Geographic information systems (GIS) technology can be used for scientific investigations, resource management, and development planning. For example, a GIS might allow emergency planners to easily calculate emergency response times in the event of a natural disaster, or a GIS might be used to find wetlands that need protection from pollution.
In the strictest sense, a GIS is a computer system capable of assembling, storing, manipulating, and displaying geographically referenced information , i.e. data identified according to their locations. Practitioners also regard the total GIS as including operating personnel and the data that go into the system.
