Participants of the remote sensing training at Zaycoland Hotel, Kabankalan City
The E2RB Project organized an introductory training in basic remote sensing processing in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental on 09-10 August 2023. Ten representatives from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region VI and VII and local government unit (LGU) partners in IHRB joined to gain basic knowledge in remote sensing and to learn how to implement basic image processing techniques using freely available data and software. The training focused on how to obtain the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) from satellite data. NDVI, which provides information on vegetation health, is useful in determining damages inflicted on natural resources by natural disasters such as typhoons. The information derived from the satellite images was then validated in the field by employing digital tools such as Open Data Kit/Kobo Toolbox (ODK/KBT).
The Ecosystem-based Adaptation in 2 River Basins (E2RB) in the Philippines project has been organizing trainings on the use of digital tools, such as ODK and KBT, since December 2021. These trainings have enabled Ilog-Hilabangan River Basin (IHRB) partners to set up and host their own servers and implement KBT projects for various purposes. As digitalization facilitates effective implementation of EbA measures in the river basins, the introduction of Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing technologies to IHRB partners is expected to further develop their capacity for digital collection, processing and analysis of spatial data. (GIZ/ Mari Trix Estomata)
