GIS analysis of relationships between human settlement and the natural environment

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Relationships between settlement and the natural environment were investigated using GIS and spatial data. Emphasis was placed upon relationships between the distribution of population and topographic parameters such as elevation and slope. Both the current and past conditions including those in the Meiji and Taisho Eras were investigated. GIS databases were first constructed because some data have complex formats. The areas studied include 1) whole Japan and Nepal 2) the Kanto, Kansai, Chugoku-Shikoku Districts, and 3) the Tokyo Metropolitan Area and Mogami District, meaning that analyses encompassed various spatial scales. In addition, as indicators of human activities other than population, locations of water wheels, abandoned farm land, the number of passengers at each train station, and land price were investigated in relation to natural factors such as topography. As an example of influences of human activities on the natural environment, issues related to water quality were addressed. The effects of land use on riverine water quality were analyzed for the Kanto District and East England. A method to visualize population in cities in the world was also developed and its educational implications were studied. The results of this project show that topographic conditions exert strong influence on human activities, and the mode and degree of the influence has been changing with time. This temporal change reflects changes in both social conditions and human control on nature such as flood mitigation, pointing to strong interactions between nature and human activities. The results of this project also suggest that to discuss sustainability of a region, both the impact of human activities on water quality and that of water quality on human activities should be taken into account. Other application studies related to the human and social environments and GIS were also conducted.