Earth Observation Science and Applications for Risk Reduction and Enhanced Resilience in Hindu Kush Himalaya Region

Birendra Bajracharya is Senior Remote Sensing and Geoinformation Specialist at ICIMOD and leads the SERVIR-HKH initiative. He specialises on decision support systems, spatial data infrastructure, capacity building, and applications on natural resources management.Rajesh Bahadur Thapa is Remote Sensing and Geoinformation Specialist at ICIMOD. His work focuses on radar applications to monitor and assess terrestrial environments, and capacity building on Earth observation and geoinformation technologies in the region. Mir Matin is Theme Leader for the Geospatial Solutions at ICIMOD. He provides scientific leadership in building and promoting innovative and user-oriented geospatial applications to support improved resilience and livelihoods in the region.

• Chapter 1. Introduction and rationale.- Chapter 2. SERVIR: A global network of environmental management with Earth observation and geospatial technology.- PART 1. APPROACH FOR SUSTAINABLE IMPACTS.- Chapter 3. Understanding the gaps, needs and priorities of National agencies in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region to use Earth observation and Geospatial tools for decision making.- Chapter 4.  Service planning framework.- PART 2. DATA SCIENCE AND SERVICES FOR IMPROVING AGRICULTURE, FOOD SECURITY AND RESILIENCE.- Chapter 5. Getting prepared for droughts in South Asia.- Chapter 6. Mapping crops for better national production estimates in Afghanistan and Nepal.- Chapter 7. Understanding agriculture land use practices to support food security planning and policies in Pakistan.- Chapter 8. Mapping and monitoring food insecurity in Nepal.- PART 3. UNDERSTANDING LAND COVER DYNAMICS AND ECOSYSTEM SERVICES.- Chapter 9.  Regional land cover monitoring system .- Chapter 10.   Supporting scientific forest management in Nepal.- Chapter 11. Forest Fire Detection and Monitoring.- PART 4 – WEATHER AND CLIMATE SERVICES FOR WATER AND HYDRO-CLIMATIC DISASTERS.- Chapter 12.  Enhancing flood early warning in the Hindu Kush Himalayan Region.- Chapter 13. Rapid flood mapping using multi-temporal SAR images: an example from the Bangladesh.- Chapter 14. Glacier, Glacial Lakes and its Change Assessments in Afghanistan.- Chapter 15.   High impact weather assessment tool.- PART 5 – ENABLING ENVIRONMENT.- Chapter 16.   Systems for information management and dissemination to the users.- Chapter 17.   Enabling capacity of individuals and institutions in geospatial information technology and Earth observation applications.- Chapter 18.   Gender perspectives in Earth observation information technology and applications.- Chapter 19.   Communicating science for decision making (Utsav).- Chapter 20.   Strengthening User Engagement.- Chapter 21.   Earth observation information for lasting impact: planning, monitoring, evaluation and learning.- PART 7 - LESSONS AND FUTURE PERSPECTIVES.- Chapter 22.   Lessons and future perspectives.

"The editors have made a remarkable effort to tailor and make uniform the style and storyline across the chapters. Other strengths of the book are the schemes and tables that illustrate the approaches taken in project implementation and in each of the specific services. … these illustrations play an efficient role for the readability of the book." (María J. Polo, Mountain Research and Development, Vol. 42 (2), May, 2022)