Application of Space Technology and Geographic
Information Systems
In
Myanmar
Maung Maung Than, Assistant Director, Remote Sensing
and GIS Section,
Forest Department, Ministry of Forestry
1. Background
History
In terms of Remote Sensing application,
the Myanmar Forest Department is one of the foremost organisations which used
aerial photographs for assessing the vegetative cover of the Ayeyarwady Delta
Mangroves back in the 1920s. However in remote sensing from space, it can be
said that the Department of Meteorology was the first department to use space
satellite data for actual practical purposes. The department is the only
organisation in Myanmar equipped with a satellite picture receiving station for
the reception of cloud pictures and weather information from the Television and
Infrared Observation Satellite (TIROS) and United States National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellite series. The first APT station was
provided and installed by NOAA and became operational as early as June 1973.
This station has been updated repeatedly since. The current APT station was
purchased from the departmental budget and has been in use since February 1994.
It can receive both visual and infrared images from GMS 4 and NOAA 11 and 12
and the Chinese Feng Yun (FY) satellites. It has a storage capacity of 16
images (low resolution) and 4 images (high resolution). The only drawback is that
the department does not have facilities to store images digitally on a day to
day basis. Otherwise this data could be shared with many other departments and
organisations for various applications. During the years from 1986 to 1989 the
Department implemented the Hydrological Project of BUR/84/008 namely
“Improvement of River Flood Warning/Forecasting System Phase II”. One of the
immediate objectives for this project was to establish a flood plain map and a
stage information to facilitate the preparation of meaningful forecast. With
the help of Technical and Field Surveys Pty Ltd, Australia Landsat
Multispectral Scanner (MSS) data was used for such mapping in the Pyi-Shwedaung
area. (Thein Htun 2000).
The Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise also
led in space technology application as early as in 1978. Then Landsat 3 and 4
MSS data at 1:1,000,000 scale were purchased from the Department of Interior,
United States Geological Survey for the preparation of geological maps of
Myanmar. In the 1990s this enterprise started using 1:250,000 scale SPOT false
colour composite photographs of high resolution, enhanced by computer. (Ye
Myint 1994)
The Myanmar Survey Department, Ministry
of Forestry started to use satellite remote sensing when it was assigned to
prepare the landuse maps of Kabaw Valley, for agricultural development planning
in 1996. It purchased 1: 50,000 scale SPOT false colour imageries and produced
land use maps from visual interpretation.
The first introduction of satellite
imagery to the Forest Department was in 1980. Under a FAO / UNEP project
(Tropical Resources Assessment Project) a quick appraisal of the forest cover
of the whole country was carried out using 1: 1,000,000 scale Landsat imagery
of the 1972-1979 period.
The objectives of the UNDP funded project
BUR/79/011 “National Forest Survey and Inventory” 1981-1986, included the covering
the whole of Myanmar by aerial photography; and as such, two sets of Landsat
MSS imageries for the period 1974-1980 at 1:1,000,000 and 1:250,000 were
acquired. The Aerial photography and Mapping section was formed to implement
the objective. The follow up project (MYA/85/003) “National Forest Management
and Inventory” provided a set of Landsat TM imagery for the period 1989-90 at
1:500,000 scale and a countrywide landuse map was produced by visual
interpretation.
The two projects provided training for
the project staff in the fields of satellite remote sensing, digital image
processing, cartography and printing.
The Digital Image Processing system was
installed in the Forest Department in early 1996 with financial assistance of
the “Watershed Management for Three Critical Areas Project (MYA/93/005)” for
its landuse mapping component. Landsat digital data of 5 TM scenes were
acquired along with the digital image processing system PCI EASI/PACE. The
system incorporates with the GIS system to produce landuse maps for sustainable
development of the critical areas. A modest, but at that time modern, RS/GIS
laboratory was established together with very important on-the-job training in the
3 S technology, namely Remote Sensing, GIS and Global positioning system (GPS).
The training gave very important combinations of biophysical and
socio-economical data in GIS. After the completion of the exercise, the Forest
Department has acquired the capacity to launch practical applications of
satellite imageries on its own.
