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Remote-sensing applications in Pakistan: current status
and future programmes
a
S. A. K. ALIZAI & M. ISHAQ MIRZA
a
a
Remote Sensing Applications Centre , SUPARCO, Karachi, Pakistan
Published online: 27 Apr 2007.
To cite this article: S. A. K. ALIZAI & M. ISHAQ MIRZA (1986) Remote-sensing applications in Pakistan: current status and
future programmes, International Journal of Remote Sensing, 7:9, 1147-1151, DOI: 10.1080/01431168608948915
To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01431168608948915
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REMOTE SENSING, 1986, VOL. 7, No.9, 1147-1151
Technical note
Remote-sensing applications in Pakistan: current status
and future programmes
S. A. K. ALIZAI and M. ISHAQ MIRZA
Remote Sensing Applications Centre, SUPARCO, Karachi, Pakistan
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(Received 4 March 1986)
Abstract. This paper gives a summaryof current activitiesand future programmes
of the Remote Sensing Applications Centre (RESACENT) of the Pakistan Space
and Upper Atmosphere ResearchCommission, Karachi, Pakistan.
1. Introduction
Pakistan's experience with multispectral remote sensing began in 1973 when the
Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) formed
its Remote Sensing Research Group. Remote sensing was, however, not new to
Pakistan; the first aerial surveys were carried over most of the country in 1936 and
systematic aerial photographic coverage of the whole country had commenced by 1956
(Hunting Survey Co. Ltd. 1960).
In response to the increasing importance and scope of remote-sensing applications
in Pakistan, SUPARCO's Remote Sensing Research Group was converted to a fullfledged division in 1980 with a well-defined programme and mandate. This division,
which is one of SUPARCO's most important establishments, located in Karachi,
functions as the country's National Remote Sensing Centre and is known as
RESACENT. The centre has been involved in acquisition and interpretation of
remotely sensed data since 1973. RESACENT's laboratories are well equipped for
interpretation of LANDSAT, aerial, radar and conventional data and these are being
further augmented.
Apart from conducting research in important fields of agriculture, water resources,
geology, environment, land-use and urban studies, RESACENT provides a vital link
with scientists working in other national agencies and government departments in
these disciplines.
2.
Physiography of Pakistan
Pakistan, located in the western part of south Asia, covers an area of about
800000km 2 (311000 square miles). It extends from 23° 30' to 36°45' latitude north,
and between 61 and 75° 30' longitude east. It is bounded by Iran in the west,
Afghanistan in the north-west, China in the north, India in the east and the Arabian
Sea in the south. Physiographically, the Himalayan, Karakoram and Hindu Kush
mountain chain bounds the country in the north, and the Baluchistan Plateau forms
the west-central parts. The plains carved by the Indus River and its tributaries form
the lowlands extend in a north-south direction from the northern mountains to the
Arabian Sea. The climate is, on the whole, arid and extreme or continental due to
0
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S. A. K. Alizai and M. I. Mirza
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Pakistan's location just north of the Tropic of Cancer, varying from almost tropical in.
the south to cool in the north, where there is permanent snow cover on the peaks and
some remanent glaciers of the Himalayas. The soil types reflect a wide range ofclimate,
rock types, slopes and vegetation.
3. Satellite coverage
Over the last 12 years, RESACENT has acquired substantial repetitive satellite
data in the form of imagery and computer compatible tapes (CCTs) of the entire
country. The centre has approximately 30-35 LANDSAT Multispectral Scanner
(MSS) data for each of the 65 scenes covering Pakistan. Return beam vidicon (RBV),
shuttle imaging radar (SIR-A) and NOAA data are also available, while Coastal Zone
Colour Scanner (CZCS), SIR-B, metric camera and MOMS imagery are being
acquired. A total of about 2250 LANDSAT MSS scenes including some 250 CCTs
covering the entire country have been acquired from various suppliers such as NASA,
NOAA in the U.S.A. and NRSA in India.
During 1976-1977 a portable ground receiving station (GRS) was set up near
Islamabad, Pakistan, which provided a set of excellent LANDSAT imagery for I year.
To ensure the prompt availability of remotely sensed data, SUPARCO is establishing a
GRS in Islamabad for the reception and pre-processing of LANDSAT (MSS and TM),
SPOT and NOAA data. This station is expected to be operational by the beginning of
1987 (Mehmud 1984).
4. Data users
Besides the Remote Sensing Applications Centre ofSUPARCO, the major users of
satellite imagery in Pakistan are other government departments, especially the Water
and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), the Geological Survey of Pakistan
(GSP) and the Irrigation, Drainage and Flood Control Research Council (IDFCRC),
which have collaborated with RESACENT in a number of joint investigations. Fossil
fuel and mineral exploration companies such as the Oil and Gas Development
Corporation (OGDC), Pakistan Petroleum Ltd. (PPL), the Mineral Resources Survey
(MRS) and the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) are great users of
satellite data. The data are also used by the Survey of Pakistan and the Soil Survey of
Pakistan for updating different types of thematic maps, etc. The meteorological
department is using NOAA data for weather and flood forecasting. The data are
received at Automatic Picture Transmission (APT) stations installed at Karachi,
Lahore and Peshawar (Huk 1986). More recently, Sind Forest Department and Sind
Arid Zone Development Authority (SAZDA) have been using LANDSAT imagery in
a number of their research projects. Other users include national universities, government departments and organizations.
