scholarly journals Spatiotemporal Assessment of COVID-19 Spread over Oman Using GIS Techniques

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 797-811
Author(s):  
Khalifa M. Al-Kindi ◽  
Amira Alkharusi ◽  
Duhai Alshukaili ◽  
Noura Al Nasiri ◽  
Talal Al-Awadhi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spatiotemporal Analysis ◽  
Directional Pattern ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Sultanate Of Oman ◽  
Autocorrelation Coefficient ◽  
Weighted Mean ◽  
Geospatial Techniques ◽  
Current Transmission ◽  
Increasing Trend

AbstractCoronavirus disease (COVID-19), caused by acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is a worldwide challenge effecting millions of people in more than 210 countries, including the Sultanate of Oman (Oman). Spatiotemporal analysis was adopted to explore the spatial patterns of the spread of COVID-19 during the period from 29th April to 30th June 2020. Our assessment was made using five geospatial techniques within a Geographical Information System (GIS) context, including a weighted mean centre (WMC), standard deviational ellipses, Moran’s I autocorrelation coefficient, Getis-Ord General-G high/low clustering, and Getis-Ord $$G_{i}^{*}$$ G i ∗ statistic. The Moran’s I-/G- statistics proved that COVID-19 cases in datasets (numbers of cases) were clustered throughout the study period. The Moran’s I and Z scores were above the 2.25 threshold (a confidence level above 95%), ranging from 2274 cases on 29th April to 40,070 cases on 30th June 2020. The results of $$G_{i}^{*}$$ G i ∗ showed varying rates of infections, with a large spatial variability between the different wilayats (district). The epidemic situation in some wilayats, such as Mutrah, As-Seeb, and Bowsher in the Muscat Governorate, was more severe, with Z score higher than 5, and the current transmission still presents an increasing trend. This study indicated that the directional pattern of COVID-19 cases has moved from northeast to northwest and southwest, with the total impacted region increasing over time. Also, the results indicate that the rate of COVID-19 infections is higher in the most populated areas. The findings of this paper provide a solid basis for future study by investigating the most resolute hotspots in more detail and may help decision-makers identify targeted zones for alleviation plans.

INTEGRATING SCAT DATA AND GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION SYSTEMS TO SUPPORT SHORELINE CLEANUP OPERATIONS

1997 ◽  
Vol 1997 (1) ◽  
pp. 499-506 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alain Lamarche ◽  
Edward H. Owens
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Information System ◽  
Data Analysis ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Software Package ◽  
Geographical Information Systems ◽  
Data Entry ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Gis Technology

ABSTRACT An analysis of the work performed by the various teams involved in shoreline cleanup operations has been applied to the design of an approach for the integration of data collected by the SCAT process with electronic maps produced by geographical information system (GIS) technology. This has led to the implementation of a PC-based system that incorporates a database of SCAT information, a knowledge base on oil behavior and shoreline cleanup, and a GIS. The system provides support to data collection using the SCAT approach for field teams and to map-based data analysis for planners and managers. In the course of this work, a set of the maps that are considered the most useful for summarizing information about shoreline conditions was designed and evaluated. This evaluation initially involved consultation with individuals experienced in shoreline cleanup. The applicability of the map representation for decision making was further tested during spill drills. SCAT surveys generate a large volume of data that need to be captured and integrated. There is a risk that this large amount of information might overwhelm decision makers involved in the management of shoreline cleanup operations. The paper describes the various modifications that were made to the SHORECLEAN software package to provide some solutions to these problems. These include providing specialized SCAT data entry forms, automating the links between a SCAT database and a GIS, and producing map representations that provide clear, useful, and nonmisleading information for decision makers.

scholarly journals Geo-spatial Techniques for Rapid Post Disaster Needs Assessment (rPDNA)

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 11198-11206
Keyword(s):  
Needs Assessment ◽  
Texture Analysis ◽  
Damage Assessment ◽  
Data Gathering ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Assessment Model ◽  
Geospatial Techniques ◽  
Post Disaster ◽  
Speed And Accuracy ◽  
Critical Challenge

Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) by conventional techniques is one of the critical challenge to respond and recover in specific timeline. This study aims on providing a rapid damage assessment model (rPDNA) by integrating geospatial techniques to compliment Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) developed by UNDP, WB and other UN agencies. This model focuses on generating the disaster damage reports within 48 – 72 hours after the disaster, to guide the decision makers on when, how and where to start the PDNA. To improve the speed and accuracy in assessment through rPDNA, various indicators like NDVI, NDWI and texture analysis has been used. Crowdsourcing approach was also adopted to make disaster affected people/victims as volunteers for quick data gathering.

scholarly journals An investigation of reference evapotranspiration trends for crop water requirement estimation in Rajasthan

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 449-456
Author(s):  
RANI SAXENA ◽  
ATULTIWARI ◽  
PRASOON MATHUR ◽  
N.V.K. CHAKRAVARTY
Keyword(s):  
Reference Evapotranspiration ◽  
Cropping System ◽  
Least Square ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Study Region ◽  
Increasing Trend ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Near Future ◽  
Monteith Equation ◽  
Semi Arid

Trends in reference evapotranspiration (ETo) estimated using Penman-Monteith equation were analysed over arid, semi-arid and humid regions of northwest (NW) India during 1985–2018. The MannKendall is used to determine significance of trends. Theil-Sen’s estimator and least square linear fitting methods are adopted to find slopes of the trend lines. The results indicated a significant decrease in ETo on annual basis for most of the locations and NW India as a whole. However, the trend was not statisticallysignificant for seasonal ETo. The significant decrease in solar radiation and wind speed nullified the impact of increased temperature and resulted in slight decrease in ETo over arid and semi-arid regions of NW India which could probably be attributed to the increased dust hazy conditions prevailing. In NW India, water is a limiting resource the decrease in ETo may help researchers in decision makers to develop water assets and utilize the irrigation systems more effectively. There was also an increasing trend in production of major crops in the study region. Further, in near future, if this decreasing ETo trend were to remain, it would help in intensification of cropping system with the existing water resource. 

scholarly journals A Gridded Database for the Spatiotemporal Analysis of Rainfall in Southern Italy (Calabria Region)

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 6
Author(s):  
Tommaso Caloiero ◽  
Roberto Coscarelli ◽  
Gaetano Pellicone
Keyword(s):  
Southern Italy ◽  
Interpolation Method ◽  
Grid Point ◽  
Spatiotemporal Analysis ◽  
Annual Rainfall ◽  
Inverse Distance Weighted ◽  
Calabria Region ◽  
Increasing Trend ◽  
Distance Weighted ◽  
Inverse Distance

In this work, a gridded database was obtained from a rainfall dataset of 129 monthly series collected for the period 1951–2016 in the Calabria region (southern Italy). The Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW) interpolation method was applied to build 603 rainfall grid series with a spatial resolution of 5 km × 5 km. In order to detect possible trends, for each grid point, the seasonal and annual rainfall series were analyzed with the Mann–Kendall non-parametric test and the Theil–Sen estimator. Results showed a decreasing trend for the annual and winter–autumn rainfall and an increasing trend for the summer one.

scholarly journals Evaluation and planning of Chagas control activities using geospatial tools

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Diego Weinberg ◽  
Mario Lanfri ◽  
Carlos M. Scavuzzo ◽  
Marcelo Abril ◽  
Sofía Lanfri
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Linear Models ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Spatiotemporal Analysis ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Triatoma Infestans ◽  
Spatiotemporal Pattern ◽  
History Of

Chagas continues to be a relevant public health problem in Latin America. In this work, we present a spatiotemporal analysis applied for the evaluation and planning of Chagas vector control strategies. We analysed the spatial distribution of the vector Triatoma infestans infestation related to ongoing control interventions cycles in rural communities near Añatuya, Santiago del Estero, Argentina. A geographical information system was developed for the spatial analysis obtaining, for each house, variables that describe the history of spraying and infestation at each time of interventions. Bi-dimensional histograms were used to describe the spatiotemporal pattern of these activities and peri-domestic infestation at the last intervention was modelled by a neural network model. We qualitatively evaluate control programmes considering the history of infestation and spraying from a spatiotemporal point of view, incorporating new ways of visualising this information. Predictions are based on novel, non-linear models and spatiotemporal indices, which should be useful for strategically allocating Chagas control resources in the future and thus help to better plan spraying strategies.