One important contribution from the
Japanese Government is also critical in the development of space technology
applications in the Forest Department. The Department together with the Japan
Forest Technical Association (JAFTA) mapped a large part of the country
starting from 1996 up to 1999, under the Information System Development Project
for the Management of Tropical Forest funded by JICA. 68% of the country was covered
during 4 successive years. The Forest Department and JAFTA staff worked
together in the field, learning from each other. The most important experiences
gained were in planning, purchasing and acquisition of materials and equipment,
field reconnaissance survey and actual field survey work for forestry mapping.
As the digital processing was done back in Japan, only rudimentary knowledge
had been gained by the Myanmar counterparts. NASDA and ESCAP also have
contributed in the mapping of the Mon State using Japanese satellite data.
After that Forest Department changed its aerial photography and mapping section
to Remote Sensing and GIS section.
International organisations such as
International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) and GIS
Application Centre (GAC), AIT, have also contributed to the development of
RS/GIS applications.
2. Current Situation
2.1 Potential and Current uses of Space
Technology and GIS Applications
Natural
Resources
Natural resources can be defined as;
1)
Forest Resources
2)
Soil Resources
3)
Water Sources
4)
Mineral Resources
5)
Marine Resources
6)
Land itself as a foundation for
infrastructure and housing
Forest,
Soil and Water resources
This section deals with many sectors; the
most important ones are forestry, agriculture and irrigation. Sustainability,
quality and quantity of arable soil and water are the life or death of an
agricultural nation like Myanmar. The FAO has now stated that Sustainable
Forest Management (SFM) cannot exist if there is no Sustainable Agriculture
Management and vice versa. (Strategic
Framework Plan for the Forestry Sector 2000-2015), FAO report, Seminar on
Current International Issues Affecting Forestry and Forest Products, Asean
Forest Officers’ Meeting, Yangon, July 2000)
Application of space technology and GIS
for agricultural and irrigation needs are vast, indeed they are limitless. The Land
Use Division of the Myanma Agriculture Service has suggested soil survey and
soil conservation fields only. (Tun Ni Aung 2000). However for various
departments and services under the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, the
following applications are in need of RS/GIS solutions. Requirements for all
related Ministries are presented below:
1.
Soil surveys
2.
Land Capability and Land
Suitability Surveys (To be performed with other sectors)
3.
Crop suitability Surveys
4.
Crop monitoring, disease and
pest monitoring and yield prediction and logistic support management.
5.
Run off calculation for
reservoir and dam planning. (Irrigation)
6.
Flood map for riverbank
control, mitigation of flood damage. (Together with Meteology Department)
7.
Water disaster control and
mapping.
8.
Agricultural cadastral mapping
and development planning. ( With the Settlement and Land Records Department)
The Myanma Agriculture Service’s Land Use
Division, together with FINMAP in undertaking Soil Analysis for the Wa
Alternative Development Programme (WADP) has started to use aerial remote
sensing and GIS for producing soil maps from 1:25,000 scale colour aerial
photography. This is a pilot project done for UNDCP and UNOPS in the poppy
growing Shan State areas that should be duplicated in other regions. Land
capability and land suitability mappings are essential basic surveys necessary
for integrated land use planning. It can assuredly be stated that there is no de facto landuse policy in Myanmar at the
moment. Landuse conflict had been pervasive in all landuse sectors throughout
the country. The conflict between agriculture, irrigation, shifting
cultivation, livestock and fisheries, and forest shall be ongoing until there
is a definitive landuse policy. Lack of co-ordination and co-operation among
land users creates a big handicap for the furtherance of environmental
conservation and its integrity. Essential GIS layers for land capability and
suitability surveys are:
a)
Current Land Use layer in
1:50,000 scale. ( the Forest Department will have total coverage at the end of
2000-2001 budget year with Landsat 5 and 7 scenes from 1995 to year 2000)
b)
Soil map (at least with
Physical texture) in 1: 50,000 scale. At present 1: 2,000,000-scale maps are
available for the public. (Arc/Infor format is available in the Forest Department) 1: 250,000 scale maps had
been destroyed during 1988 crisis in the Land Use Division of MAS.
c)
Geology and Geomorphology maps
in 1: 50,000 scale. (1:1,000,000 scale maps are available for the public. It is
available in Arc/Infor format in the Forest Department)
d)
Slope and slope aspect maps;
from Digital Elevation Model generated from 1: 50,000 or existing 1: 63360
scale topographic maps.
