SRD-himal



Geoinformatics for Planning
Sustainable Rural Development in the Himalayas
(co-funded by Eurasia-Pacific Uninet, Austria, 2015-16)
INTRODUCTION

The social development of the Himalayan societies is directly dependent on the nature of their economic activities which are significantly influenced by their resource endowment. The progress of mountain subsistent societies is strongly influenced by the prevailing physiographic and climatic conditions. Recent researches on the regional climatic conditions have established that these are not simply the reflections of annual or periodic variations but the overall climate is changing and this is manifesting in various forms like increased incidences of high and low temperatures, draughts, flash floods, glacial melts etc. The effects of such extreme climatic events on the rural subsistent agricultural economies are already being recorded through the Himalayas as well as around the world.

OBJECTIVE
  • Develop institutional capacity to use GIS Applications for Planning Sustainable Rural Development in the Himalayas by enhancing conceptual understanding and improving technical skills.
ACTIVITIES
  • Organise a short intensive Faculty-Development Workshop in Bhutan.
  • Disseminate the results through a participant level Seminar in Bhutan.

The reason for organising a short intensive multi-partner GIScience Faculty Development Workshop and Dissemination Seminar is to share the ’know-how’ regarding the methods of identifying crucial indicators of environmental and socio-economic changes in mountain environments, and to generate higher multiplier effect within a short period (1 week) and initiate a network for future cooperation.

PARTNERS
 Organiser Institutions
AUSTRIA:
 - Austrian Academy of Sciences - GIScience, Vienna / Salzburg
 - Interfaculty Department of Geoinformatics - Z_GIS, University of Salzburg, Salzburg
 - Eurasia-Pacific Uninet, Vienna

BHUTAN:
 - College of Natural Resources (CNR), Royal University of Bhutan, Lobesa

Participant Institutions
AUSTRIA:
 - Austrian Academy of Sciences - GIScience, Vienna / Salzburg
 - Interfaculty Department of Geoinformatics - Z_GIS, University of Salzburg, Salzburg
 
BHUTAN:
 - College of Natural Resources (CNR), Lobesa
 - College of Science and Technology, Rinchending
 - Samtse College of Education, Samtse
 - Sherubtse College, Kanglung
 
NEPAL:
 - Institute of Forestry, Pokhara
 - International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), Khumaltar
 - Kathmandu University, Dhulikhel
 - Prithvi Narayan Campus, Pokhara
 - Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu
OUTCOMES (see the blog here)
  • A workshop was organised at College of Natural Resources (CNR), Lobesa, from 21st to 25th March, 2016.
  • 18 teachers, students and professional from Nepal, Bhutan and Austria participated in the workshop.
  • All the participants completed individual practical projects and presented in the dissemination seminar.
Contact: Dr. Shahnawaz, Interfaculty Department of Geoinformatics - Z_GIS, University of Salzburg, Austria.