Watershed Classification with GIS as an
Instrument of Conflict Management in Tropical Highlands
of the Lower Mekong Basin

The University of Giessen is currently planning a research project on Watershed Management in the Tropical Highlands of the Lower Mekong Basin. Research focus is on the analysis of land use conflicts in watershed areas, different approaches of Watershed Management in general, and, in particular, the application of new technologies in this context. The project goal is to develop a data base concept and operation framework which can serve –within certain limits-- as a turnkey package for other mountain watersheds in southeast Asia.

PROBLEM BACKGROUND

The watersheds of southeast Asia’s mountain regions are characterized by the permanent conflict between the need for conservation of natural resources on one hand and constantly growing population and land use pressure on the other.

Past experience has proved that environmental protection and conservation concepts can only be successful if socio-cultural and economic aspects are given equal weight to ecological considerations. The mountainous regions of southeast Asia are fragile regional ecosystems in which increasing deforestation and forest degradation directly impact on the entire ecological infrastructure (e.g., hydrological and soil resources, not to mention the local climate). At the same time, the mountain areas of southeast Asia are home to various, often competing groups. A conflict-prone frontier is formed between the traditional home of various hill tribes (characterized by a great variety of ethno-specific land use systems) and the fast-expanding population of the lowland areas. Further complicating the situation, the (governmental) forest administrations pursue their own particular interests in the mountain areas.

These problems are typical for the regions’ tropical mountain areas, in other words, they are not country specific. For example, in Thailand the process of deforestation and watershed degradation and the resulting land use conflicts has progressed particularly far, but the same trends can be observed in its neighbors -- Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar and even in Southern China.

Modern technologies and, in particular, state-of-the-art geographical information systems (GIS) offer the potential for efficient compilation and evaluation of already existing data in order to identify generally valid, location-independent problem solving strategies. The planned project is designed to supply a region-specific conflict management framework which would be generally applicable in southeast Asia’s tropical mountain areas. It is anticipated that such a framework would be generally valuable, and particularly interesting for technical cooperation projects dealing with land use, forestry, regional planning or natural resource management aspects in the region.

EXPECTED RESULTS

Data are compiled electronically, prepared and integrated.

Tasks to achieve this objective would include the following: (a) comprehensive data compilation, (b) the installation of a geographic information system (GIS), (c). preparation of a digital data base (information preparation including conversion from analogous to digital format where necessary), (d) information from existing topographical maps will be complemented by multi-temporal analyses of suitable satellite images and aerial photos. The required attribute data will be integrated into the GIS by means of a task- and project-adapted relational database.

An Information System is established.

The ecological- and socio-cultural development as well as the conflict potential of the selected study areas will be analyzed and assessed with regard to the land capability and its development potential vis-à-vis natural resource management. Potential land use conflicts are to be illustrated with various land use scenarios. An improved classification framework is to be developed that will be thoroughly tested for practical feasibility. The new Information System is to be carefully checked on transferability and user friendliness.

A digital 'atlas' of a pilot area is established.

Thematic layers to be established in the GIS-database include the following: base map information about settlements, roads, administrative boundaries, drainage network, watershed and sub-watershed boundaries - the ecological, socio-economical and socio-cultural development - land capability and watershed conservation classifications as well as selected land use scenarios

Presentation of the results

The data compilation and processing will be clearly documented and recommendations for future data compilation activities detailed. The study results are expected to be presented at various decision-maker levels. Based on these results, training packages will be prepared and tested.

APPLICATION RELEVANCE AND APPLICATION POTENTIAL

Traditional approaches have seen watershed management primarily as a physiogeographical and ecological problem. In contrast to this 'traditional' perspective, the proposed project plans an interdisciplinary approach which takes into account not only ecological but also socio-cultural and economic factors. The advantage of such a 'broader' approach is a much more comprehensive information foundation for the development of concepts for conserving natural resources. The integrated consideration of ecological and socio-economical factors allows a more effective and more 'holistic' analysis and evaluation of the present land use pattern and land use systems, including their specific conflicts, potentials and risks.