Because of the diverse nature of most of Pakistan's intensively farmed land
holdings and the small size of fields in these areas, the resolution ofcurrent LANDSAT
data is usually insufficient to enable accurate identification of specific field crops.
LANDSAT-based land-use and crop-estimation studies of larger fields and targets
such as native forests or pestoral farming areas have, therefore, proved to be more
useful (Mirza 1984).
5. Laboratory facilities
RESACENT's laboratories are well equipped for the visual as well as digital
interpretation of remotely sensed data. The CCTs are processed on an in-house
Remote-sensing applications in Pakistan
1149
IBM 4331 computer using a software programme known as the LANDSAT image
processing system (LIPS). The digital processing facilities are being further augmented
by adding an IBM PC-AT, while a dedicated microprocessor-based image analysis
system (the Swedish EBBA-II) has recently been acquired. Equipment for visual
interpretation includes density slicer, colour additive viewer, zoom stereoscope, zoom
transferscope, densitometer, diazo processor, multispectral cameras, etc. Multispectral cameras are being used for aerial photography, which is a useful supplement to the
satellite data. It is also planned to expand the aerial remote-sensing facilities of the
centre.
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6.
Current activities
6.1. Applications projects
A number of important research projects using remotely sensed data have been
conducted in the centre. Black and white imagery at various scales, false-colour
composites, diazo transparencies and CCTs have been used in conducting these
projects. Some of the major projects which have been completed or are under
completion relate to the following disciplines:
6.1.1. Agriculture
The research studies conducted so far in the field of agriculture relate to the
identification, demarcation and area estimation of the major crops of Pakistan, such as
wheat, rice, cotton, etc. The results obtained from these studies have also been checked
through extensive ground surveys. Fairly good comparison was observed between
laboratory and ground survey results for large, homogeneous cropped fields. The
accuracy of the results in case of the paddy (rice) crop was comparatively higher than
that for wheat and cotton crops, since paddy is cultivated over large fields and is
relatively unmixed with other crops. However, in general, LANDSAT MSS spatial
resolution is inadequate for reliable crop detection in Pakistan due to the diverse
nature of cropping systems and small fields. High-resolution Thematic Mapper (TM)
and SPOT data should significantly improve accuracy and reliability in crop detection
and area estimation (Sanjrani et al. 1986). The other studies in this discipline relate to
monitoring water-logging and salinity, detection of pest infestation in cotton crop,
identification and area estimation of mangrove in the Indus delta, estimation of fallow
land and agriculture land-use mapping.
6.1.2. Water resources
Satellite imagery was used for the first time in Pakistan to estimate the area affected
by floods in the Indus Basin in 1973. Similarly, the floods of 1976 and 1978 were also
studied using the infrared MSS band 7 data. The results obtained from these studies
have shown that LANDSAT imagery gives accurate estimates of flood inundation
compared with the conventional methods. A study on the recession of flood waters in
the post-flood period using temporal LANDSAT data has also been carried out. River
course changes are being continuously monitored with LANDSAT data.
Estimation of the areal extent of the snow cover in the Indus Basin catchment area,
northern Pakistan, is being made in order to correlate these results with the actual river
run-off. LANDSAT MSS and NOAA data are being employed for the snow-cover
estimation.
Sedimentation and siltation in the Tarbela and Mangla dam reservoirs are also
being investigated using LANDSAT data. Results obtained so far have shown the
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S. A. K. Alizai and M. I. Mirza
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extent and position of suspended sediments and turbidity levels, The mathematical
relationship between reservoir water level and water surface area as well as geomorphic
and topographic changes along the banks of both reservoirs have also been studied.
SPOT satellite high-resolution data will also be used for siltation monitoring in both
the reservoirs, once these data become available.
Recently, RESACENT has learnt of the successful outcome of its application to
SPOT image for principal investigator status on the French Preliminary Evaluation
Programme of SPOT (PEPS). As a result, work on hydrological applications should
increase (Hasan 1986).
6.1.3. Geology
Various geological structures such as faults, folds, lineaments, etc., have been
identified in the Makran coastal range of the Baluchistan Province using LANDSAT
data. The satellite data of the coastal zone have also been used to study pollution,
dynamic coastal processes and their effects on headland configuration, landforms and
wetlands, etc. Relative merits/demerits of LANDSAT and SIR-A data for various
terrain analysis in Baluchistan were examined. The comparative study has indicated
that SIR-A data have a better capability for the detection of abandoned channels and
soil moisture, while LANDSAT data are better for the delineation of geological
structures (Alizai et al. 1985). Another study on hydrogeological mapping in Pakistan
based on LANDSAT data has been carried out. Hydrogeological investigations in the
Bela Plain of the Baluchistan Province are being carried out using remotely sensed data
and conventional methods (Alizai and Ali 1986).
