INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGIES FOR NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Abstract

The natural resources of most developing countries are under increasing stress, and many nations are increasingly concerned about achieving environmental sustainability through efficient use of land and water resources. As population is escalating very fast and consumer demand for high value agricultural products (fruits and vegetables, animal or fish products, etc.) is also changing rapidly. Hence, need to take stronger step by national governments to monitor their natural resources and take immediate steps to maintain these resources when being overused. Data generation by visiting the place physically is tedious and time consuming. Modern ICT techniques provide solutions helpful in collecting data without visiting the place from distance. With development of modern technologies, ICTs are of immense use in Sustainable Natural Resource Management. These technologies are time and money saving, accurate compared to conventional assessment. Products of these technologies help the scientists and policy makers for taking appropriate decision in agriculture production. It is thus important to recognize that the dissemination of these land and water-use management practices are largely knowledge-based; therefore, developing countries will be required to make substantial investment in public extension to train small and medium-scale farmers how to use Sustainable Natural Resource Management (SNRM) practices.