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Description

This in-person training was in collaboration with Druk Holdings and Investments (Bhutan). It covered data acquisition of satellite and modeled data; methodologies on how to generate land-, water-, and disaster-related products from satellite data; and accessing relevant existing products for assessing land use change, natural resource management, and climate mitigation. This training was tailored to case studies in Bhutan with the goal of improving capacity to use remote sensing data to better manage natural resources, improve land use planning, and monitor disasters experienced in the Kingdom of Bhutan.

Date

May 13-16, 2024

Location

Thimphu Tech Park, Bhutan

Instructors

  • Aparna R. Phalke (NASA SERVIR)
  • Sarah Cox (NASA SERVIR)
  • Sean McCartney (ARSET)
  • Erika Podest (ARSET)
  • Amita Mehta (ARSET)

Prerequisites

Audience

Remote sensing scientists, practitioners, and geospatial analysts from public, private, and civil society organizations to use remote sensing for improved natural resources management.

Foresters, agronomists, data scientists, and land use planners to access, interpret, and apply remote sensing data.

Any practitioners of remote sensing data.

Course Format

Four-day, in-person training

Sessions

Day 1

Monday, May 13, 2024

TopicMaterials

Session I: Introduction and Overview of Earth Observations and Earth System Models

  • Training Outline and Expectations
  • Fundamentals of Remote Sensing
  • Overview of Data Products from Earth Observations and Earth System Models for Environmental Monitoring

Session II: Climate Change Projections and Risk Assessment

  • Introduction and Background to Climate Change Projections and Analysis (Anomalies & Trends)
  • Introduction to Google Earth Engine (GEE)
  • Assessing Regional Climate Change & Impacts in Bhutan

Day 1 Part 1 Presentation Slides (PDF, 9.0 MB)

Day 1 Part 2 Presentation Slides (PDF, 16.2 MB)

Day 1 Part 3 Presentation Slides (PDF, 11.7 MB)

Day 1 Part 4.1 Presentation Slides (PDF, 3.9 MB)

Day 1 Part 4.2 Presentation Slides (PDF, 4.6 MB)

Day 2

Tuesday, May 14, 2024

TopicMaterials

Session III: Disasters – Floods, Landslides

  • Assessing Landslide Hazard Probability
  • Extreme Weather and Flood Monitoring
  • Surface Inundation Monitoring

Session III: Disasters – Fires

  • Pre-Fire Risk Assessment
  • Active Fire & Post-Fire Assessment
  • Monitoring Pre- and Post-Fire Conditions

Day 2 Part 1 Presentation Slides (PDF, 3.6 MB)

Day 2 Part 2 Presentation Slides (PDF, 17.3 MB)

Day 2 Part 3.1 Presentation Slides (PDF, 7.4 MB)

Day 2 Part 3.2 Presentation Slides (PDF, 26.3 MB)

Day 3

Wednesday, May 15, 2024

TopicMaterials

Session IV: Land Cover Mapping and Monitoring

  • Overview of Land Cover Products
  • Land Cover Mapping and Monitoring (Optical & Radar) - Forestry
  • Land Cover Mapping and Monitoring - Urban Growth

Day 3 Part 1 Presentation Slides (PDF, 2.0 MB)

Day 3 Part 2 Presentation Slides (PDF, 22.8 MB)

Day 3 Part 3 Presentation Slides (PDF, 6.5 MB)

Day 3 Part 4 Presentation Slides (PDF, 9.9 MB)

Day 4

Thursday, May 16, 2024

TopicMaterials

Session V: Satellite Remote Sensing for Agricultural Applications

  • Best Practices for Collecting Field-Based Training Data
  • Crop Mapping using a Time Series of Radar and Optical Imagery

Session VI: Exercises and Participant Presentations

  • Case Study in Participant’s Area of Interest
  • Group Presentations
  • Closing Ceremony
Day 4 Part 1 Presentation Slides (PDF, 19.6 MB)

Citation

(2024). ARSET - Building Capacity to Use Earth Observations in Addressing Environmental Challenges in Bhutan. NASA Applied Remote Sensing Training Program (ARSET). https://www.earthdata.nasa.gov/learn/trainings/building-capacity-use-earth-observations-addressing-environmental-challenges-bhutan

Details

Last Updated

March 2, 2026

Published

March 2, 2026

Data Center/Project

Applied Remote Sensing Training Program (ARSET)