JAPRS & SIS, Vol.34, Part 7, “Resource and Environmental Monitoring”, Hyderabad, India, 2002
7.1 Methodology
Keeping in view the facilities available with various
organisations in the country, the methodology for the national
mission should consists of visual interpretation of satellite data
for various types of degraded lands, selection of sample points
based on satistical criteria, ground truth, soil sample analysis
and finalisation of maps with uniform legend. The methodology
manual should be prepared that gives guide lines for carrying
out the work. The working level personnel should be trained
before taking up the project work. This enables to generate a
uniform data base subsequently. Image interpretation key need
to be developed based on image characteristics viz. tone,
texture, pattern, size, shadow, shape, location and association.
The interpretation of all the satellite imagery has to be carried
out following standard procedure of image interpretation
covering the steps i.e., recognition, identification, analysis and
inferences. Multi-date remotely sensed data is planned to be
used in the visual interpretation technique for better abstraction
of different image element, vis-à-vis degraded lands.
7.2 Legend Development
Development of mapping legend is a state of art in land
resource mapping to depict the various land information on
map in a comprehensive manner. This calls for the
development of Nation-wide land degradation mapping legend.
Ministry of Agriculture has developed mapping legend for land
degradation, which requires fine-tuning before adopting for the
mission mode project. (DAC, 1994)
CONCLUSION
The concern for protecting the productivity of natural resources
without further degradation is the key issue for both developed
and developing nations to sustain the future generations.
Reclamation / management of degraded land is one of the
options available to increase area under cultivation and also to
improve the productivity from such lands.
Although the total geographical area affected or likely to be
affected by various degradational/desertification processes is
large and growing throughout the world, its total dimensions
are not known with the necessary degree of accuracy and
reliability. Accurate and reliable figures concerning the states,
extent and rate of desertification for the country is needed for
the development of land degradation information system, so
that further monitoring at reasonable ume intervals would be
more realistic for sustainable agricultural production for the
posterity.
There are positive examples of utilizing the satellite remote
sensing technology for the assessment of status and rate of
desertification but the methodology has to be further simplified.
For the general uniform utilization in different countries. For
this, it seems imperative to refine the definition of
desertification or land degradation in order to make it more
precise and operative. It should contain clear identification of
measurable parameter (s) that can indicate the extent, degree
and rate of the process(s).
The satellite remote sensing and GIS technologies should be
fully utilized for monitoring the land degradation/desertification
processes at reasonable time intervals say once in 10 years
giving sufficient time for undertaking reclamation/conservation
measures in the degraded areas. Future space borne remote
sensing sensors with higher spatial, spectral, radiometric and
692
temporal resolutions are expected to resolve some of the key
issues not addressed by the current sensors.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors express their sincere gratitude to Director, NRSA
and President, Technical Commission-VII, 2000-2004, ISPRS
for his encouragement towards presentation of this invited
paper during the ISPRS, Symposium, December 2002. Thanks
are also due to Dr.T.Ravisankar, Scientist, Agriculture and
Soils Group, NRSA for his technical help in preparing this
manuscript.
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