Background of the Study
In a way urbanization is desirable for human development. However, uncontrolled urbanization has been
responsible for many of the problems, our cities experiences today, resulting in substandard living
environment, acute problems of drinking water, noise and air pollution, disposal of waste, traffic congestion
etc. Urban areas of today are more exactly described as sprawling regions that become interconnected in a
dendritic fashion (Carlson and Arthur, 2000). To improve these environmental degradations in and around
the cities and sub-cities, the technological development in relevant fields have to solved these problems
caused by rapid urbanization, only then the fruits of development will reach most of the deprived ones. The
global proportion of urban population rose dramatically from 13% (220 million) in 1900, to 29% (732
million) in 1950, to 49% (3.2 billion) in 2005. The same report projected that the figure is likely to rise to
60% (4.9 billion) by 2030(Mahesh J, Nitin T, Vivek D, 2012).
The modern technology of remote sensing which includes both aerial and satellite based systems, allow us
to collect lot of physical data rather easily, with speed and on repetitive basis, and together with GIS helps
us to analyze the data spatially, offering possibilities of generating various options (modeling), thereby
optimizing the whole planning process. These information systems also offer interpretation of physical
(spatial) data with other socio-economic data, and thereby providing an important linkage in the total
planning process and making it more effective and meaningful.
A number of features make the GIS most desirable in handling geospatial matters. The GIS employs the
impressive capacities of the computer in storing volumes of data, its unrivalled speed in sorting stored data
and processing them for needed information. Today, there are in place seamless interfaces for data exchange
between the data capture units in the field and the processing computers in the office. In the field of
Environmental Studies, Urban Planning, Engineering, Surveying and Geodesy, the GIS provides the rare
opportunity of combining the perceptibility of graphics with the accuracy of digital computations at great
speed. Different formats of data storage and exchange, data processing and information display, are
combined in achieving and demonstrating results.
Recent technological advances made in domain of spatial technology cause considerable impact in planning
activities. This domain of planning is of prime importance for a country like Ethiopia with varied
geographic patterns, cultural activities etc. The purpose of using GIS is that, maps provide an added
dimension to data analysis which brings us one step closer to visualizing the complex patterns and
relationships that characterize real-world planning and policy problems. Visualization of spatial patterns also supports change analysis, which is important in monitoring of social indicators. This in turn should
result in improving need assessment. The objectives of this paper will be to explain remote sensing and GIS
applications in various stages of planning, implementation and monitoring of Hossana Town.