Kathmandu / The Forest Research and Training Centre (FRTC) is pleased to announce the launch of Nepal’s National Land Cover Monitoring System (NLCMS) to mark Earth Day. The system uses cloud computing and artificial intelligence to generate consistent data on how much of a region is covered by forests, wetlands, agriculture, and other land and water types, on an annual basis.
The
NLCMS will improve reporting on forest cover change and support Nepali
lawmakers in making evidence-based policies to improve related land management
practices. The FRTC developed the NLCMS with support from SERVIR-HKH, a joint
initiative of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID),
the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the International
Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD).
The
Ministry of Forests and Environment (MOFE), Government of Nepal, USAID, and
ICIMOD jointly organized the Earth Day event, which was chaired by Biswo Nath
Poudel, Vice-Chair of the National Planning Commission and Chair of the ICIMOD
Board of Governors.
Speaking
on the occasion, Minister for Forests and Environment (MOFE), Ramsahay Prasad
Yadav recalled Nepal’s world-leading commitment at COP26 to achieve carbon
neutrality by 2045 and become carbon negative thereafter. He added that the
MOFE is committed to institutionalising the NLCMS for forestry sector
policymaking, planning, and management to help achieve this commitment.
In
his keynote address, Michael Michener, Deputy Assistant Administrator of
USAID’s Bureau for Resilience and Food Security said that SERVIR has
demonstrated the powerful collaboration between NASA and USAID in bringing
together science and technology to empower countries in monitoring and
responding to their environmental challenges. He said, “We are committed to
working with the Government of Nepal to seize the opportunities meaningful
climate action creates, and we look forward to continuing our partnership to
advance Nepal’s green, resilient and inclusive development.”
Similarly,
Pema Gyamtsho, Director General of ICIMOD emphasized that the Hindu Kush
Himalaya (HKH) region is a climate hotspot, and that regular monitoring of land
cover and land use change is important for land use planning, sustaining
ecosystem services, and building resilience to climate change.
During
the event, Yam Pokhrel, Director General of FRTC, explained how the NLCMS
works. He acknowledged the collaborators for their support in conceptualizing,
and developing the software, and incorporating the latest methodologies in land
cover mapping.
Nepal’s
national forest cover data was last updated in 2015. The NLCMS will make annual
data available, classified into 11 specific land cover types. System users can
further customise these classifications to generate datasets that comply with
national and international reporting requirements.