Capacity Building on Forest Biomass Estimation

During my time at the Asian Institute of Technology, I conducted research on forest biomass estimation in Nepal's Western Tiger Landscape. Using satellite remote sensing techniques, I combined synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data with optical imagery, specifically ALOS PALSAR and Landsat to improve the accuracy of biomass predictions. I employed a random forest algorithm to integrate various parameters, including radar backscatter, texture features, vegetation indices, and topographic data, which together enabled more reliable biomass estimations.

Building on this research, I also contributed to the Strengthening Agro-climatic Monitoring and Information Systems (SAMIS) project in Lao PDR. In collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), we developed capacity-building programs aimed at enhancing the technical skills of local organizations, such as the Department of Agricultural Land Management (DALaM). As a key resource person, I had the privilege of leading a specialized training on forest biomass estimation, focusing on how satellite remote sensing could be applied to real-world agro-climatic monitoring scenarios. This training empowered professionals at DALaM with the knowledge and tools to leverage remote sensing data in their work, furthering the development of robust environmental monitoring systems in Laos.