Shifting cultivation, a traditional agricultural practice, has long influenced forest cover dynamics across Southeast Asia. This cyclical process of vegetation clearance, burning, and regrowth carries substantial environmental and socio-economic consequences. In India, shifting cultivation—locally known as jhum—is prevalent in the northeastern states, including Tripura. Over time, socio-economic changes and policy interventions have altered traditional jhum cycles, influencing land use patterns. Continue Reading »

Authors- Ashutosh Bhardwaj, Hari Shankar Srivastava and Raghavendra Pratap Singh Spaceborne LiDAR datasets are contributing immensely for the topographic, ice mass-balance and vegetation related studies. It provides a global view of changes occurring in elevation over Earth. CartoDEM Version 3 Release 1 openly accessible datasets are currently the most reliable datasets for the relatively plain regions in India. The study Continue Reading »

*Synthesized image for representation purpose only. Vegetation photosynthetic activity, the fundamental process by which plants convert light energy into chemical energy by fixing atmospheric carbon dioxide, is critical for the global carbon cycle, ecosystem productivity, and climate regulation. It varies greatly depending on the type of ecosystem (e.g., forest, grassland, cropland), plant species, and environmental conditions. Traditional vegetation indices (like Continue Reading »

With increasing anthropogenic activities and the escalating impacts of climate change, flood hazards have become more frequent and severe, causing extensive damage to crops, settlements, and infrastructure. Flood hydrologists have long faced challenges in accurately estimating flood depths-an essential parameter for effective disaster response and risk mitigation. Although optical and microwave satellite imagery have significantly advanced flood mapping by providing Continue Reading »

Authors: Manu Mehta, Shivani, Khushbu Dahiya, Somya Garg and Ranu Gadi, Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, ISRO Dehradun Aerosols are well known for their impact on the climate as well as public health. Numerous studies have outlined these dual effects of aerosols, which highlight the urgent need for effective mitigation techniques and additional research. Due to air pollution, India, a Continue Reading »