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The project “Study of Bamboo Flowering in Mizoram using Remote Sensing and GIS” was undertaken collaboratively by the Mizoram Remote Sensing Application Centre (MIRSAC) and the North Eastern Space Applications Centre (NESAC), Department of Space, Government of India, with financial and technical support from NESAC. The study was conceived in response to the large-scale gregarious bamboo flowering that culminated around 2007 and its associated ecological and socio-economic consequences. Its primary objectives were to document the general pattern of bamboo flowering in Mizoram, map flowering areas, and analyse their spatial progression using multi-temporal satellite data from 2005, 2006 and 2008.The methodology employed IRS-P6 LISS-III satellite imagery, supported by ancillary information, ground verification and GIS-based interpretation. Image processing included geo-rectification, enhancement, digital classification and application of vegetation-related models such as NDVI, Bamboo Index and Stress Index. District-wise bamboo layers were generated for all eight districts for each observation year, producing 24 interpreted thematic layers that were cross-referenced for change detection and statistical assessment. The final database distinguished non-flowering bamboo, flowering bamboo and newly regenerated bamboo areas, while field-derived parameters were also used to estimate losses in bamboo culm resources.The 2005 baseline assessment estimated 5,697.29 sq. km of bamboo cover across Mizoram. In 2006, bamboo flowering was still relatively limited, accounting for about 6.05% of the mapped bamboo area, with Aizawl recording the largest flowering extent and Champhai showing a comparatively high proportional incidence. By 2008, flowering had expanded dramatically to 3,312.61 sq. km, representing 56.88% of the total bamboo area mapped for that year. Lunglei recorded the largest absolute flowering area at 854.63 sq. km, while Saiha and Kolasib showed very high proportional flowering levels of 83.07% and 81.15%, respectively.The cumulative analysis indicates that the flowering wave accelerated sharply between 2006 and 2008. When referenced to the original 2005 bamboo cover, the total flowering area during 2006–2008 was estimated at 3,675.20 sq. km, or 64.50% of the 2005 bamboo area. The study also estimated the loss of approximately 3,324.63 million bamboo culms, equivalent to 66.77% of the estimated live culm stock in 2005. Lawngtlai and Saiha experienced particularly severe proportional culm losses, exceeding 95%.Overall, the project successfully established a comprehensive geospatial record of bamboo flowering progression in Mizoram and demonstrated the value of multi-temporal Remote Sensing and GIS for monitoring large-scale vegetation change. The resulting maps, change matrices and bamboo-loss estimates provide an important scientific baseline for bamboo regeneration studies, resource management, forest-fire preparedness, rural livelihood planning and future modelling of cyclical bamboo flowering events.Summarized MetadataMapping Scale: 1:50,000 Satellite data & Year: IRS P6 LISS-III (2005, 2006, 2008)Thematic sub-category: Environment & ForestCollaborating/Funding Agency: North Eastern Space Applications Centre (NESAC)Report Publication Month/Year: August, 2009

The Atlas of Natural Resources of Mizoram is a comprehensive geospatial reference publication prepared by the Mizoram State Remote Sensing Centre (MSRSC) under the Science, Technology & Environment Wing, Planning Department, Government of Mizoram. Published in 2009, the Atlas represents the culmination of the Natural Resources Mapping of Mizoram project, a state-wide initiative funded by the North Eastern Council (NEC), Shillong, and subsequently supported by the Government of Mizoram for the compilation and publication of this integrated reference volume. Unlike the individual district reports, which present detailed technical analyses, the Atlas consolidates the findings from all districts into a single, visually rich document that provides a comprehensive overview of Mizoram's natural resources through thematic maps, state-wide statistics, and spatial analyses.Prepared using Remote Sensing, Geographic Information System (GIS), GPS-based field verification, and conventional resource surveys, the Atlas integrates information derived from high-resolution IRS satellite imagery with field observations and existing geoscientific data. It presents an extensive collection of