Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela Attorney General s Office Directorate General for the Assistance of the Criminal Investigation EMPLOYMENT OF GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS (GIS) IN ENVIRONMENTAL CRIMES JEAN CARLOS MARQUINA HERNÁNDEZ ENVIRONMENTAL EXPERT TECHNICAL- SCIENTIFIC ENVIRONMENT COORDINATION TECHNICAL-SCIENTIFIC AND INVESTIGATIONS DEPARTMENT ATTORNEY GENERAL S OFFICE This article was originally published in the Attorney General s Office No. 16 July/December 2014, p. 107-122.
EMPLOYMENT OF GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS (GIS) IN ENVIRONMENTAL CRIMES JEAN CARLOS MARQUINA HERNÁNDEZ ENVIRONMENTAL EXPERT TECHNICAL- SCIENTIFIC ENVIRONMENT COORDINATION TECHNICAL-SCIENTIFIC AND INVESTIGATIONS DEPARTMENT ATTORNEY GENERAL S OFFICE
ABSTRACT This paper demonstrates the benefits of implementing the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in the spatial analyses related with environmental crimes nationwide through satellite images obtained from the servers of Google Earth, Landsat 8 or Miranda jointly with the cartographic data provided by the Information System for the Territory Management and Organization (SIGOT) of the Ministry of People s Power for the Environment and the Geographic Information System of National Parks and Natural Monuments (SIGPAMO) of the Institute of National Parks (INPARQUES), as well as the characteristics observed in the field through the Environmental Compliance Inspection. KEYWORDS: Geographic Information System, environmental crimes, Environmental Compliance Inspection.
INTRODUCTION The development of any human activity leads to the occupation of a geographic area of the national territory. The diversity of such activities requires from an analysis that permits uttering criteria that control the compatibility and even the interactions amidst the diverse manners of occupation or usufruct. Such activities leave a trace in the national territory; hence, every human activity can and shall be related with the employment of a Geographic Information System. Utilizing such sorts of systems eases the visualization of the data obtained through digitalized maps or satellite images with the aim of portraying and relating geographic phenomena of any kind from road maps to identification systems of agricultural plot or density of population. Furthermore, it permits carrying out consultations and representations in web environments and mobile devices in an agile and intuitive fashion, in order to resolve complex issues of planning and management, by generating a valuable support in the decision-making. Since the 80s, in Venezuela, several public institutions have been working in the SIG application, among which the following stand out: a) PDVSA in the hydrocarbons exploration and production and gas distribution, b) CVG PROFORCA in the forest plantations area, c) Ministry of People s Power for the Environment in the Information System for the Territory Management and Organization (SIGOT), d) INPARQUES in National Parks and Natural Monuments (SIGPAMO), e) HIDROFALCÓN, HIDROBOLÍVAR in the hydrological area, f) CORPOVARGAS in the support of the community activities, g) CORPOELEC in the protection of basins, h) situation room in local and regional governments, i) support to cadastral in governments. What is an Information Geographic System (GIS)? Currently, there is a diversity of definitions of the Information Geographic Systems. For the purpose of this paper, the one provided by ESRI, 1995; GIS Development; NOAA, which stated that the GIS refer to an organized system of computing devices, software, databases, updating, management, analysis and deployment of all the kinds of georeferenced information. This system stands as an innovative tool to manage spatial georeferenced information; the relevant one is obtained through remote sensing. Its use and application has
increased intensively since the 90s because its methodology has become fundamental to carry out a successful development to reach an efficient, geographic and descriptive GIS, as well as personal designs to procure a more efficient and synergic capture. GIS elements A GIS is formed by a compound of physical and logical elements (hardware, software, geographical data and human resource), which in conjunction with a proper organization, are able to enter, store, analyze, manage and transmit spatially referenced data with specific aims that permit modeling the reality by creating images similar to it. This leads to studying the reality and all its complexity, analysis and management. The hardware is formed by a PC, memory units, input units (digitizer, scanner, satellite images, etc.) and output units (screen, plotter, printers, etc.). The software is an essential element to enter into the work environment of a GIS, since it provides the required functions and tools for storage, analysis and information deployment. Nowadays, there are a vast number of software applications like proprietary software (ARCGIS, IDRISIS, MA- PINFO) and free software (ILWIS, gvsig, Quantum GIS). Pursuant to Decree number 3,390, published on December, 28 th 2004 in the Official Gazette of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela number 38,095, the National Public Administration shall prefer free software developed under open standards in their systems, projects and information technology services. By generating data, GIS work with several methods aimed at producing digital information. One of the most employed methods is the digitalization from a printed map (scanned) or the information collected at the field; another methodology involves the availability of orthorectified images (sattelital and air ones), this sort of digitalization has become the main source of extraction of geographical data. This process implies the search of geographical data in the air images, instead of the traditional location of geographic shapes on a digitalizing tablet. Such data in SIG represents the real world objects (roads, soil uses, altitudes, which can be divided in two abstractions: discrete (a house) and continuous (amount of rainfall, an elevation). There are two manners of data storage in a GIS: raster and vectorial. The GIS that focuses on the data management in the vectorial format are more popular in the market. Nevertheless, raster GIS are commonly utilized in studies that require generation continuous layers, which are necessary in non-discrete phenomena, as well as environmental studies that demonstrate an excessive spatial precision (air pollution, temperature distribution, location of marine species, geological analyses, etc.) Raster data essentially refer to any sort of digital image represented in grids. The raster GIS model focuses more on the space properties than on the localization precision. The space is divided into regular cells representing a unique value each. This model is recommended for the representation of continuous variables in the space. Any individual used with digital photography knows that the pixel is the minor information unit of an image; hence, a combination of pixels will create an image, different from any produced through the use of vectorial scalable graphics that are the foundation of the
