FAO/TCP/ROM/2801 “Land Cover/Land Use Inventory by Remote Sensing for the Agricultural Reform”, TCCT Consultancy

Participants: FAO/UN, MoAFF, ROSA, CRUTA, ICPA, IG - Institute of Geography, USH - "Spiru Haret" University - Romania, BASA-ReSAC

The immediate objectives of the project are:

• To provide the Ministry of Agriculture with an objective and accurate database on the present land cover of the whole country including detailed land cover/land use maps and also larger scale information for areas of particular agricultural interest.
• To strengthen the capacity of the remote sensing group of CRUTA staff and other staff from the Ministry of Agriculture to apply internationally recognised methodologies on land cover/land use mapping by satellite remote sensing and GIS technologies.
• To transfer the know-how and practical applications of high resolution optical remote sensing, GIS based methodologies and LCCS to the staff assigned to project through formal and on-the-job training.

The achievement of these objectives will create the basis for the availability of accurate baseline information on land cover/land use and associated land characteristics, thus enabling the country to prepare and implement sound agricultural development plans, including criteria for land consolidation. The project will be a complementary data source for the World Bank project for cadastre undertaken by the National Office for Cadastre, Geodesy and Cartography (ONCGC) and also an important support for the planned agricultural census to be realised in late 2002 by the National Institute for Statistics (INS).