The use and limits of remote sensing for analysing environmental and social change in the Himalayan Middle Mountains of Nepal

The 'middle mountains' zone of the Himalayas is a region in stress due to human actions undertaken in a high energy environment. This study is an Initial exploration of this region of human environment 'criticality' or 'endangerment' through the lens of remotely sensed Imagery. Three villages in the Middle Mountains representing different environmental and socioeconomic situations are examined by means of image processing of Landsat Thematic Mapper data, coupled with ground studies, in order to identify indicators of social and environmental change expressed in the landscape. Preliminary results are both encouraging and cautioning. Indications are that 30 metre resolution satellite data can provide useful information associated with broad land management practices, landesque capital, and land cover changes. Such data are important for the debate on Himalayan environmental degradation, but ideally need to be combined with ground truthing, fieldwork, and interviewing to provide an assessment of types and causes of environmental change.