Analysing Geospatial Techniques for Land Degradation Studies in Hindu Kush-Himalaya

Abstract

Degraded land is predominantly considered as an unusable natural resource for sustaining livelihood practices such as agriculture, forestry and tourism. Land degradation poses far more grave threats in mountains where exploitable land is limited. A sustainable existence in mountainous area depends on the conservation practices adopted and a judicious utilisation of land and water resources. Due to the vastness of the Hindu Kush-Himalaya (HKH), trans-boundary issues and difficult terrain and weather conditions, geospatial techniques utilizing remote sensing and Geographical Information System (GIS) play an important role in assessing the degree of land degradation. The main focus of this chapter is on analyzing the usability and effectiveness of the geospatial approaches and methods needed to study wide-scale land degradation in the HKH mountains. This Chapter further assesses the various aspects of land degradation in mountains and highlights the markers to study land degradation. It tries to analyze the degree of anthropogenic interference on land resources in the human-dominated Himalayan region. It provides an overview of significant studies that have dealt with the assessment of land degradation in the HKH using remote sensing and GIS methodologies. The Chapter offers suggestions that future studies using geospatial techniques in resource monitoring and assessment should take heed of. Additionally, it proposes conservation and livelihood strategies for sustainable development in these high mountains.