Malaysia Satellite Technology
Sunday, November 2, 2008
MALAYSIA: Satellite technology for more efficient forest management
by: New Straits Times Press (Malaysia)
KUALA LUMPUR, Tues. - Forest management, including curbing illegal logging, will be made more efficient with satellite technology under a new project between the Malaysian Centre for Remote Sensing and the Forestry Department Peninsular Malaysia (JPSM).
Under a memorandum signed today, both parties will co-operate in forest resource mapping, forest road planning and tree mapping in all forests nationwide.
Besides monitoring illegal logging, other benefits in these three fields are identifying disaster-prone areas and the inventorising of species.
Macres is to provide remote sensing technology and JPSM is to apply it. The contract will be evaluated and expanded after five years.
"Remote sensing will make enforcement against illegal logging easier and cheaper, instead of depending on forest rangers as we do now," said Science, Technology and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Law Hieng Ding who witnessed the signing.
He said satellite pictures would show if logging had taken place outside permitted areas.
JPSM director-general Datuk Zul Mukhshar Md Shaari said satellite technology would help in deciding where logging tracks should be allowed without harming catchment areas.
"We also hope forest resource mapping can help us identify individual trees according to species for inventory purposes."
Zul Mukhshar said satellite pictures taken in 1970, 1980 and 1990 showed that forest cover had been decreasing.
He said in the peninsula, total forest cover was now at about 5.94 million hectares or 48 per cent of the land surface.
Statistics obtained later from a JPSM researcher showed that this was a decline from 6.27 million hectares in 1990.
He described the yearly rate of decline as insignificant even though forest cover was now much less than a decade ago.
However, Zul Mukhshar said there was an increase in areas gazetted as permanent forest reserves in the peninsula.
There are now some 4.85 million hectares of such reserves, representing 36.8 per cent of land area.
"Though total forest cover is less due to development, there are now more forest reserves and hopefully they can be maintained."
Macres director Nik Nasruddin Mahmood said forest monitoring could be done more consistently when the centre's ground receiving station in Temerloh opened by the end of next year.
With the station, Macres will not have to request for satellite images from foreign satellite owners and wait several months before receiving them.
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KUALA LUMPUR, Tues. - Forest management, including curbing illegal logging, will be made more efficient with satellite technology under a new project between the Malaysian Centre for Remote Sensing and the Forestry Department Peninsular Malaysia (JPSM).
Under a memorandum signed today, both parties will co-operate in forest resource mapping, forest road planning and tree mapping in all forests nationwide.
Besides monitoring illegal logging, other benefits in these three fields are identifying disaster-prone areas and the inventorising of species.
Macres is to provide remote sensing technology and JPSM is to apply it. The contract will be evaluated and expanded after five years.
"Remote sensing will make enforcement against illegal logging easier and cheaper, instead of depending on forest rangers as we do now," said Science, Technology and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Law Hieng Ding who witnessed the signing.
He said satellite pictures would show if logging had taken place outside permitted areas.
JPSM director-general Datuk Zul Mukhshar Md Shaari said satellite technology would help in deciding where logging tracks should be allowed without harming catchment areas.
"We also hope forest resource mapping can help us identify individual trees according to species for inventory purposes."
Zul Mukhshar said satellite pictures taken in 1970, 1980 and 1990 showed that forest cover had been decreasing.
He said in the peninsula, total forest cover was now at about 5.94 million hectares or 48 per cent of the land surface.
Statistics obtained later from a JPSM researcher showed that this was a decline from 6.27 million hectares in 1990.
He described the yearly rate of decline as insignificant even though forest cover was now much less than a decade ago.
However, Zul Mukhshar said there was an increase in areas gazetted as permanent forest reserves in the peninsula.
There are now some 4.85 million hectares of such reserves, representing 36.8 per cent of land area.
"Though total forest cover is less due to development, there are now more forest reserves and hopefully they can be maintained."
Macres director Nik Nasruddin Mahmood said forest monitoring could be done more consistently when the centre's ground receiving station in Temerloh opened by the end of next year.
With the station, Macres will not have to request for satellite images from foreign satellite owners and wait several months before receiving them.