6.1.4. Environmental and land-use studies
LANDSAT MSS data were used to study the morphology of the Indus Delta and
the adjoining coastal belt of Pakistan under a joint SUPARCO-ERIM collaborative
project. Seasonal and diurnal changes in the high-water line, salt-water intrusion, wave
diffraction, sediment distribution, coastline changes, vegetation and land-use patterns
were investigated. Another project relates to desertification monitoring in the
Cholistan and ThaI deserts of Pakistan using remotely sensed data. Results obtained so
far for selected test sites in Cholistan have indicated that desertification is spreading at
a rate of 0·2 per cent annually. A land-use map of the Sind Province at 1: I 000000 scale
was prepared showing seven different classes such as sand, deserts, mountains and
population areas. Land-use classification ofChhanga Manga Forest and its surroundings in the Punjab Province were made using LANDSAT imagery and CCTs.
Automatic computer classification of the area was also performed for four well-defined
classes. LANDSAT imagery and CCTs are also being used for studying urban land-use
patterns in the major metropolitan cities of Pakistan such as Karachi and Lahore.
6.2. Training programmes
In order to promote the use of remotely sensed data on a large scale and to educate
potential users in the country, several short training courses have been conducted at the
RESACENT. Ten such courses have been conducted so far and about 200
scientists/engineers from diverse disciplines have benefited from these programmes. In
addition to these courses, the centre has also conducted seminars/ workshops at users
premises such as the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, the Centre of Excellence in
Water Resources, University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, and the
Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC), Islamabad. Some special courses
have also been conducted on the special request of national users.
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Remote-sensing applications in Pakistan
1151
An international Pakistan-UN regional training seminar on remote-sensing
applications for the benefit of 45 participants from Pakistan and 13 countries of the
ESCAP and ECWA regions was organized at RESACENT in January 1977. Another
Pakistan-FAO national training workshop on computer-assisted remote-sensing
techniques for land-use management and agricultural crop assessment was held in
March 1984 for the benefit of 24 national participants as well as some specially invited
participants from the neighbouring countries of the region. Pakistan has also offered
RESACENT to the UN Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, as a regional
training centre in the field of remote-sensing applications.
Recently, a national training course on remote-sensing applications to hydrogeology has been conducted in collaboration with the National Talent Pool, Government of Pakistan, which was attended by 25 national participants from various user
agencies.
RESACENT's scientists and engineers have also attended various international
seminars, workshops, conferences and training courses organized by the UN, CNES,
FAO, ESCAP, ESA, DSE, and WMO in different countries of the world. Senior
scientists and engineers have also made study tours of relevant establishments ofESA,
DFVLR, etc.
7.
Future programmes
The future direction of the Remote Sensing Centre of Pakistan is certain because
several development projects are at various stages of execution. Foremost among these
projects is the setting up of a national ground receiving station near the federal capital,
Islamabad, for the direct acquisition and pre-processing of LANDSAT (MSS and
TM), SPOT and NOAA data. The station is expected to be commissioned by the
beginning of 1987 and it would hopefully provide remote-sensing data in real-time to
national user agencies in Pakistan. Real-time imagery would also greatly increase the
number of users and uses of satellite data in an operational manner.
RESACENT is also planning to enhance the level of aerial remote-sensing
activities by acquiring more sophisticated airborne sensors to supplement the satellite
remote-sensing programmes. Plans are underway to initiate research and development
work on different types of remote-sensing sensors. A charge-coupled-device (CCD)
camera, which is based around a two-dimensional CCD array, has already been
developed.
References
ALIZAI, S. A. K., and ALI, J., 1986, Use of remote sensing technology for hydrogeological
mapping in Pakistan. Space Horiz .• 3, 34.
ALIZAI, S. A. K., ALI, J., and BAJWA, M. N., 1985, Comparative interpretability of SIR-A and
Landsat data for terrain analysisin Pakistan. Proceedings ofthe ESCAP Remote Sensing
Seminar. Beijing, p. 432.
HASAN, M. Z., 1986, Resource management and environmental surveying through remote
sensingin Pakistan. Proceedings of the ESCAP Remote Sensing Seminar, Beijing (in the
press).
HUK, S., 1986, Remotesensingin Pakistan. Proceedings ofthe ESCAP Remote Sensing Seminar,
Singapore, p. 115.
HUNTING SURVEY Co. LTD., 1960, Reconnaissance geology of part of West Pakistan. Report
published for the Government of Pakistan by the Government of Canada under
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MEHMUD, S., 1984, Remote sensing activities in Pakistan. Space Horiz., 1,36.
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SANJRANI, M. A., Akhtar, S., Siddiqui, Z. A., 1986, An overview of remote sensingprogrammes
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