vectorial model. Air images stand as a form of raster data utilized with a single purpose: showing a detailed image of a basemap that will be later used to develop the digitalization tasks. Other groups of raster data may contain information related with elevated pieces of land (Digital territory model) The raster data are formed by columns and rows of cells with a unique value each. Raster data may refer to images (raster images) with a color value per cell (or pixel). Other registered values per each cell can have a discrete value like use of soil, continuous values like temperatures or null values if there is not any information available. If a cell plot stores a unique value, such cell can widen by utilizing raster bands to represent the colors RGB (red, green, blue) or an extended chart on the attributes with a row for each unique value of the cell. The resolution of the data roster group comprehends the wide of a cell in units over the land. The raster data are stored in different formats from a standard archive based on the structure of TIFF, JPEG, etc. to large binary objects (BLOB); the information is directly stored in the management system of the database. The storage in database generally permits a rapid recovery of raster data; notwithstanding, it requires the storage of millions of registers with a considerable size of memory. In a raster model, with bigger cell dimensions, the accuracy or detail (resolution) of the spatial resolution will be lower. Vectorial data pursue that the representations focus on the precision of the localization of the geographical elements over the space, where the phenomena to represent are discrete, that is to say, defined limits. Each of these geometries are connected with a row on a database that describes its features. For instance, a database describing lakes may contain data on their bathymetry, the water s quality or the level of pollution. This information can be employed to generate a map specifying the particular attributes contained in the database. Lakes can have a color array depending on the level of contamination. Moreover, the different geometries of the elements are also compared. The SIG can be utilized to identify those wells (points geometry) surrounding a lake at 2 kilometers (polygon geometry) that also have a high level of contamination. The vectorial elements can be generated respecting a territorial integrity through the application of topological regulations: polygons are not supposed to overlap. Vectorial data can be utilized to represent continuous variations of phenomena. Contour lines and Triangular Irregular Networks (TIN) are employed to represent the altitude or other values in constant evolution. The TINs refer to value registers in a localized point that is connected with lines to build an irregular grid of triangles, which side represent the territory surface. In order to shape digitally the real world entities, three important geometric elements are required: point, line and polygon. Points: they are utilized for geographic entities that can be better expressed by a single point of reference. In other words: a simple location. For instance, wells localizations, peak elevations or points of interest. Points are also employed to represent zones at a small scale, for example, in a world map; the cities will be shown with points instead of polygons. Lines or polylines: they are used for lineal features like rivers, roadways, railroad tracks, topographic lines or contours. Moreover, they can also be employed to represent polygons like the punctual entities at small scales. In this sort of elements the distance can be measured. Polygons: they are utilized to represent geographic elements that encompass a particular
area of the earth s surface. Such entities can represent lakes, national parks boundaries, buildings, provinces or uses of the soil. Polygons transmit a major amount of information in files with vectorial data, where the perimeter and area can be measured. Projections, coordinate systems To carry out GIS data, the cartography shall be contained in the same projection and coordinate system. The earth can be represented cartographically through different mathematic models, each of which provide a different group of coordinates (in geographic coordinates: latitude, longitude, altitude; in UTM coordinates: north, east) for each point given on a surface. The simplest model concerns assuming that the earth is a perfect sphere. As more measurements of the planet have been compiled, the geoid models have turned more sophisticated and accurate; some of them are applied to different regions of the earth to provide major accuracy, for instance, pursuant to Resolution number 10, published on March, 3 rd 1999 in the Official Gazette of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela number 35.653, for Venezuela the Geocentric Reference System for the Americas (SIRGAS) is part of the Venezuelan Geodetic Network (REGVEN). Such datum is called SIRGAS-REGVEN, the former one considered in the country was La Canoa- Hayford (PSAD_56; Provisional South American 1956). The projection stands as a fundamental component while generating a map. A mathematic projection is a manner of transferring information from an earth model, which represents a three-dimensions curve surface, to a two-dimensions one like a piece of paper or a