Forests.org users agree to the Full Disclaimer as a condition for use. Viewing and/or downloading of this information on these terms only.
Labels: Satellites
Using satellite technology to enhance life
by:M. VEERA PANDIYAN
BANGALORE: Malaysia is set to use satellite technology in education, agriculture, fisheries and telemedicine, to further improve incomes and the quality of life of its people, especially those in rural areas.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who ended his week-long tour to India with a visit to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) here yesterday, said he was very impressed by the application of the technology in India.
“We are looking at initiating a formal cooperation with ISRO in various areas,” he said.
While ISRO’s main focus is the development of satellites, launch rockets, ground systems and remote sensing programmes, its technology has been extended to help bridge the huge development gap between urban and rural India.
Many Indians in rural areas now have access to distance education, health care and telemedicine diagnosis, crop yield projections and even fish catches from the sea, through the use of ISRO’s satellites and remote village sensing centres.
The technology is also relied on to identify groundwater for bore wells, soil stability studies, prevention of landslides and disaster area management.
Najib, who is also Defence Minister, said the Government would also consider India’s missile technology, radar systems, defence communication systems and support hardware offered through state-owned company Bharat Electronics Ltd.
“Mindef will look at the suitability of the systems for our defence needs,” he added.
Najib and his entourage, including Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jamaluddin Jarjis and senior Mindef officials, earlier visited the company’s headquarters, where they were shown state-of-the-art electronic warfare systems.
On the IT industry, Najib said Malaysia wanted to be closely linked to Bangalore-based global Indian software giants such as Infosys Technologies and Wipro Technologies.
“Towards this, the Multimedia Development Corporation (MDEC) has been asked to set up an office here,” he said.
“We have to keep abreast of the software industry, and respond quickly and correctly to current needs and requirements.
“We want them to invest in Malaysia, especially in the huge shared services and outsourcing (SSO) sector. We can benefit from the potential growth of the industry.”
He said Infosys, which had withdrawn plans to set up its disaster data back-up recovery centre because of bureaucratic obstacles, was still keen on investing in Malaysia.
Najib said efforts would be taken immediately to resolve such problems in future.
BANGALORE: Malaysia is set to use satellite technology in education, agriculture, fisheries and telemedicine, to further improve incomes and the quality of life of its people, especially those in rural areas.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who ended his week-long tour to India with a visit to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) here yesterday, said he was very impressed by the application of the technology in India.
“We are looking at initiating a formal cooperation with ISRO in various areas,” he said.
While ISRO’s main focus is the development of satellites, launch rockets, ground systems and remote sensing programmes, its technology has been extended to help bridge the huge development gap between urban and rural India.
Many Indians in rural areas now have access to distance education, health care and telemedicine diagnosis, crop yield projections and even fish catches from the sea, through the use of ISRO’s satellites and remote village sensing centres.
The technology is also relied on to identify groundwater for bore wells, soil stability studies, prevention of landslides and disaster area management.
Najib, who is also Defence Minister, said the Government would also consider India’s missile technology, radar systems, defence communication systems and support hardware offered through state-owned company Bharat Electronics Ltd.
“Mindef will look at the suitability of the systems for our defence needs,” he added.
Najib and his entourage, including Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jamaluddin Jarjis and senior Mindef officials, earlier visited the company’s headquarters, where they were shown state-of-the-art electronic warfare systems.
On the IT industry, Najib said Malaysia wanted to be closely linked to Bangalore-based global Indian software giants such as Infosys Technologies and Wipro Technologies.
“Towards this, the Multimedia Development Corporation (MDEC) has been asked to set up an office here,” he said.
“We have to keep abreast of the software industry, and respond quickly and correctly to current needs and requirements.
“We want them to invest in Malaysia, especially in the huge shared services and outsourcing (SSO) sector. We can benefit from the potential growth of the industry.”
He said Infosys, which had withdrawn plans to set up its disaster data back-up recovery centre because of bureaucratic obstacles, was still keen on investing in Malaysia.
Najib said efforts would be taken immediately to resolve such problems in future.
Labels: Satellites
