An irrigated area map of the world (1999) derived from remote sensing

Remote sensing / Mapping / GIS / Irrigated sites / Estimation

Mapping forests in monsoon Asia with ALOS PALSAR 50-m mosaic images and MODIS imagery in 2010.

Extensive forest changes have occurred in monsoon Asia, substantially affecting climate, carbon cycle and biodiversity. Accurate forest cover maps at fine spatial resolutions are required to qualify and quantify these effects. In this study, an algorithm was developed to map forests in 2010, with the use of structure and biomass information from the Advanced Land Observation System (ALOS) Phased Array L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (PALSAR) mosaic dataset and the phenological information from MODerate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MOD13Q1 and MOD09A1) products. Our forest map (PALSARMOD50 m F/NF) was assessed through randomly selected ground truth samples from high spatial resolution images and had an overall accuracy of 95%. Total area of forests in monsoon Asia in 2010 was estimated to be ~6.3 × 10(6 )km(2). The distribution of evergreen and deciduous forests agreed reasonably well with the median Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) in winter. PALSARMOD50 m F/NF map showed good spatial and areal agreements with selected forest maps generated by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA F/NF), European Space Agency (ESA F/NF), Boston University (MCD12Q1 F/NF), Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO FRA), and University of Maryland (Landsat forests), but relatively large differences and uncertainties in tropical forests and evergreen and deciduous forests

Geographic priorities for research and development on dryland cereals and legumes

Dryland cereal and legume crops have often received less attention than maize, wheat and rice in terms of research and development priorities. But these crops are important globally because they serve populations living in poverty and particular socioeconomic and environmental niches. Compared to other crops, less is known about the global distribution of dryland cereal and legume crops and the conditions where they are grown. This research reports on an international effort to compile geographic information on cereal and legume crops and the conditions under which they are cultivated.. The study suggested that dryland cereal and legume crops should be given priority in 18 farming systems worldwide, representing 160 million ha. The priority regions include the drier areas of South Asia, West and East Africa, Middle East and North Africa, Central America and other parts of Asia. These regions are prone to drought and heat stress, among other biotic and abiotic constraints. They represent 60% of the global poor and malnourished and make up half of the global population

Flying Over an Infected Landscape: Distribution of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 Risk in South Asia and Satellite Tracking of Wild Waterfowl

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 virus persists in Asia, posing a threat to poultry, wild birds, and humans. Previous work in Southeast Asia demonstrated that HPAI H5N1 risk is related to domestic ducks and people. Other studies discussed the role of migratory birds in the long distance spread of HPAI H5N1. However, the interplay between local persistence and long-distance dispersal has never been studied. We expand previous geospatial risk analysis to include South and Southeast Asia, and integrate the analysis with migration data of satellite-tracked wild waterfowl along the Central Asia flyway. We find that the population of domestic duck is the main factor delineating areas at risk of HPAI H5N1 spread in domestic poultry in South Asia, and that other risk factors, such as human population and chicken density, are associated with HPAI H5N1 risk within those areas. We also find that satellite tracked birds (Ruddy Shelduck and two Bar-headed Geese) reveal a direct spatio-temporal link between the HPAI H5N1 hot-spots identified in India and Bangladesh through our risk model, and the wild bird outbreaks in May–June–July 2009 in China (Qinghai Lake), Mongolia, and Russia. This suggests that the continental-scale dynamics of HPAI H5N1 are structured as a number of persistence areas delineated by domestic ducks, connected by rare transmission through migratory waterfowl

DSP - River basins: benchmark river basins inside insight

Print out of powerpoint presentation made at the Observing river basins from space: why is it important for IWMI - A Remote Sensing and GIS (RS/GIS) Workshop held at the International Water Management Institute, Colombo, Sri Lanka, 28 June 2004. RS/GIS training material

GIS-based drivers and performance indicators of SLM: definitions, justification and calculation methods, results.

This is the presentation of Dr. Quang Bao Le during the workshop "Sustainable Land Management to Achieving Land Degradation Neutrality: Options-by-Context Approach and Tool", final workshop for the project "Impact Evaluation of SLM Options to Achieve Land Degradation Neutrality", held in Tunis on the 24th October 2017. This presentation highlights the new interfaces of the GIS data of the GeOC tool