Current land use layer in the Forest
Department is available in various formats. JAFTA data is in Erdas Imaging .img
format. Others like the Mon State, Tanintharyi Division are in the Arc/Infor
format. Current mappings in the Shan and Kachin states will be produced in
Vector Arc/Infor format for ease of data handling and available computing capability
of the Forest Department. The Forest Department should try to merge all these
important data into one format that can used by other sectors also. But these
data are and will always be available for other agencies, organisations and
sectors. No duplication efforts should be taken otherwise updating with new
data.
The importance
of Land Capability and Land Suitability maps has been recognised by the Ministry
of Forestry. In its Myanmar Forest Policy (draft) the medium and long-term
objectives for the land use sector, are preparation of land capability maps and
upgrading the country’s capacity in land evaluation and mapping on a continuous
basis.
This concept is also in line with the Watershed
Classification system used by the Mekong River Commission. This system, developed
for the Commission by the University of Berne, Switzerland has been applied for
many Mekong River Basin countries. The Forest Department needs only a DEM with
50ft contour interval to complete this classification for Myanmar Mekong River
Basin.
It
can be concluded here, that either national land capability and land
suitability mappings, or a form of watershed classes mapping performed together
by related sectors using space technology and GIS systems is urgently needed
for sustainable management of the forest, soil and water resources.
For soil survey mappings in 1:50,000
scale or geology and geomorphology mapping, the related departments normally request
Landsat Imagery data. Soil, Geology and Geomorphology data do not change much
within a decade; so the present collection of Landsat 5 and Landsat 7 data in the
Forest Department can meet their requirements. The cost for new data to be acquired
by other departments can be spent on hardware and software development, and minimal
costs for plotting of satellite data in required scales will need to be spent.
Some elementary training in remote sensing and GIS can be shared locally also.
Only advanced training in each special application (e.g. technology for
extracting geology features from satellite images, using satellite data to
produce soil maps etc.) should be spent. Producing of flood maps also can use
the existing data in the same way although the present rate of changes in
riverbanks should be taken into account.
Importance
of DEM data
DEM data is becoming a requisite for
space technology applications especially in water and soil resources
management. A lot of DEMs are available in the world market and also in the
research and development RS/GIS world environment. But Myanmar has difficulties
to acquire such data. To produce her own DEM is a tiresome and tedious process.
The Forest Department has produced a lot
of DEM and the following are major constraints for Myanmar to complete her own
national DEM with available resources.
1)
The largest scale topographic
maps available (1:63360) do not cover all of the country. Even the one inch two
mile maps (1:31680) do not have full coverage. 1:250,000-scale maps do cover
the whole country but contour information is very poor for actual generation of
practical DEMs.
2)
If reliable maps are not
available extraction of DEM from aerial photographs is the optional method. Here
also 1: 25,000 scale aerial photographs (largest scale in civilian use) do not
cover the whole country. Technology is not a problem. The Survey Department is
now performing a pilot project for re-mapping of Myanmar in UTM projection,
that will have digital contour maps as one of its outputs. But it is still in a
pilot stage and degradation of soil and water resources are not waiting for it
to be completed.
3)
Producing of DEM from stereo
satellite data is too costly for Myanmar.
Crop suitability mapping will follow the
land suitability mapping. Once an area has been designated for forestry,
agriculture or other land uses; crop (both agriculture and forest) suitability
mappings can be followed by respective sectors. Of course more detailed soil
mapping, including chemical properties will be needed together with
meteorological data and water resource maps (both surface and ground water).