standardized maps covering major natural resource themes, including land use land cover, geology, geomorphology, soils, drainage, watersheds, groundwater potential, slope, aspect, elevation, transportation networks, settlements, and integrated land and water resource development action plans. In addition to district-wise thematic maps, the Atlas introduces consolidated state-level resource inventories and statistical summaries, enabling readers to visualize the spatial distribution, extent, and diversity of Mizoram's natural resources at a broader regional scale.One of the principal strengths of the Atlas lies in its ability to transform large volumes of technical geospatial information into an accessible and user-friendly reference. By combining district-level datasets into a unified state-wide perspective, it highlights regional variations in terrain, forest resources, agricultural landscapes, watershed systems, soil characteristics, groundwater prospects, and land capability. The Atlas also provides valuable insights into the distribution of shifting cultivation, forest cover, bamboo resources, and environmentally sensitive areas, thereby serving as an important baseline for monitoring land-use change and supporting evidence-based environmental planning. The standardized thematic maps facilitate comparison across districts and offer an integrated understanding of the interrelationships between natural resources, physiography, and developmental potential.Designed as a multidisciplinary reference, the Atlas serves a wide spectrum of users, including government departments, planners, researchers, academic institutions, engineers, environmental managers, and policymakers. The information compiled within the Atlas supports applications in watershed management, forestry, agriculture, horticulture, infrastructure planning, groundwater exploration, disaster risk reduction, biodiversity conservation, environmental impact assessment, and sustainable regional development. Even years after its publication, the Atlas continues to serve as an invaluable baseline document for geospatial planning and natural resource management in Mizoram.User Advisory: Owing to the inclusion of numerous high-resolution thematic maps covering the entire State of Mizoram, the digital version of this Atlas is large in size (exceeding 300 MB). Users should expect longer download times depending on their internet connection, and opening the document may require considerable system memory and processing resources, particularly on older computers or mobile devices. For users requiring only a quick overview of the state's natural resources, a condensed edition containing the consolidated state-wide maps and statistical summaries is also available upon request, offering a more lightweight and convenient alternative for general reference.Summarized MetadataMapping Scale: 1:50,000Satellite data & Year: IRS 1D PAN & LISS III (2003 & 2004) Thematic sub-category: Land Use/Land Cover, Geology, Water resource, Climate, Action Plan Collaborating/Funding Agency: Science, Technology & Environment Wing, Planning Department, Government of MizoramReport Publication Month/Year: June, 2009

The second-phase report of the project “Mapping and Growing Stock Assessment of Bamboo in Mizoram using Remote Sensing and GIS” presents the post-flowering assessment of bamboo resources and natural regeneration following the widespread gregarious flowering of 2006–2007. The study was undertaken to reassess the bamboo resource base after flowering, map regenerating areas, evaluate the regenerative capacity of bamboo forests and estimate the likely growing stock once the new bamboo crop reaches maturity. The report therefore complements the first-phase pre-flowering assessment by providing a post-flowering perspective on the condition and recovery potential of bamboo resources across Mizoram.The assessment used IRS-1D LISS-III satellite imagery acquired in 2008 from the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), Hyderabad, together with Survey of India topographic sheets at 1:50,000 scale, existing land-use and road information, previous bamboo inventories and intensive field observations. Ground surveys recorded the number of culms, diameter, height, age and species composition of regenerating bamboo. Remote Sensing and GIS techniques were used to correct and update bamboo-cover maps, distinguish post-flowering areas from the limited non-flowering patches, and generate district-, watershed- and forest-division-wise estimates of