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Lung association to map environmental impacts on citizens' health
Researchers, academics, policy makers, and the public will all breathe a little easier this spring, at least figuratively. That's when the New Brunswick Lung Association plans to launch its new environmental health web-mapping application.
Created with funding and technical support from GeoConnections and Environment Canada, this application will allow users to better understand not only how air pollution affects the health of New Brunswickers, but also how climate change influences the environment and affects the well-being of citizens. With this insight, New Brunswick communities will be better prepared both to improve air quality and to deal with potential heat waves, forest fires, storm surges, and rising sea levels. In short, the web-mapping application will enable people to make better decisions about environmental health issues.
Canadian Geospatial Data Infrastructure anchors the application
This interoperable, standards-based application will form part of the Canadian Geospatial Data Infrastructure and will benefit health experts and non-experts alike. Developed by CARIS, a geomatics-software company headquartered in Fredericton, New Brunswick, the web-mapping application will enable the New Brunswick Lung Association to connect to a distributed architecture of data warehouses, web-mapping services, information systems, and ultimately, a broad base of clients.
In addition to offering the typical web-mapping navigation, measurement, and selection and the basic querying, the application will include several enhanced features that will enable system administrators and users to customize it. For instance, a fully interactive query wizard will allow users to query data sets; create map views, charts, and graphs; and print outputs.
This capability will enable users to find answers to such questions as "What was the mean reading of ground-level ozone in eastern New Brunswick in the autumn of 2001?" or "Where are specialized health-care facilities located in relation to patients with chronic respiratory diseases?" or "What are the potential health, social, environmental, and economic benefits of improving energy efficiency in the province?"
Chat function strengthens community of practice
It is said that two heads are better than one. This philosophy inspired the New Brunswick Lung Association to include a chat function that will enable users to communicate easily with each other, share information and knowledge, and build a stronger community of practice. In addition, the chat function will enable users to obtain technical support, allowing the Association to respond more efficiently to users, and to program new queries, add new data sets, or help create analytical models based on user inputs.
Although the web-mapping application will be geared initially to New Brunswick, the Association expects to include partners outside the province in the next phase. Given that air pollution and climate-change impacts often transcend provincial and national borders, this broader scope bodes well for improving the health and safety of citizens throughout North America.
For the latest news on the project, please visit the New Brunswick Lung Association's Environmental-Health Mapping Project page at http://www.nb.lung.ca/html/Programs/Lung_Health/mapping.htm