1. Indian Institute of Remote Sensing Indian Space Research Organisation Dehradun Challenges in Capacity Building in Remote Sensing & GIS P. S. Roy (director@iirs.gov.in)

2. Challenges in Capacity Building in Remote Sensing & GIS The UNCED (1992) definition for capacity building encompasses: scientific, technological, organizational, and institutional resources and capabilities. A fundamental goal of capacity building is to enhance the abilities of stakeholders to evaluate and address crucial questions related to policy choices and modes of implementation among different options for development. Beginning of Career Achieving Excellence

3. Capacity Building Initiatives…… Capacity building efforts can be designed to serve individuals, organizations, geographical or interest communities, or the nonprofit sector as a whole. Direct response programs which provide funds or services to nonprofits to address defined capacity building needs. Capacity building initiatives which target a select group of nonprofits and usually address a broad range of organizational effectiveness issues. Sector-strengthening programs which support knowledge development, knowledge delivery, or knowledge exchange. Building a better knowledge base about the impact of capacity building requires a methodology that allows comparison across different types of capacity building engagements and programs.

4. Curriculum, Infrastructure & Tools: Issues Obsolete/Rigid Curricula and delivery mechanism Absence of uniform academic standard and lack of networking Difficulty of releasing many officers for long-term training even when majority require retraining to update their knowledge in the emerging new technologies Lack of financial resources for international exposures Lack of provision for continuing education and training State-of-the-art laboratories, field instruments and trained faculty Uniform academic standard and proper networking would have facilitated sharing of human and other training facilities Survey organizations have not inducted professionalism and there is wide gap in adaptation of contemporary technology. Introduction of modular curricula will enable interested persons to join short module(s) of interest and then go back to their jobs. Proper planning is needed to over- come this issue Know-how in modern day technology and hand holding with current trend is required for excellence in capacity building exercise.

5. Earth Observation: A Spectrum of Environmental Applications

6. Challenges of Capacity Building in Remote Sensing and GIS Satellite remote sensing exits for three decades with variety of data sets and its prudent application for well being of human society. Geographical Information System in present form is two decade old and encompasses its role in all sectors of daily life. Technological know-how to these areas is very much important for wider application in grass root level.

7. Curriculum Development It needs to be very dynamic in nature to tune with the rapidly changing technology. Remote Sensing is multi-disciplinary in nature because of its varied applications domain. Curriculum needs to allow for specialization in specific areas as per the users need. The target group should be i) Young fresh graduates who wants to make carrier in remote sensing ii) people who are at the beginning of their professional carrier iii) Middle level professionals and finally iv) the decision makers. This will allow the flow of knowledge to all levels of personnel in a particular domain. Challenges of Capacity Building in Remote Sensing and GIS

8. Research in Curriculum Innovation in technology to improve understanding of the relevant processes and their interactions and identify the various impacts and changes Calibration and validation issues End –to-end research from data generation to data modeling. Other areas to include in the capacity building are the operation of ground stations for tracking and telemetry and command, satellite data applications, acquisition and processing of satellite data from various satellites Impromptu response when natural calamity struck. Capacity building activity is indispensible so that data can be processed quickly for immediate response to the disaster event. Building of capacity for transfer of knowledge, skills and technology and promote the exchange of experiences. Challenges of Capacity Building in Remote Sensing and GIS

9. Continuum Education Because of the fast changing technology in remote sensing and GIS, the trainees used to out of date quickly. There has to be provision of bringing them back after every five years and appraised them with the newer technology. This refreshers course should be of short duration with focused theme. Lecturers also need to maintain dynamic curriculum to cater the present need and address with the state-of-the-art technology. Challenges of Capacity Building in Remote Sensing and GIS

10. Cutting Edge Technology Curriculum should address the newer scientific arena e.g. Atmospheric remote sensing, climate change issues, Ocean state forecasting, seismic & geodynamic phenomena etc. Emphasis should be on the technology domain too. State-of-the-art technology can only provide the solution we are looking for. It is highly essential to be acquainted with the modern day technology & current trends and incorporate them into the curriculum. Challenges of Capacity Building in Remote Sensing and GIS

11. Integrate What We Know Represent Understand patterns, relations, processes Manage Communicate We Need Better Ways to…

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