ESRI's GIS Major Component Of Livestock Health Initiative In Philippines

Redlands, CA - ESRI announced that ArcGIS software is playing a major role in the Philippine government's Environmental Animal Health Management Initiative (EAHMI), launched earlier this year announced that ArcGIS software is playing a major role in the Philippine government's Environmental Animal Health Management Initiative (EAHMI), launched earlier this year. The initiative will analyze animal disease distribution and environmental conditions, identify risk factors, and develop sustainable environmental animal health management strategies for the Philippines and is essential for cost-efficient disease control and sustainable agricultural development.

A core component of the initiative is the establishment of the GIS, which focuses on livestock resources, animal disease distribution, and environmental conditions throughout the country. The Philippines government's goal is to strengthen the national capacity in data collection, management, and analysis and develop mathematical models to map disease risk and identify hot spots of potential disease occurrence and environmental concerns through the implementation of GIS technology.

EAHMI's chief technical adviser Dr. David Bourn explains that "The establishment of a georeferenced animal disease and livestock resource information system is essential for sound strategic planning and the formulation of more effective, differential animal disease management strategies for both smallholders and large-scale commercial producers."

Because of the rapid growth of livestock production in the Philippines, particularly in the country's densely populated peri-urban areas, there is a growing concern about pollution and the potential for outbreaks of disease. A three-year pilot project to create a safer, cleaner, and more productive environment for livestock production has been initiated by the Bureau of Animal Industry in collaboration with the Philippine Carabao Center and the National Dairy Authority, with funding from the Italian government and technical support from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

SOURCE: ESRI