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Regional geographic information infrastructure in the Hindu Kush – Himalayan Region
Peter Bitter and Basanta Shrestha
peter@icimod.org.np
Abstract
This
paper outlines the role and present activities of the International Centre for
Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) in general and its Mountain Environment
Information Service (MENRIS) Division in particular. It then describes the
current status of geographic information usage in the Hindu Kush – Himalayan
(HKH) region in the context of present political and institutional arrangements
and identifies the need to create a comprehensive Regional Geographic
Information Infrastructure (RGII). The framework of such an infrastructure and a
number of essential components are introduced. Some pragmatic steps to implement
some of these components are discussed. Emphasis is being put on metadata,
standards definition and generation of regional key data sets at 1:250,000
scale.
Background
ICIMOD is an International Centre for
Integrated Mountain Development, which serves as a mountain development forum
for the sustainable development of mountain areas in the Hindu-Kush Himalayan
(HKH) Region. The HKH Region encompasses eight countries (Afghanistan,
Bangladesh, Bhutan,China, India, Nepal, Myanamar and Pakistan) covering more
than 3500-km range of high Himalayan region (see map in Appendix). Most of the
area is sparsely populated and due to the very limited agricultural and
industrial potentials, plagued by rampant poverty. Due to the topographic
difficulties and the remoteness from bigger population centres, the
infrastructure is weak as well.
The role of ICIMOD
One of the
main functions of ICIMOD is to be a multi-disciplinary Centre for research and
training on integrated mountain development based on the systematic exchange of
knowledge through a organised information network. This part of Centre’s mandate
is based on recognition of the increasing impoverishment of mountain communities
in the HKH region and need for integrated and sustainable mountain development.
ICIMOD is a facilitator of integrated/holistic approaches to mountain
development and the chief commodity that the centre deals with is information.
The eight countries of the region are Members of ICIMOD; they delegate
representatives into the Board of Governors. Through the Board, but perhaps even
more through manifold contacts with scientific institutions and individuals, the
centre is firmly anchored in the region. Internally, ICIMOD is structured into
three thematic divisions (Mountain Farming Systems, Mountain Natural Resources,
and Mountain Enterprise and Infrastructures). The thematic divisions are
supported by a Documentation, Information and Training Service, the mountain
Environment Natural Resources Information Systems Division (MENRIS), and the
Administrative, Financial and Logistical Service.
MENRIS
Evolution of MENRIS
The Mountain Natural
Resource Information Systems (MENRIS) division of ICIMOD has been established in
1991 with initial support from the Asian Development Bank, British Overseas
Development Agency, German Technical Cooperation and UNEP-GRID. The objectives
have been and continue to be to [1].
- establish a network a nodal agencies in the regional member countries and
serve as a resource centre to them
- develop a database on geomorphology, soils, land use, vegetation and related
factors through remote sensing techniques
- develop mountain-specific applications of GIS
- facilitate the application of GIS and RS and the use of the MENRIS database
by the nodal agencies for environmental and natural resources planning,
management and monitoring
- Improve the co-ordination of regional and project-related mapping and the
monitoring of projects introduced in the regional member countries by various
international organisations.
In the first years, the main focus has
been on installing the necessary hard- and software and on getting acquainted to
the technology in ICIMOD itself. This has been followed by a phase of capacity
building in the region: A Substantial training programme for professionals has
been established gradually and complemented by short seminars for managers and
policy-makers, and hard- and software has been supplied concurrently to partner
institutions in the region. Further, a series of case studies has served as
demonstration examples and for training purpose. More recently, these case
studies have started to evolve into support of ‘real-world-applications’ of GIS
in partner institutions.
Impact of MENRIS
Since its inception, MENRIS has established a strong
reputation throughout the region for leadership in GIS technology and has
clearly introduced a substantial number of institutions to effective use of
technology [2]. Although there were some initiatives in using GIS in many of the
plain areas of the ICIMOD Regional Member Countries, very few such initiative
were seen in the mountain areas of the HKH Region. As such, it is extremely
important to note that the initiative taken by ICIMOD as formulated in the
Regional Collaborative Programme (RCP), in close collaboration with its
national, regional and global partners is the first and foremost in the
dissemination of GIS, Remote Sensing and Global Positioning System (GIS/RS/GPs)
technologies throughout the HKH Region .
In the process of promoting an
integrated approach to development and environment management in mountain areas,
ICIMOD through its MENRIS program has served as a resource centre for the HKH
Region for the study and application of the GIS, RS and GPS technologies. Its
close contacts and collaboration with application research institutions space
agencies and vendors have fostered the establishment of nodal agencies in
participating Regional Member Countries (RMC) as part of the GIS/RS/GPS network
of RCP, MENRIS has been able to make considerable impact, some of the important
ones are listed below.
Awareness on the use of GIS/RS/GPS (3-5)
technologies
One of the most important and noticeable impacts created by
MENRIS under the RCP I framework is the awareness amongst senior
decision-makers, middle-level managers and analysts about the usefulness of the
modern technologies for improved decision-making. This has provided an initial
thrust to eliminate infrastructural and institutional constraints on the use of
geo-informatics technology in the region.
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