The Challenge

Understanding the spatial distribution of resources is critical for decision making, whether at the level of the farm, district, country, or higher. We must not only map the resources but also understand the interrelationships between arrays of spatially related data. This means analyzing a wide range of spatial data, involving climate, land resources, and socioeconomic factors. Thus, we can improve management by maximizing the potential for resource use or knowing where vulnerability to mismanagement or adverse climatic events lies.

Spatial Analysis in Indochina

The project "Spatial Analysis in Indochina" is being jointly carried out with the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS). The project will use remote sensing to better understand land use patterns. Multi-temporal and multi-platform satellite imagery, and available spatial data sets will be used for agroenvironmental analyses. Remote-sensing data from sources such as the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) system or QuickBird (which has very high resolution images) will be used to develop digital elevation models, identify land forms, and analyze agricultural and nonagricultural land use patterns and possible resource limitations.

The work will first focus on the uplands of northern Laos, where farmers are moving from traditional shifting systems to more stabilized agricultural practices. Understanding the quality of fallow areas is critical to understanding the potential for different farming systems. The project will not only assess a broad range of spatial resources, but will also attempt to use satellite imagery to differentiate between short and medium fallows and between fallows or rotations of different quality. The work will be closely linked with on-going and developing activities in natural resource management.

CIAT Contacts

Yukiyo Yamamoto
GIS and Spatial Analysis Specialist
PO Box 783
Vientiane, Lao PDR
Phone: +856 (21) 770090
Fax: +856 (21) 770091
E-mail: y.yamamoto@cgiar.org