Regional Land Cover Monitoring System for the Hindu Kush Himalaya

About the event

We invite partners, stakeholders, and alumni to the public launch event of the Regional Land Cover Monitoring System (RLCMS) for the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region, where we will be showcasing the web-based RLCMS and releasing land cover maps (2000–2018).

Objectives

• Present the approach, methodology and results from the RLCMS
• Release the annual land cover maps for the HKH region (2000–2018)
• Demonstrate the web based RLCMS and its data visualization and download facilities

Background

Land cover mapping is the most common application of Earth observation (EO) science and provides critical information for understanding historical changes in landscapes. Land cover across the HKH region is changing at an accelerated rate due to rapid economic growth and population pressures. These changes impact long-term sustainability of ecosystems and their services, including food, water, and energy. Recognizing the data gaps in land cover and inconsistencies in land cover maps in the HKH countries, ICIMOD initiated the development of regional land cover maps using a harmonized classification schema by adopting FAO’s land cover classification system.

We collaborated with the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC), Afghanistan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, Bangladesh’s Forest Department, Nepal’s Forest Research and Training Centre, Myanmar’s Forest Department, SilvaCarbon, and the United States Forest Services to develop the RLCMS for the HKH region. The RLCMS produces consistent land cover data for the entire HKH region using a robust method and a harmonized classification scheme to enable monitoring and change analysis. The system uses state-of-the-art remote sensing science and technology on the Google Earth Engine and a standard set of input data sources to regularly generate high-quality land cover maps at the regional and national levels for Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Nepal.

The system is being co-developed under the SERVIR Initiative – ICIMOD’s SERVIR Hindu Kush Himalaya (SERVIR-HKH) and SERVIR-Mekong hosted by ADPC.

Tentative agenda

22 September 2021 | 09:30– 11:30 (NPT)

Moderator: Utsav Maden, Knowledge Management and Communication Officer, ICIMOD