BasicOverview
Industrialization, modernization, and population growth have taken their toll on the environment, but in today’s tech-enabled world, we have the knowledge and technology to serve our planet better. While location business intelligence might not be the first thought that comes to mind for environmental action, it provides a critical supporting role to many of the most impactful green initiatives.
Challenge
An environmental consulting firm in the United States wanted to analyze how the amount of industrial facilities and the percentage of crops cultivated across all states influences water pollution of nearby watersheds. Regions with high industrial activity are usually more susceptible to pollution due to the large amount of wastewater produced in these areas. It is crucial to detect areas with high risk levels of wastewater beforehand, and provide suggestions on how to reduce any harmful effects on the environment.
Our solution
Aspectum suggests creating an interactive map of the United States, that shows the location of water basins which are colored according to the percentage of crops cultivated there. With the category widget, users can filter the main watershed basins to see what nearby territories are watered from them. Then, with grid analysis, the color of the hexagon shows the number of industrial facilities located in that zone, and its height represents how much wastewater is produced.
Results
A map like this clearly illustrates problem areas affected by high wastewater production, that may require further intervention. The situations in Boston, Massachusetts, and New York City, in particular, prompt special attention from environmental organizations. Both cities generate an extremely high amount of wastewater. Interestingly, in Boston, just 14 industrial facilities across the city produce this amount of pollution, while in New York, 85 facilities operate with less pollution.
In the state of Illinois, where the biggest percentage of crops are cultivated, only Chicago represents a high risk zone due to the large number of industrial plants.
Value for
Environmental companies, regulatory bodies, NGOs
Key Technical Features:
- Advanced Data Processing
- Categorical Filtering
- 3D Visualization
- Big Data