[SDI-AsiaPacific] ICIMOD - MENRIS Portal - launched

[Kate Lance]

The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) through Mountain Environment and Natural Resources Information System (MENRIS), also recognised as UNEP GRID-Kathmandu, is promoting the use of geospatial science, technology and applications for sustainable mountain development in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan (HKH) region.
 
On the occasion of World Environment Day, 5 June 2006, the updated version of the ‘Mountain GIS Portal’ has been presented.  It is a platform aimed at sharing and exchanging geographic information and knowledge resources of mountain ecosystems and its services from the HKH region.
 
The portal in its present form has been updated within the framework of a Mountain environment Knowledge Hub (M-eKH) and improved with a number of value added components:
 
·         Geo-network metadata system in collaboration with FAO and UNEP
·         Space Technology Application for mountain areas in collaboration with European Space Agency (ESA)
·         Google Earth Application
·         GIS E-learning System
·         Thematic Portals - Biodiversity, Water Quality, Glacier and Glacial Lakes Outburst Floods (GLOF), Socio-economic indicators and Land use and Land cover;
·         Dynamic Mapping Services
·         Other information resources focusing on geography and mountain areas
 
The portal can be visited at http://www.icimod-gis.net, in addition two new URLs have been created: http://menris.icimod.net and http://grid-kathmandu.icimod.net, and also can be accessed through ICIMOD Homepage at www.icimod.org.
 
This initiative is an important step towards providing open access to the geo-information services and realizing the vision of establishing a regional and national geographic information infrastructure in the region. 
  
Mr. Basanta Shrestha in MENRIS Division of ICIMOD, and the many partners who helped create such a platform, should be congratulated.  
   
  The portal is work-in-progress and ICIMOD seeks your valuable suggestions and guidance for its continuous build-up and improvement. 


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