The objectives of this TCP project were to develop a regional map, digital database and socio-economic statistics based on existing land cover information to faci-litate regional cooperation for food security and sustainable and envi-ronmentally sound agriculture in South-East Asia.
The various land cover classifications used in the region were standardized using FAO’s Land Cover Classification System (LCCS). Areas and countries for which no recent and reliable land cover information existed were identified. A strategy was developed to fill these gaps in partnership with other interested organizations and institutions, such as:

•    UN Environment (FAO-UNEP’s Global Land Cover Network, GLCN)
•    Global Observation of Forest Cover/Land Cover Dynamics (GOFC/GOLD)
•    GTOS (Global Terrestrial Observing System)
•    Joint Research Centre of the European Commission
•    Potential donors.

The project also assessed the capacities of participating countries to maintain and update such maps and databases for the integrated use of geo-physical and socio-economic information and decision support tools for improved analysis, planning and decision-making for food security and sustainable agriculture, and identified needs to improve such capacities where required. Countries included:

•    Cambodia, Kingdom of
•    China People’s Republic
•    Lao, People’s Democratic Republic of
•    Malaysia
•    Myanmar, Union of
•    Regional Asia & Pacific
•    Thailand, Kingdom Of
•    Viet Nam

Data generated by the program can be downloaded through FAO's geo-catalogue GEONETWORK (shortcuts for searching: Asiacover, Asia Land Cover).