screen. Thus, different cartographic projections are utilized depending on the type of map that is going to be generated, since there are determined projections that adapt better to certain concrete uses than others. For example, a projection represents exactly the shape of the continents; notwithstanding, it distorts their relative sizes. Since most of the information in a GIS belongs to the existent cartography, a geographic information system utilized a computer s processing potency to transform digital information obtained from sources with different projections and/or different coordinate systems to a projection and an ordinary coordinate system, this process is known as rectification in the case of images (orthoimage, satellite images, etc.) UTM zones The Mercator projection was designer to be used worldwide and encompasses the entire geoid surface, in its latitude and longitude sense. The first manner goes from 80 North to 80 South, while the second goes from 180 west to 189 East, that is to say it covers the whole terrestrial longitude. For the establishment of a network, as the meridian of origin stands the 180 W of Greenwich. From this meridian on and following the West-East direction, the 360 of longitude of the planes has been divided in 60 equal parts called zones of a 6 amplitude each and which are referred to the central meridian of the zone. In Venezuela, such zones are divided as follows: Zone 20: 60-66 longitude. Zone 19: 66-72 longitude. Zone 18: 72-78 longitude. Application of the Geographic Information Systems in the investigation of environmental
crimes: Most of the institutions of the State employ the Geographic Information Systems as auxiliary tool in the management and decision-making thanks to their vast fields of application. The application of this tool in the investigation of environmental crimes takes place through the implementation of the following methodology: Data collection in the field: several important elements helpful for the investigation of an environmental crime can be seen when an environmental compliance inspection takes place: roadways, hydrography, infrastructure, as well as the tree falling identification, deforestations, earthwork, bodies of water, among others. Thus, it is necessary obtaining geographic coordinates through the Global Positioning System (GPS) and visual fixations. Selection and Acquisition of the cartographic base to be employed: in Venezuela, there are several institutions with a high variety of cartographic data in the environmental area either in the raster format or the vectorial one, which are helpful for the geospatial analysis of the environmental investigation, such as: cartographic base of the Information System for the Territory Management and Organization (SIGOT) of the Ministry of People s Power for the Environment and the Geographic Information System of National Parks and Natural Monuments (SIGPAMO) of the Institute of National Parks (INPARQUES),Carthocenter Project of the Ministry of People s Power for the Environment, as well as the information available on the internet: satellite images downloaded from the servers Google Earth, Landsat 8 and the Miranda satellite of the Bolivarian Agency for Special Activities (ABAE). Software use: Quantum GIS IS the software employed in the processing of data obtained in the field and the cartographic bases from the abovementioned institutions. Quantum GIS is an open-source and free program that has the basic tools to carry out the visualization, collection of geographic information, geodata analysis (geographic information) and map design and printing. This programs works with different operating systems: Windows, Linux and Mac. Geospatial analysis: after obtaining the field data and the cartographic bases raster or vectorial takes place the data processing through the free software Quantum GIS, in order to determine accurate or relative location where an environmental crime took place or the affected area. If the event under investigation is within or outside an Area under special Management (ABRAE) or any other juridical institution established in the current legal regulation. Map elaboration: it implies the final product that permits establishing and visualizing geographically all the elements observed in the environmental compliance inspection, hence, it stands as a helpful took for the attorneys representation in the decisionmaking process.
CONCLUSION: The Geographic Information Systems (GIS) stand as a tool that permit carrying out the spatial analysis, establishment and visualization of the different elements, found in the environmental compliance inspection, in a map. For instance, a GIS might determine if an environmental crime was committed within or outside the boundaries of Area under Special Management (ABRAE) or any other legal concept contained in the current regulation. The SIGs permit showing details as space and time of the occurrence of environmental crimes to the Attorney conducting the investigation, through the cartographic information established in the map.
BIBLIOGRAPHY República de Venezuela (1999). Resolución N 10. Adoptar como nuevo Datum oficial para Venezuela el Sistema de Referencia Geocéntrico para América del Sur (SIRGAS), del cual forma parte la Red Geodésica Venezolana (REGVEN). Gaceta Oficial de la República de Venezuela N 36.653 del 3 de marzo de 1999. República Bolivariana de Venezuela (2004). Decreto N 3.390, mediante el cual se dispone que la Administración Pública Nacional empleará prioritariamente Software Libre desarrollado con Estándares Abiertos, en sus sistemas, proyectos y servicios informáticos. Gaceta Oficial de la República Bolivariana de Venezuela N 38.095 del 28 de diciembre de 2004. Ministerio del Poder Popular para el Servicio Penitenciario. Sistema de Información Geográfica. http://fonep.gob.ve/sig.php. ALVEÑO, Edgar. (2009). Sistemas de Información Geográficos en Venezuela. http://sigvenezuela.blogspot.com/. Documentos en línea: (http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/sistema_de_informaci%c3%b3n_geogr%c3%a1fic a). [Available on 2014, mayo 24] (http://www.tdx.cat/bitstream/handle/10803/6222/05capitulo_4.pd e=5.) [Available on 2014, mayo 24] f?sequenc (http://www.fau.ucv.ve/documentos/ead/sig/sobre_mapinfo.pdf.) [Available on 2014, mayo 24]