Identification of Groundwater Potential Zones using AHP and Geospatial Techniques in Western Part of Cuddapah Basin, Andhra Pradesh, India

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 60-71
Author(s):  
Ramachandra M. ◽  
Raghu Babu K. ◽  
Rajasekhar M. ◽  
Pradeep Kumar B.
Keyword(s):  
Andhra Pradesh ◽  
Drainage Density ◽  
Groundwater Potential ◽  
Water Levels ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Cuddapah Basin ◽  
Groundwater Potential Zones ◽  
Lineament Density ◽  
Geospatial Techniques ◽  
Hierarchy Process

Present study is carried out for delineation of Groundwater Potential Zones (GWPZ) in Western part of Cuddapah basin, Southern India using Remote Sensing (RS), Geographical Information System (GIS) and Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). Various categorized thematic maps: geology, geomorphology (GM), slope, soils, lineament density (LD), drainage density (DD) and gorundwater levels fluctuations (GWLF) were used for mapping and delineation of GWPZs. Suitable and normalized weights were assigned based on AHP to identify GWPZ. The GWPZ map was categorized into five GWPZs types: very poor, poor, moderate, good and very good. About 1.48% (6.05 km2) area is classified in ‘very good’, 25.95% (106.07 km2) in ‘good’, 47.11% (192.53 km2) in ‘moderate’, 22.12% (90.38 km2) in ‘poor’ and 3.34% (13.66 km2) in ‘very poor’ category. The acquired outcomes were validated with water levels fluctuations in pre- and post-monsoon seasons. GIS-based multi-criteria decision making approach is useful for preparation of precise and reliable data. The AHP approach, with the aptitudes of the geospatial data, various data bases can be combined to create conceptual model for identification and estimation of GWPZs.

Assessment of Aeolian Desertification Near Vedavathi River Cannel in Central Part of Andhra Pradesh: Remote Sensing Approach

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-49
Author(s):  
Pradeep Kumar Badapalli ◽  
Raghu Babu K. ◽  
Rajasekhar M. ◽  
Ramachandra M.
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Temporal Data ◽  
Aeolian Sand ◽  
Aeolian Desertification ◽  
Geospatial Techniques ◽  
Economic Problems ◽  
The Past ◽  
Semi Arid Region

Desertification is one of the foremost environmental and social-economic problems facing the world. Thus, the observation and early detection of desertification is primary objective for scientific and policy organizations, with geospatial techniques as similar as Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographical Information System (GIS) being a candidate choice for the enlargement of monitoring systems. The present study purposes to assess the desertification caused by Aeolian sand deposits near Vedavathi River in a semi-arid region of Anantapur district, aided by temporal data of satellite imageries of past 28 years (1990 to 2018), were collected and processed. The extent of desertified land for the years 1990, 2000, 2010 and, 2018 is assessed, respectively about 28.22 Km2, 33.86 Km2, 46.30 Km2 and, 58.62 Km2. For the past 28 years, the Aeolian sand desertification is increased into the alarming rates with the land extent of 30.4 Km2.

scholarly journals Applying Interpretive Structural Modeling to Cost Overruns in Construction Projects in the Sultanate of Oman

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 53 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Alzebdeh ◽  
H.A. Bashir ◽  
S.K. Al Siyabi
Keyword(s):  
Cost Estimation ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Project Managers ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Sultanate Of Oman ◽  
Interpretive Structural Modeling ◽  
Cost Overruns ◽  
Complex Interactions ◽  
Project Costs ◽  
The Us

