Abstract

A PILOT GIS-BASED FOREST INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR MALAWI
Track: Forestry
Authors: Peter Nkwanda

Main objective was to create a Forest Information System (FIS) for Soche Forest Reserve in Malawi that included both social and biophysical data. Satellite imagery and a field inventory were used to collect biophysical data while a household survey was used to obtain socioeconomic data. These were integrated in GIS to create the FIS which consists of the ecological state of the reserve, the socioeconomic status of the population living adjacent to the reserve and the level of forest utilization.