A. Burrough and Rachael A. (1998). Principles of Geographic Information System.
Oxford University press.
12. W.G. Reed. 2001. Physical Principles of Remote Sensing. Second edition. Scott polar
Research institute. University of Cambridge. Cambridge University Press.
13. S K Duggal, 2004, Surveying Volume I Second Edition, Tata McGraw-Hill Publishing Company
Limited. New Delhi.
14. Heywood, I., Cornelius, S., and Carver, S. (2006). Introduction to Geographical
Information Systems. Prentice Hall
15. Maguire, D., Batty, M., Michael, and Goodchild, F. (eds). (2005). GIS, Spatial Analysis
and Modeling. ESRI Press
16. Burrough, P. A and A. McDonnell, R. A. (1998). Principles of Geographic Information
Systems, 2nd Ed. OUP Oxford
17. Longley, P., Goodchild, M.F, Maguire, D. and Rhind, D. (2005). Geographic
Information Systems and Science, 2nd Edition. WileyBlackwell