More than maps and scales

Usha Albuquerque

The earthquake in Nepal and the floods in Kashmir, and more recently in Chennai illustrate quite starkly and sometimes painfully, the role geography plays in our lives. The natural features and geographical typography of an area determine its climate and vegetation and consequently the way we live, what we grow and eat, the diseases we may be prone to, and the need for making the best use of the resources nature has given us.

A study of geography is a thrilling introduction to a range of insightful knowledge about the physical world we live in and how we can learn to use it to our advantage. It is a blend of both social and pure sciences,  that has helped scientists understand the physical structure of the earth, its different and varying physical features and their influences on the economic, political and cultural life of all creatures that inhabit the earth. 

The knowledge and use of geography has helped scientists predict and deal with natural calamities, enhance soil fertility where required, demarcate geographical boundaries and provide  logistics and remote sensing data for a range of uses from tourism and travel management to town planning and disease management. 

Medical Geography is an area of medical research that incorporates geographic techniques into the study of health around the world and the spread of diseases. Medical geographers conduct research studies along with doctors and medical experts in determining the origin and spread of epidemics, and the impact of different physical and natural factors — vegetation, minerals, water supply, climate and environment on health patterns. Medical geography is an important field because it aims to provide an understanding of health problems and improve the health of people worldwide based on the various geographic factors influencing them. Whether it is Ebola in Africa or Dengue in India, or Bird flu is China, the spread of diseases can be identified and managed through a study of the local geographic conditions, and the people and cultures of different regions. Since the spatial distribution of disease is a matter of importance, mapping plays a huge role in this field. 

Getting in

Geography is a subject that can be taken up after Plus II with science, commerce or humanities subjects. Most universities offer geography at the graduate and post-graduate level in both science and humanities faculties. One can do either a BA or BSc in Geography after Class XII, and MA or MSc in geography after graduation.  

Most of the universities allow the students to choose from a set of subjects for specialisation in the second year. Human or medical geography is offered at the master’s level although  there are not many universities that offer this course in India. 

However, students can specialise in medical geography after a master's degree in geography. 

Often a graduate course in geography is a foundation for further professional studies in the area of interest. These could include environmental studies, conservation, water management, plant and soil science, geographical information systems, environmental remote sensing, surveying, urban and rural planning and teaching. 

Post-graduate studies in specialist areas of geography are offered at the Centre for Study of Regional development at JNU, New Delhi; the Delhi School of Economics; Pune University; Panjab University, Chandigarh, and Meerut University.  Some universities offering master’s study in geography include :

Madras University 

www.unom.ac.in

MS University Baroda www.msubaroda.ac.in

Dr. HS Gaur Sagar University, Sagar, Madhya Pradesh www.sagaruniversity.nic.in

Jamia Millia Islamia University, New Delhi www.jmi.ac.in

Job prospects 

Geographers can seek placement in research agencies in areas such as environmental issues, Population studies and Rural development. The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and WHO are among the organisations that recruit medical geographers, as also pharmaceutical companies, research centers, and public health agencies as well. 

Geographers can also work with environmental consultancy firms, environmental protection agencies, and those handling environment impact assessments. Public utilities and organisations involved in rural and urban planning, disaster management, and government departments such as those concerned with population and demographics, planning, logistics, and rural health departments recruit geography specialists, particularly if you have specialised in GIS.

So if you have a keen interest in the world around you, a love for exploration and outdoor work, an inquiring mind with a scientific approach, patience, perseverance and strong powers of observation you can certainly choose a worthwhile career in medical geography. 

And if you have good computing skills  and the acumen to handle statistical data, you can specialise in GIS, which has a host of applications in addition to medical geography.

Work profile

The work of geographers includes using field techniques, statistical methods, cartography and computerised data to analyse different natural and geographical phenomena.  In understanding and making sense of the world around them, geography graduates develop skills in areas such as spatial awareness, data gathering, information retrieval, problem analysis and solving, project planning and management, and report production and presentation, both written and verbal. 

Geographical information system (GIS) is a relatively new specialistion in geography which incorporates the use of computer-based systems to handle spatial information for a variety of uses. With the use of computer programming and graphics, GIS professionals analyse geographical information and apply it for use in making weather forecasts, handling of physical resources in environmental planning, collating and comparing census and disease data, monitoring and exploring demography studies and distribution of medical supplies.