Predict challenges and hazards associated with too much water (flooding), too little water (drought), or water of poor quality.
Natural water resources are a particularly pressing issue for the US and the broader world given human and environmental reliance on water for survival. The topic spans concerns and applications in several fields including law, economics, regional planning, and engineering. Of particular importance to resource managers are water quality and quantity, watershed management, and flood management, among others. Geographic Information Science and Technology (GIS&T) contains principles and methods well-suited to meeting the demands of natural water resources management. Not only are GISs an effective tool for storing and managing spatial data associated with water resources, but they also contain the means to capture and model various environmental phenomena. Within the context of natural water resources, GIS&T aids in both monitoring and predicting changes, as well as visualizing and delineating the extent of natural occurrences, such as groundwater basins and watersheds. Data sources can range from satellite-based remote sensing to create digital elevation models (DEM) and watershed boundaries, to on-the-ground point monitoring. When integrated, these data aid practitioners and decisionmakers in identifying the distribution, hazards, and current and potential uses of natural water resources.