In an attempt to share lessons and experiences from a decade-long effort on the application of Earth Observation Science and geospatial information technologies to address local needs in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region, Birendra Bajracharya, Rajesh Bahadur Thapa and Mir A. Matin have come out with a comprehensive book. The book, titled “Earth Observation Science and Applications for Risk Reduction and Enhanced Resilience in Hindu Kush Himalaya Region: A Decade of Experience from SERVIR”, was launched on August 25, and throws light on SERVIR‘s approaches to innovative applications in agriculture and food security; land cover and land use change, and ecosystems; water resources and hydro-climatic disasters; and weather and climate services.
SERVIR connects Space to village by helping developing countries use satellite data to address critical challenges in food security, water resources, weather and climate, land use and disasters.
A joint development initiative of NASA and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), SERVIR works in partnership with leading regional organizations world-wide to help developing countries use information provided by Earth observation satellites and geospatial technologies to manage climate risks and land use.
The book offers a collection of multi-disciplinary topics with practically tested applications in the region. It is a complete package of knowledge and learnings on project cycle including service area planning, stakeholder consultation, user engagement, capacity building, monitoring and evaluation, gender integration and communications.
The authors
Birendra Bajracharya is Senior Remote Sensing and Geoinformation Specialist at ICIMOD and leads the SERVIR-HKH initiative. He specializes on decision support systems, spatial data infrastructure, capacity building, and applications on natural resources management.
Rajesh Bahadur Thapa is Remote Sensing and Geoinformation Specialist at ICIMOD. His work focuses on radar applications to monitor and assess terrestrial environments, and capacity building on Earth observation and geoinformation technologies in the region.
Mir Matin is Theme Leader for the Geospatial Solutions at ICIMOD. He provides scientific leadership in building and promoting innovative and user-oriented geospatial applications to support improved resilience and livelihoods in the region.
