Despite the mountainous terrain, farmers have access to livestock service centres within two hours in most of the critical areas. An infrastructure for extension services has been established, but an integrated approach that can bring varied knowledge and skills to the farmers, on the basis of the specific conditions of particular areas, is required. Hurdles in the Use of GIS and RS Despite technological advancement of GIS and RS, their dramatic declining costs, and improved 'user-friendly' software, the potential benefits of GIS have not been fully exploited. The use of GIS and RS must involve awareness of the limitations of not only the available data but also the understanding of environmental processes and the technology in use. Given such awareness, these technologies can prove valuable for descriptive, analytical, and evaluative purposes.
Unnecessary restrictions limit their use.
The policy in this respect should be rational, keeping in mind the pace in modern trends, without compromising the specific needs of individual countries. Data Standards One of the key issues facing GIS usage today is the absence of acceptable standards in the region. GIS can only benefit if accuracy and accessibility of information are standardised. Beyond the technical aspect of data sharing and compatibility issues, there is also a need for institutional arrangements, both within the individual countries and within the region, to facilitate mutual sharing of data. The ultimate goal should be to develop national and regional GIS capabilities with appropriate networks interlinking them.