Forest Working Plan Inputs for Mizoram
The “Forest Working Plan Inputs for Mizoram” project was initiated in June 2010 as a collaborative geospatial programme involving the Mizoram Remote Sensing Application Centre (MIRSAC), the North Eastern Space Applications Centre (NESAC) and the Environment & Forest Department, Government of Mizoram. Funded by the Forest Department, the project was conceived to strengthen the scientific and spatial information base required for preparation and updating of forest working plans across the State. Its central objective was to translate conventional forest administrative records and field-based knowledge into a standardized digital geospatial framework that could support more accurate forest management, inventory, monitoring and planning. The project adopted satellite Remote Sensing, digital cartography and GIS-based spatial analysis as its principal technologies. Multi-resolution satellite datasets, including IRS LISS-III, LISS-IV and PAN-fused imagery, were used to map forest cover, delineate administrative units and generate spatial information at appropriate working-plan scales. A major component involved the digital demarcation and verification of forest administrative boundaries, including notified Reserved Forests, Forest Divisions, Ranges and Beats, along with protected areas such as Wildlife Sanctuaries and National Parks. Forest cover was further interpreted into different density classes, which subsequently provided important inputs for growing-stock estimation, forest-type segregation and other working-plan assessments. The project was implemented phase-wise across all 13 Forest Divisions of Mizoram. Forest Department Working Plan Officers and field personnel played an important role during preparation of base layers, interpretation of legacy records and identification of critical ground-reference information. Their operational knowledge was integrated with satellite imagery and GIS datasets, helping reconcile field-level administrative information with digitally mapped forest boundaries and resource layers. This collaborative approach was particularly important in Mizoram’s rugged terrain, where conventional ground-based forest surveys can be time-consuming and logistically difficult. By its completion at the end of 2012, the project had generated a substantial collection of working-plan maps, forest administrative boundary datasets, forest-cover and density information, thematic layers and GIS databases, all of which were handed over to the Environment & Forest Department. These outputs provide a valuable reference for working-plan preparation, ground surveys, forest inventory, resource assessment, protected-area management, boundary verification, forest monitoring and future geospatial updating. The project also established a digital baseline that can be progressively integrated with newer satellite, GPS, UAV and field-inventory data, making it an important foundation for long-term scientific forest management in Mizoram. Summarize Metadata Mapping Scale: 1:50,000 Satellite data & Year: IRS LISS III & IV, PAN (2009-2010) Study area: Mizoram Collaborating/Funding Agency: Environment & Forest Department, Government of Mizoram No. of Report(s) published: - No Report but Multiple maps & Forest related GIS data generated Project Period: 2010 - 2012
Meteorological Data of Mizoram
The Meteorological Data of Mizoram project was undertaken as an in-house initiative of the Mizoram Remote Sensing Application Centre (MIRSAC), Science & Technology, Planning Department, Government of Mizoram, to develop an organized and readily accessible meteorological database for scientific, developmental and geospatial applications across the State. The initiative arose from the recurring requirement for reliable climatic inputs in Remote Sensing, GIS, natural-resource assessment and other planning-oriented studies undertaken by MIRSAC and various user departments. The project was implemented in two phases. The first phase compiled available weather observations covering 1986–2008, culminating in the publication of the first meteorological data report in 2009. The second phase subsequently extended and updated the database to include available observations covering 1986–2011, thereby improving the temporal continuity and usefulness of the climatic information resource. Meteorological records were compiled through institutional cooperation with agencies maintaining weather observations in Mizoram, particularly the Department of Agriculture, Government of Mizoram; Department of Economics & Statistics, Government of Mizoram; and Border Roads Task Force (BRTF), Project Pushpak. The principal parameters assembled included rainfall, temperature and humidity, with the information organized district-wise and at the State level wherever records were available. The resulting reports serve as a valuable ready-reference climatic database for government departments, researchers, planners, students and technical agencies. They provide essential baseline information for agriculture and horticulture planning, water-resource assessment, forestry, environmental studies, disaster-risk analysis, infrastructure planning and Remote Sensing/GIS modelling. By progressively consolidating historical observations through successive phases, the project also provides an important foundation for long-term climate monitoring, temporal comparison, future database updating and evidence-based developmental planning in Mizoram. Summarize Metadata Mapping Scale: N.A Satellite data & Year: NA Study area: Mizoram Collaborating/Funding Agency: Mizoram Remote Sensing Application Centre (MIRSAC) No. of Report(s) published: 2 Project Period: 2009 & 2012
Wetland Inventory & Assessment of Mizoram