The GIS will be used to illustrate the mutual impacts and feedback processes of the various factors and the structure of conflicts which determine watershed management. An important aim of the project will be to illustrate the potential of "sustainable information use". This term basically refers to an improved exploitation of currently underutilized existing data by data integration and improved data exchange.

The main objective and hence also a major justification of the proposed project is to compile results which are (largely) transferable to other, comparable watersheds elsewhere in the mountain areas of the whole project region. It is anticipated that the analysis process as well as the resulting evaluation and classification models developed for selected pilot areas will in principle be transferable to any other mountain watershed. For this reason the project will document in detail not only the actual study results but also the implementation of the various steps of the data compilation and data processing procedures. The final project objective is to establish a data base concept and operation framework which can be taken – within certain limits - as a turnkey package for other mountain watershed in southeast Asia. Hence, the final documentation will be compiled in such a way that it can be used as a sort of 'watershed management manual'. Based on this manual, training packages can be established for specific aspects.

WATERSHED MANAGEMENT APPROACHES IN TROPICAL HIGHLANDS

In the context of watershed management, the application of GIS/GPS/RS and land use management is one of the research focuses of the GIS-Department at the Institute of Geography at the University of Giessen.

In order to prevent further degradation of the natural resources of the tropical highlands of the lower Mekong Basin, a well-functioning system of land use planning is required. During the last years, new approaches for watershed management focused on the integration of new technologies like GIS/GPS/RS into management concepts. These new technologies by themselves cannot solve existing problems, but they are certainly effective tools to compile, analyze and update land use planning relevant information.

Topics of Research Approach

• Which kind of project approaches exist in the Lower Mekong Region?
• What exactly are their functions for the region as a whole?
• Which problems occur?
• Which experiences were made with new technologies?
• How can we use these experiences to provide a watershed management framework which may possibly be generally applicable for other Southeast Asian tropical mountain areas as well?
• How should data be analyzed and stored in a way, that sensible, consistent, and decision-relevant information is produced.

Basic Analysis of the existing Watershed Classi./,fication of Thailand, established 1983, and of two new approaches which applied modern technologies (Kasetsart University Bangkok 1990 and Cranfield University 1992)

Key Questions:

• What is the aim of the classification?
• What are the essential basic data for watershed planning?
• Which data are actually available and how
• and from where can they be acquired?
• Which factors were taken into consideration and how are they compiled?
• Which criteria’s have been used for the assignment of classes?

1. Existing Watershed Classification Developed by National Environment Board of the Kasetsart University in Bangkok Thailand (1983)

COMMENTS

• Classification takes only ecological factors into account
• Socio-economical factors as for example water availability, infrastructure and location of villages were not analyzed
• Pure manual analysis
• Very broad scale of basic data
• Outdated material (TM 50, 1967)
• Smallest grid size 1km²
• Class applications base on slope and elevation ranges analyzed by visual interpretation of contour lines of TM 50

2. Approach 1: Maathuis B.H.P., Geo-Ecological Mapping Project, University of Chiang Mai (1990)

COMMENTS

• Proposed land use takes ecological as well as socio-economical factors into account (see table entitled "factor analysis")
• Geology and soil maps were not analyzed because it was not possible to get relevant information by the available maps with their broad scale
• Relatively high data actuality by updating outdated TM 50 and Land Use Map with SPOT Pan (1987)
• Smallest grid size: 67 m²
• Classification classes base on slope and elevation ranges
• Slope Values were derived from DTM (elaborated with GIS)

3. Approach 2: Dr. H. Weyerhaeuser (1994): Revised land capability classification for a Watershed in Northern Thailand, MSC Thesis, Cranfield University

COMMENTS

• proposed land use takes ecological as well as socio-economical factors into account (see table entitled "Factor Analysis")
• Geology and soil maps were not analyzed because it was not possible to get relevant information by the available maps with their broad scale
• Satellite Image from Landsat TM (1992) was used for actual data base
• application of classes based on potential land capability
• slope values were derived from DEM
• Data Overlays, Buffers, and Various Scenarios of Potential Landuse by GIS