Sustainable development of land and water resources using geographic information system and remote sensing

Realizing the potential of spaceborne multispectral measurements in providing spatial information on natural resources, and of Geographic Information System (GIS) in integrating such information with the socio-economic data and other collateral information to arrive at derivative information, we report here the results of a study which was taken up in a watershed in Charkhari block of Mahoba district, northern India, to generate the information on natural resources from Indian Remote Sensing Satellite (IRS-1B) Linear Imaging Self-scanning Sensor (LISS-II) images through a systematic visual interpretation, and its subsequent integration with the collateral information in a GIS environment to develop optimal land use plan/action plan for sustainable development of its land resources. Since permanent vegetation cover in the watershed has been dwindling due to population pressure, the need for establishing more vegetation cover has been stressed.