The Wetland Inventory and Assessment of Mizoram was implemented as part of the National Wetland Inventory and Assessment (NWIA) Project, a nationwide initiative formulated by the Space Applications Centre (SAC), ISRO, Ahmedabad and funded by the Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of India. For Mizoram, the work was carried out by the Mizoram Remote Sensing Application Centre (MIRSAC), with technical guidance and support from SAC and the North Eastern Space Applications Centre (NESAC), Umiam. The project covered the entire State of Mizoram and aimed to create a systematic, standardized and spatially consistent inventory of wetlands at 1:50,000 scale. Its principal objectives were to map and classify wetlands, integrate supporting layers such as roads, settlements, drainage and administrative boundaries, create a seamless GIS database, and contribute to preparation of State-level and National Wetland Atlases. The study made extensive use of Remote Sensing and GIS, particularly IRS-P6 LISS-III satellite data from pre-monsoon and post-monsoon periods, supported by ground-truth observations and ancillary spatial information. Wetlands were interpreted using a standardized NWIA classification framework, while digital image processing techniques and spectral indices such as NDWI, MNDWI, NDVI, NDPI and NDTI were used to delineate wetland extent, seasonal water spread, aquatic vegetation and qualitative turbidity. ERDAS Imagine, ARC/INFO and ArcGIS were used for image processing, database creation, spatial analysis and map preparation. The resulting wetland maps, GIS layers, statistics and report provide an important baseline for wetland conservation, biodiversity management, water-resource planning, environmental monitoring and land-use decision-making. They are particularly useful to government departments, planners, researchers, conservation agencies and other stakeholders requiring standardized and spatially referenced information on Mizoram’s rivers, lakes, ponds and other wetland ecosystems. The project also ensures that Mizoram’s wetland information is integrated into a nationally compatible geospatial database for future monitoring and policy support. Summarize Metadata Mapping Scale: 1:50,000 Satellite data & Year: IRS LISS III (2006 & 2007) Study area: Mizoram Collaborating/Funding Agency: Ministry of Environment & Forest, Govt. of India & Space Application Centre, Ahmedabad No. of Report(s) published: 1 Project Period: 2006 – 2009
Study of Bamboo Flowering in Mizoram
The project “Study of Bamboo Flowering in Mizoram using Remote Sensing and GIS” was undertaken as a collaborative initiative of the Mizoram Remote Sensing Application Centre (MIRSAC) and the North Eastern Space Applications Centre (NESAC), Department of Space, Government of India. The project originated from a proposal submitted by MIRSAC to NESAC in 2007, was fully funded by NESAC, and implemented by MIRSAC as the working centre, with technical guidance and supervision from NESAC. The study covered the entire bamboo-growing areas of Mizoram and was initiated in response to the widespread gregarious bamboo flowering that reached its peak around 2007. Its main objective was to document the general pattern of bamboo flowering in the State and to map and analyze changes in flowering areas over three observation years—2005, 2006 and 2008. This temporal approach provided an important basis for understanding the progression of flowering and its implications for bamboo resources, the environment and rural livelihoods. The project made extensive use of IRS-P6 LISS-III satellite imagery, supported by Survey of India topographic maps, existing land-use information, previous bamboo inventories and field verification. Image processing and analysis were carried out using ERDAS Imagine and ARC/INFO GIS, with techniques such as supervised classification, NDVI, Stress Index, Bamboo Index, image enhancement, mosaicking and GIS-based spatial analysis used to identify bamboo forests and flowering areas. The resulting maps, temporal datasets and GIS database provide a valuable reference for bamboo resource management, forest monitoring, regeneration studies, fire-risk assessment, livelihood planning and future flowering-cycle research. The project is particularly useful to forestry and bamboo development agencies, planners, researchers and policy makers because it establishes a scientifically derived geospatial record of bamboo flowering across Mizoram and provides baseline information for future modelling, monitoring and sustainable management of this economically and ecologically important resource. Summarize Metadata Mapping Scale: 1:50,000 Satellite data & Year: IRS P6 LISS-III (2005, 2006, 2008) Study area: Mizoram Collaborating/Funding Agency: North Eastern Space Applications Centre (NESAC) No. of Report(s) published: 1 Project Period: 2007 – 2009
Mapping and Growing Stock Assessment of Bamboo in Mizoram
The Mapping and Growing Stock Assessment of Bamboo in Mizoram was undertaken by the Mizoram Remote Sensing Application Centre (MIRSAC) in collaboration with and under the sponsorship of the Environment & Forest Department, Government of Mizoram. The project was conceived to generate a reliable, spatially referenced assessment of Mizoram’s extensive bamboo resources and to support their sustainable management, particularly in the context of the State’s cyclical gregarious bamboo flowering, which reached its peak during 2006–2007. The project was executed in two complementary phases. The first phase represented the pre-flowering period assessment, using a three-date satellite time series of IRS-1D LISS-III imagery from 2003, 2005 and 2006, together with PAN data, Survey of India topographic maps, existing forest-resource information and intensive field sampling. Remote Sensing and GIS techniques were used to delineate bamboo cover, classify it into Pure, Mixed and Young bamboo, and develop district-, watershed- and forest-division-wise information on area, culm density and growing stock. The second phase, undertaken after the major flowering event, focused on post-flowering regeneration and future growing-stock assessment using 2008 IRS-1D LISS-III satellite imagery acquired from NRSC, Hyderabad. Regenerating bamboo areas were mapped and verified through systematic field sampling of young bamboo stands, and the observations were used to estimate the likely growing stock as the regenerated bamboo reaches maturity. Together, the two phases provide an important temporal record of bamboo resources before and after the flowering cycle. The resulting bamboo maps, spatial databases, regeneration information and growing-stock estimates are valuable for the Environment & Forest Department, Bamboo Development agencies, planners, researchers, industries and rural development institutions. They support bamboo conservation, plantation planning, sustainable harvesting, raw-material assessment, forest management, industrial development and future monitoring of regeneration across Mizoram. Summarize Metadata Mapping Scale: 1:50,000 Satellite data & Year: IRS 1D LISS III (2003, 2005, 2006, 2008), IRS 1D PAN (2003). Study area: Mizoram Collaborating/Funding Agency: Environment & Forest Department, Government of Mizoram. No. of Report(s) published: 2 Project Period: 2007 – 2009