webGIS as a tool for sustainable natural resource management

Kearns, F. R., M. Kelly, and K. A. Tuxen. 2003. Everything happens somewhere: using webGIS as a tool for sustainable natural resource management. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 1(10): 541-548 

Whether tracking invasive species, assessing water quality, or monitoring the spread of disease, comprehensive data collection is a key component of sustainable natural resource management. Increasingly, fostering community-based monitoring is seen as a valuable way to augment data gathering and enhance public involvement in environmental management. Pdf download.

In a nutshell:

• WebGIS is a new tool that allows a variety of users to interact with spatially organized data over the Web
• Sustainable natural resource management requires comprehensive data collection and equitable data access
• Location information provides a powerful way to organize and access diverse datasets, and webGIS can enhance this
• A number of challenges in its implementation and use remain to be addressed