Industry
Environmental Management
The Client
Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) is the largest Agency within the Department of the Environment in Northern Ireland, with approximately 700 staff.
The Challenge
NIEA is the repository for a diverse range of coastline information. On examination it was found that all this information had a spatial component and as a result it was decided that a geographical information system (GIS) was the ideal platform on which to integrate and communicate this data.
Solution
The solution was delivered through the development of an online spatial data catalogue served from ArcGIS Server. Using ArcGIS Desktop any user can now access and visualise all base mapping from Ordnance Survey Northern Ireland.
Benefits
With the simple click of a mouse on a digital map, the Agency's incident managers can now access all relevant information such as the harbour booming plans for Belfast Lough, where booms would be erected in the event of a disaster, ground level photographs and additional aerial perspective photography.
Summary
The challenge here was to migrate all this information to a GIS platform that would enable the NIEA Coastal Survey Team integrate all the information they held on coastal assets and communicate this information to external stakeholders such as local councils, port authorities, other government bodies, clean up contractors and waste management companies who also play their part in the response to a large incident.
Rapid response is key to the effective management of any pollution incident. Access to hyperlinked photographs of harbour piers, beach entrances, slipways and other coastal assets will allow the Coastal Survey Team to ascertain the likely specifics of deploying beach cleaning equipment at the best possible vantage point.