Cost overruns in construction projects are a problem faced by project managers, engineers, and clients throughout the Middle East.  Globally, several studies in the literature have focused on identifying the causes of these overruns and used statistical methods to rank them according to their impacts. None of these studies have considered the interactions among these factors. This paper examines interpretive structural modelling (ISM) as a viable technique for modelling complex interactions among factors responsible for cost overruns in construction projects in the Sultanate of Oman. In particular, thirteen interrelated factors associated with cost overruns were identified, along with their contextual interrelationships. Application of ISM leads to organizing these factors in a hierarchical structure which effectively demonstrates their interactions in a simple way. Four factors were found to be at the root of cost overruns: instability of the US dollar, changes in governmental regulations, faulty cost estimation, and poor coordination among projects’ parties. Taking appropriate actions to minimize the influence of these factors can ultimately lead to better control of future project costs. Thisstudy is of value to managers and decision makers because it provides a powerful yet very easy to apply approach for investigating the problem of cost overruns and other similar issues.  

scholarly journals Nursing Education and its Cultural Congruency in the Sultanate of Oman: Case Study

2019 ◽  
pp. 6-12
Author(s):  
Suad Al Junaibi ◽  
Derek Chambers ◽  
Aru Narayanasamy
Keyword(s):  
Nursing Education ◽  
Analytical Framework ◽  
Current Approach ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Nursing Curriculum ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Sultanate Of Oman ◽  
Cultural Aspects ◽  
Education Decision

Background: The purpose of this study is to explore whether the cultural aspects of client care as included in the nursing curriculum in the Sultanate of Oman are satisfactory. This concept will be examined by reviewing the Omani Ministry of Health’s (MoH) approach to designing, developing, and implementing a general nursing curriculum. Method: This case study was explored qualitatively to determine whether nursing education addresses culturally congruent care adequately through the review of educational policy documents, semi-structured qualitative individual interviews, and focus groups. The data was collected from the MoH’s nursing education decision-makers, educators, students, and service users (public) over a period of six months. To identify themes, the data was analyzed using Ritchie and Spencer’s five-stage analytical framework. The study used purposeful sampling to select study participants from the MoH nursing education decision-makers, educators, students and service users. Results: The study revealed that the MoH’s current approach to nursing curriculum falls short of what Denis Lawton considers a culturally competent curriculum. Conclusion: The study proposes to reexamine the cultural care content in the nursing education in Oman.

scholarly journals A Comparison of Trends in Extreme Rainfall Using 20-Year Data in Three Major Cities in Oman

2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 137 ◽  
Author(s):  
L.N. Gunawardhan ◽  
G.A. Al-Rawas
Keyword(s):  
Daily Precipitation ◽  
Extreme Rainfall ◽  
Climate Indices ◽  
Annual Maximum ◽  
Sultanate Of Oman ◽  
Precipitation Regime ◽  
Total Rainfall ◽  
Increasing Trend ◽  
Annual Total ◽  
Precipitation Records

 Many regions in the world have recently experienced more frequent and intensive disasters such as flash floods and persistent droughts. The Sultanate of Oman is no exception to this. We analyzed twodecade long daily precipitation records in three major cities, namely, Sohar, Muscat and Salalah, mainly focusing on extremes. A set of climate indices defined in the RClimDex software package was used. Moreover, annual maximum 1-day precipitations in three study areas were analyzed using the Generalized Extreme Value (GEV) distribution function.  Results showed significant changes in the precipitation regime in recent years. The annual total precipitation in Sohar and Salalah decreased, while that in Muscat shows statistically week increasing trend. However, all indices analyzed indicate enhanced extreme precipitation toward 2010 in Muscat and Salalah. As a result, the contribution from extreme events to the annual total rainfall steadily increases in both study areas. A clear conclusion could not be made based on selected indices for Sohar due to consistent drier years occurred from 1999 to 2005. Frequency analysis indicates that the annual the maximum 1-day rainfall estimated in Sohar and Muscat for 5 and 10 year return periods are approximately same (70 mm/day and 108 mm/day, respectively) but about two-fold greater than that in Salalah (29 mm/day and 60 mm/day, respectively). 

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document