USAID communications specialists visit SERVIR-Himalaya

10 Mar 2014

Twenty development outreach and communications specialists of United States Agency for International Development (USAID) visited the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) headquarters in Kathmandu on 4 March 2014.

The visit was part of USAID’s Development Outreach and Communications Conference in Nepal during which the participants were trained in communication and outreach skills.

ICIMOD’s SERVIR-Himalaya Initiative, supported by NASA and USAID, was selected as field site for the Conference given that Science, Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (STIP) have become important areas of attention within USAID.

ICIMOD’s Director General Dr David Molden presented an overview of the organization to the visiting group. This was followed by a presentation on SERVIR-Himalaya by the technical coordinator of the SERVIR-Himalaya Initiative, Birendra Bajracharya.

The group had a chance to experience the SERVIR tools and products first hand. Some selected tools on forest fire detection, glacier monitoring, land cover change mapping, biomass estimation, and agricultural monitoring were demonstrated by thematic specialists.

The group also made video recordings of thematic specialists showcasing their tools and applications.