Mineral
Resources
According to the Department of Geological
Survey and Mineral Exploration (DGSME) reports, a total area of 149,330 square
miles (386,763 km2) or 57 per cent of the country has been geologically mapped
to assist countrywide mineral prospecting and exploration. Prospecting,
exploration and feasibility studies are being carried out on 24 blocks, which
are favourable for gold and copper minerals. Each block is 540 sq.miles (1400
sq. km) wide and when the study has been undertaken, the geological mapping of
the whole country is nearly be completed. DGSE together with Suntac
International, a local company using application of Remote Sensing and GIS has
started programs for application of satellite data in geological mapping in the
Northern Kachin State. (Myanmar Agenda
21, NCEA)
As already stated, this Department can
use the existing data of Ministry of Forestry and share the result.
Establishing of a GIS database from their survey is a task possible with our
own national resources. Only assistance in the form of transfer of technology for
professional geology mapping using space technology will be needed from
organisations such as NASDA.
Marine
Resources
U Aung Htay Oo of the Sea Fisheries
Resources Survey and Research Unit of the Department of Fisheries has submitted
a comprehensive report “Remote Sensing and GIS for Fisheries Resources” to this
training workshop. (Appendix). A short excerpt is given below.
A huge continental shelf area of Myanmar
lies within the 200-meter depth contour of about 230,000 sq.km in the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal,
with the coastal line of 2832 km from North to South. The fishing grounds of Myanmar
are divided into three zones, namely the Rakhine coastal zone, 740 km long from
the Nat River to Mawtin point that covers an area of about 367780 sq.km; the
Delta zone lies between the Mawtin point and the Gulf of Mottama, the centre of
the coastal line with the area of 105000 sq.km; and the Tanintharyi coastal
zone lies in the lower part of the main land including more than 800 islands
(Myeik Archipelago) at the southern part of Myanmar and the Andaman Sea, with
an area of 84000 sq.km. Myanmar’s maximum sustainable yield of marine fish has
been estimated at approximately 1.05 million tons/year excluding shrimp and
other marine fauna.
Temperature and seawater colours are
useful in locating marine fishery resources. The state of the sea is governed
by physical factors such as sea surface temperature, surface winds, tides,
waves, currents, eddies, internal waves and circulation patterns; chemical
factors such as salinity, oxygen, water quality, dissolved gases, fertility and
contamination of the sea; biological factors such as phytoplankton,
zooplankton, fishes and their larvae and various living resources; and
geological factors such as topography, sea bed variation and sea mountains etc.
Remote Sensing of Oceans can be useful in
many ways:
a)
It can observe a global picture
of oceans for broad study of basin-wide phenomena.
b)
It can detect the regions that
are inaccessible or are not easily studied by ships.
c)
It can raise fish production by
helping in prediction and forecasting of marine fisheries resources.
d)
It can assist in Earth climate
studies through regular monitoring of the environment, and
e)
It can help with weather
forecasts, which are routinely made with the help of satellite remote sensing
data, so that instructions and warning regarding storm or cyclones can be
disseminated to the fishermen and ocean going ships in time.
Sea Fisheries Resources Survey and
Research Unit of the Department of Fisheries, the Naval Survey Department and the
Department of Marine Science, University of Mawlamyine, are working together on
the fisheries resources of Myanmar. All these organisations are keenly
interested to collaborate with the related ministries, which have been
employing RS/GIS systems, to work on the marine resources of Myanmar, and also keen
to acquire the Hi-tech facilities of the GIS system software and other required
techniques.
For collaboration among ministries for
basic remote sensing, data and experience sharing, there are positive
possibilities. GIS issues can definitely be done. Only remote sensing for the
marine resources sector needs new inputs of satellite data and technology
transfer. Current data available, lacks oceanographic data where there are no
landmasses in the Landsat frames because the focus in the past had been on the
land cover of the country. Also present expertise and experiences are related
mostly to classification of land cover and biomass. New kind of satellite data
such as OCTS sensors of NASDA will be needed continuously. Whether the
satellite APT station of the Meteorology Department can be accessible, will
need to be discussed.
