This is a demonstration project to validate the use of VEGETATION data for Forest Cover Assessment and Monitoring of selected countries in Southeast Asia. The proposal was selected during the 2^nd. Call for investigation of the VEGETATION preparatory programme. The VEGETATION Programme is developed jointly by France, the European Commission, Belgium, Italy and Sweden. The satellite component of the programme was launched successfully in March 1998 onboard SPOT 4 and will deliver measurements which were specifically tailored to monitor land surfaces' parameters with a frequency of about once a day on a global basis and a medium spatial resolution of one kilometre.

Goals/Objectives

The objective of the project is to evaluate the potential application of the VEGETATION data for performing a forest cover assessment and monitoring of Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand. The followings are the experimental objectives of the proposed research proposal.

1. Multi-temporal analysis of the VEGETATION data for the land cover assessment and monitoring of Cambodia, Laos and Thailand;
2. Develop methodological guidelines for VEGETATION data interpretation; and
3. Integrate VEGETATION data in the ongoing land cover assessment and monitoring project of UNEP/EAP.AP