Back to news
21 Apr 2022 | Press releases

Land Cover Monitoring System for Nepal Launched

2 mins Read

70% Complete
Photo: Jitendra Raj Bajracharya/ICIMOD.

Kathmandu, 22 April: The Forest Research and Training Centre (FRTC) is pleased to announce the launch of Nepal’s National Land Cover Monitoring System (NLCMS) to mark Earth Day. The system uses cloud computing and artificial intelligence to generate consistent data on how much of a region is covered by forests, wetlands, agriculture, and other land and water types, on an annual basis.  

The NLCMS will improve reporting on forest cover change and support Nepali lawmakers in making evidence-based policies to improve related land management practices. The FRTC developed the NLCMS with support from SERVIR-HKH, a joint initiative of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD). 

The Ministry of Forests and Environment (MOFE), Government of Nepal, USAID, and ICIMOD jointly organized the Earth Day event, which was chaired by Biswo Nath Poudel, Vice-Chair of the National Planning Commission and Chair of the ICIMOD Board of Governors. 

Speaking on the occasion, Minister for Forests and Environment (MOFE), Ramsahay Prasad Yadav recalled Nepal’s world-leading commitment at COP26 to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045 and become carbon negative thereafter. He added that the MOFE is committed to institutionalising the NLCMS for forestry sector policymaking, planning, and management to help achieve this commitment.  

In his keynote address, Michael Michener, Deputy Assistant Administrator of USAID’s Bureau for Resilience and Food Security said that SERVIR has demonstrated the powerful collaboration between NASA and USAID in bringing together science and technology to empower countries in monitoring and responding to their environmental challenges. He said, “We are committed to working with the Government of Nepal to seize the opportunities meaningful climate action creates, and we look forward to continuing our partnership to advance Nepal’s green, resilient and inclusive development.”   

Similarly, Pema Gyamtsho, Director General of ICIMOD emphasized that the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region is a climate hotspot, and that regular monitoring of land cover and land use change is important for land use planning, sustaining ecosystem services, and building resilience to climate change.  

During the event, Yam Pokhrel, Director General of FRTC, explained how the NLCMS works. He acknowledged the collaborators for their support in conceptualizing, and developing the software, and incorporating the latest methodologies in land cover mapping.

Nepal’s national forest cover data was last updated in 2015. The NLCMS will make annual data available, classified into 11 specific land cover types. System users can further customise these classifications to generate datasets that comply with national and international reporting requirements.


For more information, please contact: Neraz Tuladhar, Media Officer, ICIMOD – media@icimod.org

Stay current

Stay up to date on what’s happening around the HKH with our most recent publications and find out how you can help by subscribing to our mailing list.

Sign Up
21 May 2015 Press releases
Streamline ecotourism in protected areas, say experts

More than 200 experts, policymakers, government officials, and journalists who participated in the three-day international conference on ecotourism in protected ...

11 Dec 2015 Press releases
Mapping an uncertain future: Atlas of climate change and water in five crucial water basins in the Hindu Kush Himalayas

Negotiations at COP 21 are heading towards a conclusion. But no matter what the wording of the final text, there ...

24 Jun 2025 Press releases
ICIMOD partners with UN Climate Change to strengthen region’s climate action and ambition

Simon Stiell, UN Climate Change Executive Secretary, and Pema Gyamtsho, Director General, International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development sign ...

5 Jun 2023 Press releases
山区居民、登山者和科学家在珠峰敲响警钟,倡议世界各国领袖们立即迈向脱碳之路

距人类首登世界之巅已70年,而气候紧急情况发生在此:在兴都库什-喜马拉雅区域内,三分之二的冰川预计将在本世纪末消失。 领先的山地机构国际山地综合发展中心(ICIMOD)、尼泊尔登山协会(NMA)和山区伙伴关系(Mountain Partnership) 呼吁全世界来拯救地球上的冰雪,以避免为时过晚。 #“拯救我们的雪”宣言在最初48小时内就收集到1000多个签名,其中包括新西兰前总理、各国外交官、传奇登山者和著名地球科学家。 尼泊尔加德满都讯(2023 年 5 月 29 日)——七十年前的今天,在埃德蒙·希拉里爵士和丹增·诺尔盖首次登上珠峰 ; 70 年后的今天,地球上最高的山峰正在经历由全球变暖引起的前所未有且基本不可逆的变化。 全球变暖正在危及珠峰与兴都库什-喜马拉雅地区的环境,该地区横跨八个国家,约长3500公里。根据目前的排放情况,科学家预计在未来70年内,该地区三分之二的冰川或将消融。 国际山地综合发展中心(ICIMOD)在包括 尼泊尔登山协会 和 山区伙伴关系(联合国自愿伙伴联盟)在内的全球山地机构的支持下,呼吁公众支持 #拯救我们的雪(#SaveOurSnow)运动。该运动要求公众: 在社交平台分享来自世界各地山区的故事和照片,使用#SaveOurSnow 标签 强调气候影响; 在网址 icimod.org/saveoursnow/declaration/ 签署一份宣言,呼吁各国政府兑现将升温限制在 1.5 ...

10 Dec 2024 Press releases
Region’s disaster experts unite in response to rising numbers and intensity of climate-driven hazards in mountains

Kathmandu, 10 December 2024 Senior Disaster Management experts from six Hindu Kush ...

27 Mar 2016 Press releases
More power for women in water decisions needed

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="570"] Dr Tira Foran, CSIRO speaks at the opening of ...

6 Dec 2019 SERVIR-HKH
Knowledge forum calls for regional cooperation on early warning for floods and high-impact weather events

In light of these challenges, the ICIMOD convened a regional knowledge forum on early warning for floods and high-impact weather ...