Land
itself as a foundation for infrastructure and housing
Infrastructure development has started to
use space applications and GIS. The first successful attempt has been railroad
alignment searching for Kyaw Ridge performed for the Ministry of Railways by the
Forest Department and Suntac International. DEM extracted from topographic
maps, aerial photographs are used. Latest IKONOS satellite imageries are
applied for field verification and field survey. New railroad alignments are
being sought out using the same technologies where conventional methods have
failed, because of very difficult terrain and inaccessibility.
The Yangon City Development Committee has
started to use GIS for land parcel mapping. The main problem facing the
database builders is outdated maps. A lot of data updating has to be done for
about two decades. Therefore the present land parcel status are not on the
official maps. The responsible company Myanma Computer Company (MCC) has
decided to use IKONOS images to acquire current data. Unfortunately since the
order has been sent to NASA there has been no window over Yangon for a clear
shot. The YCDC has been drawing a Strategic Development Plan for Yangon City in
the vision of 2020 with the help of Malaysian Technicians. And the Committee
has also been trying to carry out Public Transport Development in City Planning
with the co-operation of Japanese Transport Corporation Association (JTCA), by
creating Township Boundaries, Traffic Bus Routes, Road & Signals, Water
Distribution Systems, Sewage Systems, etc. within the Yangon City Limit using
RS & GIS technology. (Khaing Moe Nyunt, 2000)
When urban cadastral mappings are
concerned with respective development councils (municipalities) the rural
cadastral mapping is the task of Settlement and Land Records Department. This
department is the first department in the Ministry of Agriculture and
Irrigation to use Remote Sensing and GIS. The combination of digital 1:4,000
scale cadastral maps with other agriculture data (Number of draft cattle, areas
under cropping, area of cultural wastelands etc.) under this department into the
GIS system will greatly enhance the development of the country’s agricultural
sector.
Forestry
Applications
Space technology and GIS applications of the
Forest Department are in the fields of;
a)
Forest Management
Essential data for forest management such
as current forest cover status, forest types, deforestation rate etc. now
depend mainly on RS/GIS data.
b)
Watershed Management
Watersheds of all important reservoirs,
dams and weirs are now in GIS format using the latest satellite data. Critical
watersheds are being mapped in 3D GIS. Data is distributed to the field staff
with required administrative layers.
c)
Combating Desertification
Although the Central Dryzone of Myanmar
is a semi-arid area, the situation was approaching to the desertification
level. The RS/GIS section of the Forest Department has done 1:50,000 scale
mapping of current land use, slope information, erosion susceptibility and
regeneration planning data for 26 million acres of the area.
d)
Biodiversity Management
For the Environment and Wildlife Division
of the Forest Department the locations of 24 Protected Areas Systems are
available in Arc/Infor format in 1:1,000,000 scale. The vegetation layer for
habitat mapping is supplied from current land use satellite data. Detailed GIS
mapping for important PAS systems are underway.
e)
Environmental Monitoring and
Evaluation
The Forest Department performed EIA
operations for critical areas such as the Total Gas Pipeline project, Yeywa
Hydropower Project, Mekong Water Basin etc.
Miscellaneous
Applications
a)
Disaster Management
Flood control, flood monitoring,
storm-warning etc. are life and death matters for developing countries. Myanmar
has a good storm warning system thanks to radar stations and Meteo Satellite
data. But in time of crisis like severe floods, optical satellites are almost
useless. Radarsat is very good; but it takes data only when ordered. In a time
of flood crisis or any other natural disaster developing countries need their
hard currencies for immediate supplies of food, medicines etc. A fund should be
raised to supply SAR data in time of crisis, free to the developing countries
without waiting for the orders, so that immediate action can be taken depending
upon information from the space data.
b)
Anti-narcotic activities
Myanmar has started a program for
monitoring and assessing of anti-narcotic activities with her own resources and
it is hoped that organisations like NASDA can support it in this important
issue.
