Application of Geoinformatics in Natural Resource Management at Micro Level
Dr V Madhava Rao
Geomatics Cell, Centre for Micro Planning,
National Institute of Rural Development, Hyderabad.
Email: mrv@nird.gov.in
Dr R R Hermon
Email: rrh@nird.gov.in
Abstract
The pressures on the natural resources have tremendously increased over years by man's greed for commercialisation and livilihood of local people. Devoid of regeneration, population pressure and wide scale tree felling depleted the natural resources to a level, which posed a problem for the very sustenance of man. Therefore it is imperative to understand the consequences of manmade initiatives and to devise proper strategies to counteract these detrimental effects to keep a balance of the environment, ecology, green cover and human livilihood.
Geoinformatics has proven as a powerful tool for studying the natural resources and help in locational features, extent of coverage, monitoring the resources and in generating modeling for probable scenarios, which assists in optimising resource utilisation.
The Geoinformatics application is demonstrated through a Case Study in Keshampet Mandal of Mahaboobnagar District of Andhra Pradesh. Various layers like Landuse and Landcover, Geomorphology, Slope etc have been generated along by integrating both satellite imagery and ground data, which was analysed to generate an action plan for land development.
Geoinformatics use in the natural resource management has proved to be an indispensable management and decision making tool which can ensure optimum use of the resources and help in devising systems for judicious resource use and management practices and generate land based action plans, which can easily taken up by local communities, PRIs, CBOs, NGOs and Watershed Associations. Further monitoring of various activities and impact assessments can be reliably administered for ensuring visible benefits to the community involved.
Geoinformatics would be used extensively by all at all levels in the foreseeable future in a cost effective and time saving manner and would be customised and simpliefied with local language interface to be used by local comunities with ease like the present scenarios of PIK, IT and ITES in rural areas.