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Monitoring shrimp farming development from the space: A RS and GIS approach in Kandleru creek area, Andhra Pradesh, India
Md. Zakir Hossain and Miss Wutjanun Muttitanon
Integrated Tropical Coastal Zone Management
Asian Institute of Technology
P. O. Box 4, Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand.
Tel: (662) 524-5487; Fax: (662) 524-5442
E-mail: zakir@ait.ac.th
Dr. Nitin K. Tripathi
Space Technology Application and Research
Asian Institute of Technology
P. O. Box 4, Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand.
Tel: (662) 524-6293; Fax: (662) 524-5597
E-mail: nitinkt@ait.ac.th
Dr. Mike Phillips
Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific (NACA)
Department of Fisheries Compound
Kasetsart University Campus, Ladyao, Jatujak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand.
Tel: (662) 561-1728-115; Fax: (662) 561-1727
E-mail: Michael.Phillips@enaca.org
Introduction
Andhra Pradesh contributes more than half of country’s shrimp production in India. Shrimp farming had been started to expand in Kandleru creek area since 1987/88. Availability of vast tracts of saline lands coupled with abundant quantity of wild seeds and strong export demand for shrimp were initially responsible for attracting the entrepreneurs towards shrimp farming. As a consequent hundreds of hectares of lands were brought under this venture. But the expansion was not smooth which left depletion of natural resources around the creek and environmental degradation of creek water quality. The industry is facing regular disease problem since 1994. Therefore the area once found as most ideally suited for shrimp culture has later been questioned its viability or sustainability. A considerable management and planning need for further development (expansion and/or intensification) of this venture is utmost important.
GIS and Remote Sensing methods have been used as successful planning and management tools. Remote Sensing data have been proven useful in assessing the natural resources and in monitoring the changes (Ratanasermpong et al., 1995). Remote Sensing technique is also a useful source of information as it provides timely and complete coverage of the study area, complementing field surveys of higher information content (Satyanarayana et al., 2001). GIS that can be considered as a database management system (allows users to store, retrieve and manipulate data) (Burrough, 1986) has an important role in planning process where land use changes as well as the existing pattern are intensive (Salam and Ross, 1999). High-resolution Remote Sensing data and GIS help in integrating multiparamter spatial information for generating locale-specific plan (Kasturirangan, 1995). The present work has mainly focused on the application of Geographical Information System complemented with Remote Sensing techniques to monitor shrimp farming development in Kandleru creek area.
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