GIS

Govt of India to launch digital crop survey in 10 states this kharif season

Government of India plans to launch a digital crop survey from the kharif-2023 season across 10 states. In the survey, information on different types of crops sown by farmers in their fields will be collected through an automated process by using “Geo-Referenced maps” of the farmland plots and remote sensing images.

The digital crop survey will be rolled out initially as a pilot project in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala and Gujarat, according to sources. Later, it will be gradually rolled out across the country. Once it becomes fully operational, it will add on to the ageold crop area statistics collection system, which is known as “patwari agency”, that is currently in use in most of the states. According to the sources, the proposed survey will use “the latest technological advancements such as visual and advanced analytics, GIS-GPS Technologies and AI/ ML” to provide “near real-time” information about the crops sown by the farmers.

“As part of the digital agriculture initiatives, the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, plans to develop a reference application for the crop-sown survey,” said a source. “States to take up Geo-referencing of the village maps in their respective states.” Satellite data from National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), which comes under the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), has already been made available to the states, the source said.

Elaborating the process of the proposed survey, the source said, “A crop registry, with a list of all the crops sown in India, is being developed. The crop registry will act as a single source of truth for collecting the data in a standardized manner, during the digital crop survey.” The crop registry will have ability to capture single or multiple crop IDs for the same farmland plot for the same season, along with the respective area of sowing and type of crops, such as intercrop, mixed crops, single crop, the source said, adding that linkage to GPS and Geo-referenced Cadastral maps would enable users to reach the right farm and collect the right data and images.

The linkage to remote sensing and aerial image analysis tools can be used to crosscheck data at a “larger area level” with the reported and derived information from the field level for enabling higher accuracy levels. https://indianexpress.com

Geospatial Excellence Centre at ISM, Dhanbad

Esri India has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with TEXMiN Foundation to set up a Geospatial Excellence Centre at the Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad. It will focus on research and innovation in spatial analytics & remote sensing for mining and exploration. Knowledge of GIS enables mining professionals to explore and calculate economic potential, manage risk, conduct environmental assessments, and analyze other concerns effectively and accurately. https://texmin.in

UNDP and The Ocean Cleanup team up to tackle plastic pollution

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and The Ocean Cleanup have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on eliminating plastic pollution in oceans and rivers around the globe.

The goal of the partnership is to reduce leakages of plastics into marine ecosystems by boosting policies and behavior change aimed at advancing sound plastic waste management systems and reducing overall plastic pollution, and accelerating the deployment of interception technologies in rivers to end marine plastic pollution.

Plastic pollution poses an existential threat to the health of the world’s oceans and the billions of people who depend on marine resources for food and income. Partnerships play a critical role in addressing this complex global challenge. www.undp.org

Sustainable monitoring of greenhouse gases

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) initiative would create a network of ground-based measurement stations that can verify worrying air quality data that’s been flagged by satellites or airplanes, potentially in the next five years.

“At present, there is no comprehensive, timely international exchange of surface and space-based greenhouse gas observations,” the UN agency said, as it urged “improved (international) collaboration” and data exchange to support the 2015 Paris Agreement, which provides a roadmap for reduced carbon emissions and climate resilience.

Climate of understanding Cooperation between governments, international organizations and the private sector will be essential, if the proposed Global Greenhouse Gas Monitoring plan is to be viable, WMO has stressed. Just as important will be increased coordination between surface-based, airborne and space-based observation networks. Some governments and international organizations already carry out specific atmospheric monitoring and maintain datasets, but “there is no overall steering mechanism and there is undue reliance on research funding”, WMO explained, in support of the creation of a single and internationally coordinated atmospheric monitoring body.

The Earth’s atmosphere is mainly made up of nitrogen and oxygen, but there are also many different trace gases and particles that have a substantial impact on life and the natural environment.

Since industrialization, emissions of greenhouse gases have changed atmospheric composition dramatically. In particular, WMO has warned repeatedly that increasing levels of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane are contributing to global warming and driving climate change. https://news.un.org

Government of Canada launches interactive mapping tool

The new Canada Marine Planning Atlas (the Atlas) – an interactive mapping tool that allows users to view and interact with data relevant to marine spatial planning has been launched recently. It includes data on economic, ecological and sociocultural activities that sometimes overlap in Canada’s marine spaces.

Marine spatial planning brings together all levels of government, Indigenous partners and stakeholders to shape better the objectives and future uses of marine space. It improves ocean management by ensuring our marine spaces are used in a holistic way. The impacts of human activities are considered as well as broader ecological, economic, cultural and social considerations. Coordinating how we manage ocean activities is a key factor in achieving Canada’s ambitious conservation goals of conserving 30 per cent of the world’s oceans by 2030.

Tools such as the Atlas help marine spatial planners in Canada manage conservation work with human activities and industries supporting the livelihoods of many coastal communities. This is a critical part of ensuring a sustainable ocean economy for everyone. https://www.canada.ca

GrabMaps to power locationservices for AWS in Southeast Asia

Grab has announced GrabMaps has become a data provider for Amazon Location Service, an Amazon Web Services (AWS) location-based service that is designed to help developers easily and securely add maps, points of interest, geocoding, routing, tracking, and geofencing to their applications. AWS customers, leveraging Amazon Location Service, now have access to high-quality regional mapping data that includes over 50 million addresses and points of interests (POIs) from GrabMaps spanning Singapore, Cambodia, Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Thailand. www.grab.com