Land cover reflects both natural and human-made features such as forests, croplands, water bodies, and settlements, while agriculture underpins Pakistan’s economy and food security but is increasingly stressed by land-use change, population growth, climate variability, and unsustainable farming practices. Through satellite-based land cover mapping and agricultural monitoring, SUPARCO uses multispectral imagery, vegetation indices, time-series analysis, GIS, remote sensing, and machine learning to track crop health, land degradation, and changing cropping patterns. These insights support evidence-based planning, climate-smart agriculture, better water and land resource management, and long-term sustainability for improved livelihoods
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National Land Cover Mapping & Change Detection
Tracking long-term shifts in forests, croplands, rangelands, built-up areas, and wetlands to support planning and environmental management.
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Crop Type Identification & Crop Mapping
Using multi-temporal satellite data to classify major crops such as wheat, rice, cotton, sugarcane, and maize for each growing season.
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Crop Health Monitoring
Detecting crop health using vegetation indices and early indicators of drought stress, pest attacks, nutrient deficiency, or waterlogging.
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Yield Estimation & Production Forecasting
Predicting crop yields through satellite-based vegetation trends and agro-meteorological models to support market and food security planning.
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Land Degradation & Desertification Assessment
Mapping areas affected by soil erosion, salinity, overgrazing, and declining vegetation cover, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions.
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Flood Impact Assessment on Agriculture
Evaluating crop damage and submerged farmland after floods using multispectral and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery.
Recent Studies
Land Cover and Agriculture Geospatial Portal
The Land Cover Portal provides a consistent baseline (2010–2019) to track shifts in croplands and rangelands, empowering policymakers to secure Pakistan’s food supply against a volatile future.