area, culm abundance and predicted growing stock.The analysis estimated a total bamboo-bearing area of 7,091.66 sq. km, equivalent to 33.63% of Mizoram’s geographical area. On the basis of regeneration surveys and expected growth to maturity, the total bamboo growing stock was predicted at approximately 24.01 million metric tonnes, with an average of 3,386.25 MT per sq. km and an estimated 6,123.86 million culms statewide. Among the districts, Lunglei contained the largest bamboo area at 1,956.59 sq. km and the highest predicted growing stock at approximately 6.109 million tonnes. Mamit followed with about 4.164 million tonnes, while Aizawl was estimated at 4.004 million tonnes. Champhai recorded the lowest district-level growing stock at approximately 1.163 million tonnes.At the watershed level, the Tlawng watershed was projected to contain the highest growing stock at about 3.225 million tonnes, while Tiau recorded the lowest at about 0.148 million tonnes. Among forest divisions, Thenzawl showed the highest predicted stock at about 3.809 million tonnes.A key finding of this second phase is that extensive natural regeneration of bamboo occurred after flowering and seed fall, demonstrating considerable recovery potential. However, this regeneration remains highly vulnerable to shifting cultivation, forest fire and other biotic and abiotic disturbances. The report therefore emphasizes protection of young regenerating stands, systematic bamboo plantation, improved management and continued monitoring.Overall, the report establishes an important post-flowering baseline for Mizoram’s bamboo resources. Its updated maps, regeneration data and predicted growing-stock estimates provide essential information for bamboo rehabilitation, sustainable harvesting, plantation programmes, industrial raw-material planning and long-term resource monitoring. Importantly, the growing-stock figures represent predicted mature stock from regenerating bamboo, rather than the standing mature biomass present immediately after flowering. Summarized MetadataMapping Scale: 1:50,000 Satellite data & Year: IRS 1D LISS III (2008).Thematic sub-category: Forestry & EnvironmentCollaborating/Funding Agency: Environment & Forest Department, Government of Mizoram.Report Publication Month/Year: March, 2009

The project “Micro Landslide Hazard Zonation Mapping of Lunglei Town using Remote Sensing and GIS” was undertaken by the Mizoram Remote Sensing Application Centre (MIRSAC), Science & Technology, Planning Department, Government of Mizoram, as an in-house study to support disaster-risk reduction and safer urban development in Lunglei. The study was initiated in response to recurrent landslides associated with the town’s steep and dissected terrain, weak sedimentary formations, heavy monsoon rainfall and increasing anthropogenic disturbances such as road cutting, slope modification and unplanned construction. Its main objectives were to analyse land use/land cover, slope, geomorphology, lithology and geological structure, and to integrate these parameters for preparation of a micro-level landslide hazard zonation map.The study covered the 55.08 sq. km notified area of Lunglei Town. High-resolution QuickBird imagery with 0.8 m spatial resolution formed the primary database, supplemented by IRS-P5 Cartosat-I stereo imagery of 2.5 m resolution, Survey of India topographic maps, field observations and ancillary information. Cartosat-I stereo data were used for contour and slope generation, while QuickBird imagery supported detailed thematic interpretation. The hazard assessment adopted a qualitative, expert-weighted methodology modified from the NRSA approach, in which the controlling terrain parameters were rated according to their relative influence on slope instability.The terrain analysis revealed the dominance of steep slopes: 55.41% of the study area lies within the 40–60° slope class, while another 33.60% falls within 20–40°; only about 9% of the area has slopes below 20°. Geomorphologically, Medium Structural Hills occupy 71.94% of Lunglei, followed by Low Structural Hills at 21.18%, demonstrating the strong structural control over the town’s rugged landscape.The final landslide hazard zonation classified Lunglei into five susceptibility classes. Very High Hazard Zones occupy 1.01 sq. km (1.84%), while High Hazard Zones account for 7.67 sq. km (13.92%). The largest proportion falls within the Moderate Hazard Zone—19.76 sq. km or 35.87%—followed by Low Hazard at 17.05 sq. km (30.96%) and Very Low Hazard at 9.59 sq. km (17.41%). Thus, approximately 51.6% of the town falls within Moderate to Very High hazard categories, highlighting the significance of terrain instability for future urban planning.The study also documented field evidence of slope instability associated with crumpled shale, jointed rock, quarrying, road widening, retaining-wall failure and soil saturation. Overall, the project demonstrated the effectiveness of high-resolution Remote Sensing and GIS for micro-level landslide assessment. The resulting thematic layers, hazard zonation map and 1:20,000 grid-wise maps provide an important scientific baseline for land-use regulation, infrastructure planning, slope stabilization, disaster preparedness and prioritization of mitigation measures in Lunglei Town.Summarized MetadataMapping Scale: 1:5,000 Satellite data & Year: Quickbird & Cartosat-1 (2007)Thematic sub-category: Disaster Management, GeologyCollaborating/Funding Agency: Science, Technology & Environment Wing, Planning Department, Government of MizoramReport Publication Month/Year: February, 2009

The first-phase report of the project “Mapping and Growing Stock Assessment of Bamboo in Mizoram using Remote Sensing and GIS” presents a State-wide assessment of bamboo resources representing the pre-bamboo flowering period, prior to the culmination of widespread gregarious flowering during 2006–2007. The study was undertaken by the Mizoram Remote Sensing Application Centre (MIRSAC) under the Science and Technology, Planning Department, with sponsorship from the Environment & Forest Department, Government of Mizoram. Its principal objective was to quantify the spatial extent, distribution, culm population and growing stock of bamboo across Mizoram and to establish a geospatial baseline for scientific resource management, utilization and subsequent monitoring.The assessment integrated IRS-1D LISS-III satellite data from 2003, 2005 and 2006 and PAN data from 2003, Survey of India topographic sheets at 1:50,000 scale, existing land-use and forest-resource information and intensive field sampling. Satellite imagery was geocoded, enhanced and fused to generate a statewide False Colour Composite mosaic, followed by visual interpretation, ground verification and GIS-based analysis. Field measurements included bamboo diameter, height, weight and culm density, supported by GPS observations. Bamboo areas were classified into Pure, Mixed and Young bamboo forests, and corresponding statistics were generated at district, watershed and forest-division levels.The study estimated a total bamboo-bearing area of 9,029.57 sq. km, equivalent to 42.82% of Mizoram’s geographical area, confirming bamboo as one of the dominant forest resources of the State. The total above-ground green growing stock was estimated at 26.93 million metric tonnes, with an average stock density of approximately 2,982 MT per sq. km. Pure bamboo accounted for the overwhelming share, with about 25.23 million tonnes, compared with 0.91 million tonnes in mixed bamboo and 0.79 million tonnes in young bamboo. The statewide culm population was estimated at approximately 6,867.82 million culms, of which more than 6 billion occurred in pure bamboo forests.Spatially, Lunglei District recorded the largest bamboo area at 2,146.48 sq. km and also the highest growing stock at approximately 6.54 million tonnes, representing 24.29% of the State total. Kolasib showed the highest proportional bamboo cover, with 66.50% of its district area under bamboo, while Champhai recorded the lowest proportional coverage at 18.28%. Tlawng watershed contained the largest absolute bamboo area, whereas Tuiruang watershed recorded the highest proportional watershed coverage at 65.56%.Overall, this first-phase assessment established a critical pre-flowering benchmark for Mizoram’s bamboo resource base. The report also recognized threats from shifting cultivation, forest fire, biotic pressure and the impending large-scale flowering event. The generated bamboo maps, growing-stock estimates and spatial databases therefore provide an essential reference for sustainable harvesting, plantation planning, industrial raw-material assessment, forest management and for evaluating subsequent post-flowering depletion and regeneration. Summarized MetadataMapping Scale: 1:50,000 Satellite data & Year: IRS 1D LISS III (2003, 2005, 2006), IRS 1D PAN (2003).Thematic sub-category: Forestry & EnvironmentCollaborating/Funding Agency: Environment & Forest Department, Government of Mizoram.Report Publication Month/Year: December, 2008