Information system for GBP in developing counters—the ISRO example

Developing countries have the potential to play a major role in making the International Geosphere Biosphere Programme successful. In India various agencies are planning and formulating the program taking into account the research activities which are already being pursued for studies on global change and related phenomena. ISRO is playing a key role in these efforts, particularly on aspects of using space based observations for such studies through its capabilities for data acquisition, interpretation, and utilization. The Indian remote sensing satellite, IRS‐1A, operational for more than three years now has become the main data gathering system over the Indian region. Apart from this indigenous satellite, acquisition, processing, and archival of data from other remote sensing satellites like Landsat, Spot, and NOAA are being carried out by NRSA for dissemination to user agencies. Arrangements are also being made for direct reception of data from ERA‐1 satellite. Apart from serving as the nodal agency for the establishment and coordination of the National Natural Resources Management Systems (NNRMS) in the country, ISRO has also undertaken to coordinate and execute major earth science programs such as the Indian Middle Atmosphere Programme (IMAP) involving experimental campaigns with multiple platforms and ground based observations.