Rice and Bricks: Environmental Issues and Mapping of the Unusual Crop Rotation Pattern in the Kathmandu Valley,Nepal |
| |
Authors: | Barry N Haack Gyanendra Khatiwada |
| |
Institution: | (1) Department of Geography, George Mason University, MSN 1E2, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA |
| |
Abstract: | The Kathmandu Valley in Nepal has experienced a very rapid increase in population resulting in considerable land use/land
cover change and also a series of environmental problems. One of the results of the population increase is an expansion of
brick manufacturing within the Valley because most structures are brick. The brick kilns are intense in several locations
of the Valley and have an interesting pattern of using the same lands for bricks during the dry season and then conversion
to rice during the wet, summer monsoon months. The increase in brick production has contributed to environmental problems
including decreased soil productivity, lowered ground water levels, and particularly air pollution. Brick manufacturing has
little, if any, effective regulation. There is a lack of current, accurate data on brick production that could be resolved
by remote sensing methods. Controls should be established and more information acquired on the location and impacts of brick
production. |
| |
Keywords: | Air pollution Bricks Environmental impact Land use change Kathmandu Nepal Remote sensing |
本文献已被 PubMed SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |
|