Download - FRA Nepal

Land-use is one of the key issues in making a new forest policy. The decision of land-use and respective forest management
regime is one of the most important outcomes of the forest policy formulation process. The starting point is the present landuse,
which should be detected as one variable of the FRA. If possible, wall-to-wall map should be produced presenting the
prevailing land-use pattern. Tabular and some geographic data can be obtained from the field plots and from the very high
resolution remote sensing plots (images).
The OSFIS is designed using standard software development process and in close co-operation with local IT company chosen
in an open bidding process. Following three steps are covered in close communication with the end-users:
1. Determination of System Requirements (Tasks: describe approaches to requirements determination, participate
Joint Application Design sessions and use prototyping during requirements determination);
2. Structuring System Process Requirements (Tasks: draw data flow diagrams, prepare use cases and use case);
3. Structuring System Data Requirements (Tasks: prepare a conceptual data model - draw an entity-relationship
(E-R) diagram or a class diagrams);
Finally, the chosen local IT Company will compose the system and design technical databases, forms, maps and reports as
well as interfaces and dialogues. The produced map layers have to be carefully thought and designed to meet the data needs.
This is one of the key components of the project. The list of desired maps can be long and each map layer should be given a
priority class. The realisation should start from high priority map layers. A preliminary list of map layers is suggested below
as an example.
Primary maps in
national and regional
data production
1. Interpretation of Forest and shrubland areas (Ownership, Land-use, Forest
type/habitat, Degradation, Volume -, Age -, Biomass-, Carbon classes)
2. Ortho-rectified satellite images in compressed format for viewing (sid/ECW)
3. Topographic map, scale 1:50,000, 1:25,000
4. Cadastral Map and database (when available)
Environmental maps 1. National parks, wildlife reserves and conservation areas
2. Wetland that signify important for national biodiversity
3. Water courses, watershed areas
4. Areas with high risks of landslides and erosion
Maps for Analysis 1. Statistical socio-economical maps, Nepal Info
2. Administrative maps
3. Transportation maps (road network)
4. Old Land use maps and forest resource maps (LRMP, NFI 1998)
Reporting is implemented by using some standard reporting software, such as Seagate Crystal Reports. The test versions of
the program will be constantly evaluated together with officers in charge. Their feedback is taken into account to improve the
functionality of the software. The first output will be software for field inventory result computing to be adopted and used by
inventory data users. The second output will be GIS based OSFIS to integrate data sources within the Ministry of Forests and
Soil Conservation.
This component will be started 4 months after launching the project. Implementation will take 8 months during 24 working
months. The pilot inventory software is provided before the end of the first year. The GIS based Open Source Forest
Information System will be available after second year.
7.4.2.1 Output and timetable
Duty / Product
Timetable
Description of the system: system requirements, data flow, data model 1 st year
Definition and ranking of map layers 1 st year
Realization of Integrated GIS based FIS 2 nd to 3 rd year, on-going
The project staffs responsible for implementation:
STA, Senior Data Management Adviser (Regional), Forest Information system and Remote Sensing Expert with local ITcompany
and national counterparts are responsible.
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