Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- An opening ceremony of a new laboratory of geographic information systems (GIS) was held at the Tashkent State Agrarian University, created with the support of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) within the framework of the regional project Integrated Natural Resources Management in Drought-prone and Salt-affected Agricultural Production Systems in Central Asia and Turkey (CACILM2). The new GIS laboratory is equipped with modern computers, data center, plotter and GPS equipment.

“The purchased advanced equipment for the GIS laboratory will open up wide opportunities for the creation and exchange of spatial and geoinformation data, for the effective use and management of land resources. Indeed, in the Central Asia region, GIS capabilities play a key role in determining the real state of both unexplored and dwindling resources of the region,” said the national project manager Mukhammadjon Kosimov.

Geographic information technologies make it possible to map land degradation processes, create effective and operational information systems for soil analysis, receive fast and high-quality information about the study area, open up a number of opportunities for research on long-term monitoring, and will also contribute to the implementation of projects to neutralize land degradation. Thus, geographic information systems and spatial data analysis are indispensable tools for carrying out research work. In this regard, the laboratory will be used as a training center for students and practitioners, as well as for research purposes.

“The introduction of innovative technologies is a requirement of the time. Modern Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are a powerful tool for all areas of research, both for scientific and industrial purposes. We are grateful to FAO for the creation of a new GIS laboratory, which opens up great opportunities in this direction,” noted the rector of the Tashkent State Agrarian University, academician Botir Sulaimonov.

The GIS laboratory will also serve to monitor land use changes, to apply tools for mapping land degradation trends in Uzbekistan, and will also facilitate the implementation of LDN projects.

At the opening ceremony, experts made presentations on the goals and objectives of the new laboratory, as well as on the principles of its work. The participants were introduced to the capabilities of the new facility, equipped with the latest technology.

The overall goal of the CACILM-2 project is to scale up integrated natural resource management in drought-prone and saline agricultural production landscapes in Central Asia and Turkey. The implementation of this project also makes a significant contribution to the implementation of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in the Central Asian region. In Uzbekistan, the project partners are the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Water Resources, the State Forestry Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan, and Uzhydromet.