Back to news
18 Apr 2017 | GIS and remote sensing

Lessons Learnt from Training on Mapping and Monitoring Glaciers using RS and GIS at ICIMOD

The use of remote sensing (RS) and geographic information systems (GIS) in mapping and monitoring glaciers can help professionals working in the Hindu Kush Himalaya gather data more efficiently while conducting research. The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) recently organized a five-day training on using RS and GIS to map and monitor glaciers in the HKH to help students and professionals working with ICIMOD implementation partners in Bhutan, Nepal and Pakistan incorporate RS and GIS use into their practice.

1 min Read

70% Complete
Training participants with experts from ICIMOD’s cryosphere initiative Phot Credit: Jitendra Bajracharya

The participants came from the National Center for Hydrology and Meteorology (NCHM), Bhutan; Karakoram International University (KIU), Pakistan; the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM), Nepal; Water and Energy Commission (WECS), Nepal; Kathmandu University (KU), Nepal; and Tribhuvan University, Nepal’s Central Departments of Geography, Geology, and Hydrology and Meteorology, and the Department of Geology, Tri-Chandra Multiple Campus, Nepal.

During the training, Iram Bano, a participant from Pakistan, talked about studying glaciology and being one of the first women glaciologists from her community. Bano has an MSc by Research in Glaciology from Kathmandu University, Nepal and is currently a Research Associate (Glaciology) at the Department of Earth Sciences, Karakoram International University, Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistan. “It is good to be back in Kathmandu and at ICIMOD to attend the training,” she said. “I can replicate what I learnt here in my work and future research. Such research skills are essential for my country.”


Other participants say
“I learned about attributes of GIS and eCognition software, and the application of these tools to monitor and analyze glaciers. These skills will be useful in hazard mapping when landslides and floods occur as well as for geological mapping for the development of minerals and tectonic interpretations.”

Kabi Raj Paudyal
Assistant Professor
Central Department of Glaciology, Tribhuvan University, Nepal

“I found that the eCognition developer is very useful for image analysis. This training will definitely help me apply my skills to map the glaciers of Bhutan. It will also help with getting information while carrying out glacier-hydrological studies.”

Tshewang Rigzin
Engineer/hydrologist
National Center for Hydrology and Meteorology, Bhutan

“Studying trends related to glacier area will provide useful input to runoff modelling and to analyzing climate change impact. This will help in making sustainable water management plans and contribute partly to water policy. ”

Sabina Kharbuya
Hydropower Engineer
Water and Energy Commission Secretariat (WECS)

Stay current

Stay up to date on what’s happening around the HKH with our most recent publications and find out how you can help by subscribing to our mailing list.

Sign Up

Related content

Continue exploring this topic

17 Nov 2016 News
ICIMOD Party to Beijing Declaration on the Belt and Road Initiative

The First International Science Forum of National Scientific Organizations on the Belt and Road Initiative was held in Beijing, China ...

4 Aug 2022 News
Strengthening capacity for disaster risk reduction and management in the hydropower sector

The Hydropower Transboundary Working Group (TWG) under the Koshi Disaster Risk Reduction Knowledge Hub (KDKH) focuses on assessing multi-hazard vulnerability ...

14 Jun 2016 News
World Environment Day 2016

The WED 2016 campaign aims to raise awareness of the far-reaching nature of wildlife crime. The slogan for this year’s ...

30 Jul 2018 HUC
HUC Academy 2018: Building Mountain Research Capacity

The Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region, a global asset for food, energy and water resources, is ...

13 Dec 2017 News
Commitment to Support Integrated River Basin Management in Nepal

Over the course of the next five years, policy and implementation efforts will be made to support integrated river basin ...

20 Dec 2015 News
Building Capacity for Implementing Community Forestry in Afghanistan

  From 14–18 December 2015, a team of Afghani officials participated in a study visit to Nepal to learn about community-based ...

8 Jan 2016 News
Himalayan Water Tower

Water generated in the high mountains of the Himalayas plays a critical role in ...

23 Jun 2016 News
Cryosphere Data Release

Open access to high-elevation meteorological data and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) data from the Himalayas Meteorological data is scarce in high-elevation ...