An-Najah Staff

The rapid technological advances and the need for better means for the storage and analysis of geographic data have expedited the development of geographic information systems (GIS). These systems differ from other information systems and computer programs by their analytical capabilities. They can store and establish links between both textual and spatial data and provide answers for "what if" questions which are difficult to answer using traditional means. Moreover, GIS systems can derive information which is not directly stored in the data base. All these merits of GIS systems make them an ideal tool to be used by surveyors, civil engineers, geographers, planners, environmentalists, etc.This paper will give an overview of what GIS systems are, and give some examples of their use for environmental protection and planning, as well as, solving existing environmental problems.