TY - SER AU - Yaqub,Haider Waseem AU - Kamrneier,H.D. AU - Motti,E. AU - Routray,Jayant Kumar ED - The Government of Germany (DAAD), TI - Application of an automated geographical information system for district natural resource management and environmental planning: a case study of Thaluang District, Lop Buri Province, Thailand T2 - Research studies project report PY - 1991/// CY - Bangkok PB - Asian Institute of Technology KW - Natural resources KW - Thailand KW - Lop Buri KW - Geographic information systems N1 - A Research Study submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science; Research Studies Project Report (M.Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 1991 N2 - The study aims at assessing the applicability of a relatively simple computerized information system, which would help in conserving and optimizing the use of natural resources at the district level. The predominant economic activity in the sample district is upland agriculture, which covers about 85 percent of the total area of the district, but this has resulted in exploitation of soil resources. The study identifies the locations of four levels of land suitability for growing sugarcane, soyabean, and maize which are the prevailing crops of the district, by using a GIS package called CARP90, a low-level integrated micro computer software. For all the districts in Thailand, the data used in this study can be obtained from secondary sources such as soil maps, topo sheets and administrative maps. Only physical variables like soil texture, soil depth, soil drainage, climatic conditions, terrain, and nutrients availability in the soil have been used for the land suitability analyses for the selected three crops, whereas the specific procedure which was developed on the basis of CARP90, results in multi- criteria map overlays. These are then converted into composite-index maps showing the different zones that are highly or moderately suitable for a particular crop. With further research work the technique developed and tested in this study may be incorporated in the existing national data base for rural development. Note: This Research Study was completed as part of the requirements for the SPRING (Asia) Programme. SPRING, an acronym for Spatial Planning for Regions in Growing Economies, is an M.Sc. programme jointly offered by AIT and University of Dortmund, Germany. Under the SPRING Programme a Research Study carrying 12 credits, must be conceptualized and completed within only one term, i.e. from 1st January to 31st March. Preferably, the topic should be related to the preceeding district development Workshop. The SPRING Programme thus differs from other M.Sc. programmes at AIT where most students write a thesis which spans atleast eight months UR - http://203.159.5.9/ait-thesis/detail.php?q=B17381 ER -