Involvement
of Private Sector in Remote Sensing and GIS in Myanmar
Involvement of the Private Sector is very
important for all technology developments. The private sector, which is
market-oriented, has resources and motivation, which the governmental
organisations lack, because of their bureaucratic mechanisms. When the Forest
Department started using RS/GIS there were no private companies investing in
these modern technology fields. The first private company in Myanmar, which
actually invested in RS/GIS, was Geocomp, Myanmar, who are distributors of ER
Mapper software, one of the primary software this training workshop will be
using. Myanmar Intergraph followed with its own Geomedia Pro and associated
modules such as ENVI. The next company that entered into the GIS world is
Myanmar Computer Company Ltd. (MCC). It started by constructing a LIS database
of Yangon City cadastral maps. It is now the vendor of ESRI products
(Arc/Infor, Arc View) and Erdas Imaging in Myanmar. A late comer is Suntac
International, which represents TNTmips and is also successfully using LH
digital photogrammetry workstations. It is hoped that with the co-ordination of
governmental organisations and private sector involvement the momentum of
development of RS/GIS applications will be much faster than it was in the last
decade.
Conclusions
Following conclusions can be made on the
current status of application of space technologies and GIS in Myanmar.
1)
Basic skills and knowledge for
application of RS/GIS is still lacking in most of the sectors although this can
be solved locally with the establishment of a National Centre.
2)
Basic GIS layers which are
instrumental for applications of RS and GIS; sustainable national development
and management of natural resources should be established as a priority and
with joint co-ordinated efforts of all sectors concerned.
3)
It is important to avoid
duplication and redundancy of efforts, as it will cause a great deal of cost
and time loss.
4)
Involvement of the Private
Sector in application of space technology is important. Concerted efforts
between the government and private sectors, to develop RS/GIS applications
should be strengthened.
References
1.
Applications of Remote Sensing in the Department of Meteorology and
Hydrology. Thein Tun, Assistant Director,
Meteorological Division, Department of Meteorology and Hydrology, Ministry of
Transport.
2.
Short Presentation on the Utilization of Remote Sensing and GIS for
Soil and Land Use Management. Tun Ni Aung,
Assistant Supervisor, Land Use Division, Myanma Agriculture Service, Ministry
of Agriculture and Irrigation.
3.
Remote Sensing and GIS for Fisheries Resources. Aung Htay Oo, Staff Officer (Research), Sea Fisheries Resources
Survey Unit (Gyogon), Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Livestock and
Fisheries.
4.
The Utilization of Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System
in Yangon City Development Committee. Khaing Moe
Nyunt, Head of Section, City Planning and Land administration Department,
Yangon City Development Council.
5.
Myanmar Forest Policy (1995) (Draft).
Ministry of Forestry.
6.
Integrated Applications of Remote Sensing and Geographic Information
Systems for Land and Water Resources Management in Myanmar. Ye Myint, Research Officer, Hydrological Division, department of
Meteorology and Hydrology.
7.
Myanmar, Agenda 21.
National Commission for Environmental Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
8.
Strategic Framework Plan for
the Forestry Sector 2000-2015, FAO report, Seminar on Current International Issues
Affecting Forestry and Forest Products, Asean Forest Officers’ Meeting, Yangon,
July 2000)
Appendixes
1.
Applications of Remote Sensing in the Department of Meteorology and
Hydrology. Thein Tun, Assistant Director,
Meteorological Division, Department of Meteorology and Hydrology, Ministry of
Transport.
2.
Short Presentation on the Utilization of Remote Sensing and GIS for
Soil and Land Use Management. Tun Ni Aung,
Assistant Supervisor, Land Use Division, Myanma Agriculture Service, Ministry
of Agriculture and Irrigation.
3.
Remote Sensing and GIS for Fisheries Resources. Aung Htay Oo, Staff Officer (Research), Sea Fisheries Resources
Survey Unit (Gyogon), Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Livestock and
Fisheries.
4.
The Utilization of Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System
in Yangon City Development Committee. Khaing Moe
Nyunt, Head of Section, City Planning and Land administration Department,
Yangon City Development Council.
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