Soil information system for resource management in Tripura – A paper in Current Science

In view of the global changing scenario the need of the hour is to produce a fresh group of earth scientists with specialization in soil and crop science, geology and geography with appreciable knowledge in GIS and other information technology software.

In view of the global changing scenario with the developments of GIS and other web technologies, dissemination of spatial information is undergoing a paradigm shift. Natural resource information is an essential pre-requisite for monitoring and predicting global environmental changes with special reference to climate. The scientists will be equipped to deal with data storage, and retrieval in a user-friendly mode for management recommendations, so that issues like land degradation, biodiversity, food security and climate change can be addressed adequately. This organized information forms a basis for storing soil and land databases for the implementation and monitoring of various efforts on land resource management.

In view of huge demands on natural resources like soil and water, with special reference to the environment and its protection, there is a need for better information on spatial variation and trends in the conditions of soils and landscapes. It suggests the necessity to have a clear view of the status of information on various natural resources, with special reference to the soils. Such information would not only store the datasets for posterity, but will also improve our understanding of biophysical processes in terms of cause– effect relationship in the pedo-environment.  

This article may not only serve as a ‘handbook’ for development purposes for the state, but may also encourage specialists in the subject to document natural resource information in a similar way.