Breaking distance barriers
SHUNJI MURAI |
| JICA started JICA NET Distance Education from 2004 in cooperation with JSPRS |
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|
| Course for applications
of RS and GIS |
The application module has been added
since 2005 FY. This module was designed
without a pressure of examination.
The objectives of application
module are as follows. |
- To follow up those courses on
theories and techniques from
Module No. 1 to No. 11,To introduce a variety of examples of
typical and interesting applications
in remote sensing and GIS for
better management of environment
and natural resources,
- To demonstrate how remote sensing
and GIS have been successfully
used in the actual projects as well
as research and development, and
- To make decision makers, managers,
scientists and graduate students
understand how remote sensing and
GIS can be applied with success.
|
The list of applications for RS
and GIS is shown below.
RS Applications
|
- Land Cover Map based
on Satellite Imagery
- Countrywide Land Cover
- Monitoring of Urban Growth
- Urban Change Study in Mongol
- Updating Forest Map
- Height Measurement of
Trees by Lidar Data
- Flood Damage Map in Bangladesh
- Flood Damage Mapping for
- Monitoring of Water Quality
- Monitoring Shrimp Farming
- Application to Fishery
- Topographic Mapping from
IKONOS Stereo Imagery
- Automated Extraction of
- 3D Measurement of Volcanic
- Monitoring Earthquake Damage
- Earthquake DamageDetection using HRSI
- Monitoring Rice Growth by
- Global Mapping
- Assessment of Desertification
in Arid Area
- Image Mapping System
using Kite Balloon
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 |
GIS Applications |
- Suitable Land Selection for
Agricultural Development
- Optimum Vehicle Routing
- Real Time GIS Data Capturing
- Environmental Study with GPS,
Digital Camera and GIS
- Flood Hazard Map
- Flood Free Route Location
- Flood Simulation with Lidar Data
- Shelter Suitability Analysis
- GIS Database for Management
of Irrigation Facilities
- Drought Risk Assessment
- Height Measurement of
Buildings with Lidar Data
- Contour Mapping with Lidar Data
- 3D City Model with IKONOS
and Lidar Data
- Superposition of Historical
Maps onto Present Map
- Visibility Analysis of Mt. Fuji
- Crime Mapping and Analysis
- Disaster Management System
for City Gas Network
- GIS Map for 1995 Kobe
Earthquake Damage Assessment
- Time-space Mapping
- Scheduling for Day Care Service
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| Implementation |
The following eight rounds in the first
three year projects were implemented
since October 2004 until March 2007. The
results of examination for each round are shown with respect
to remote sensing and
GIS course as follow. |
- 1stRound (2004):
Malaysia {65/85%},
Thailand {90/95%}
and Turkey {71/77%}
- 2nd Round (2005):
Vietnam {100/96%},
Philippines {92/95%}
and Laos {6/44%}
- 3rd Round (2005):
Kenya {74/100%}, Sri
Lanka {80/91%} and
Thailand {91/100%}
- 4th Round (2005):
Jordan {71/100%},
Turkey {60/100%},
Vietnam {100/100%} and Philippines {89/100%} and Philippines {89/100%}
- 5th Round (2006): Malaysia
{76/91%}, Cambodia {27/80%}
and Laos {60/60%}
- 6th Round (2006): Palestine
{94/94%}, Bangladesh {94/94%}, Sri
Lanka {92/96%} and Kenya {82/97%}
- 7th Round (2006): Thailand {57/79%},
Vietnam {65/100%}, Mongol
{100/64%} and Philippines {59/79%}
- 8th Round (2007): Jordan {100/100%},
Kenya {69/94%}, Cambodia {10/53%}
|
The total number of registered
participants for remote sensing course
was 661, number of participants who
challenged examination 573, number
of participants who got successful
completion of examination 413
and failed 170 for 13 countries.
The total number of registered participants
for GIS course was 665, number of
participants who challenged examination
582, number of participants who got
successful completion of examination
582 and failed 61 for 13 countries. |
| Advantages of JICA net
distance education |
According to the questionnaires
answered by participants, the following
advantages are recognized. |
- It will be possible for beginners to
study RS and GIS systematically.
- Many participants from different
organizations and different countries
can share knowledge and experience
through the distance education.
Particularly TV conference was
appreciated by participants for the
interactive communication between
the lecturer and participants in
cooperation of facilitator. Figure 1
shows a big TV screen which showed
class rooms of four countries.
- The record of Q&A session in
written form was evaluated very
useful to understand many parts
and items which are not mentioned
in the lectures and the text.
- The examination with the submission
of certificate for successful completion
had become incentive to concentrate
into the lecture and Q&A session.
- Those participants can repeat
self-learning with given CDs
at any time and anywhere.
- E-mail service for extra Q&A session
after ordinary session was sometimes
useful for those participants to make
special questions to the lecturer.
- IT technology such as touch panel
can be applied as shown in Figure 2.
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| Conclusions |
- JICA NET Distance Education
contributed to developing countries
in terms of capacity building of
remote sensing scientists, technicians,
engineers and/or managers who are
engaged in governmental projects
and university lecture and research.
- JICA NET Distance Education proved
successful with respect to the cost
effectiveness as compared with the
conventional “face to face education”.
The number of trainees in the distance
education will reach about 200 for
three courses in a year, while the
conventional training just 10 to 15.
Until now since 2004, more than 1,000
trainees including RS and GIS courses
have completed the Distance Education
with less than 20 times expenses.
- The interactive TV conference for
Q&A session is highly appreciated to
supplement the mechanical feeling
of “video show type” lecture.
|
 |
Shunji Murai
General Secretary, Asian
Association on Remote
Sensing (AARS) and Professor
Emeritus, University of Tokyo,
Japan
sh1939murai@nift5y.com |
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| November 2007 |
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