Two members of our GIC team, Mr. Swun Wunna Htet and Dr. Htet Yamin Ko Ko, were invited by the FAO, in collaboration with GIC-AIT and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), to participate in a two-week training on “User-specific PyAEZ Extensions for Assessing Crop Suitability and Potential Production at a Local Scale” as part of the SoilFER project.
The objectives of the visit were:
- Identification of non-implemented functions for PyAEZ (for current and future implementation); specifically for application at local level by SoilFER project context.
- Finalizing the development of standard PyAEZ Module II to V.
- On-going validation processes for PyAEZ Modules II to V.
Mr. Swun, Research Associate at GIC-AIT, was tasked with addressing algorithmic and knowledge gaps in Modules 2 and 3, while Dr. Ko Ko, Senior Research Associate, focused on validating Module 1 by comparing the latest version with the original. On the first day, our team met with FAO officers and IIASA colleagues, where Mr. Swun presented the current revision status of the PyAEZ modules, providing insights into GIC’s contributions and outlining next steps.
During the training, GIC collaborated with FAO on the SoilFER project and explored digital soil mapping techniques with the FAO Soil Team. Guidelines and workflows for the development of new functions in PyAEZ Modules II to V, with technical support from IIASA were received. Additionally, we engaged in FAO activities related to the SoilFER project and discussed the integration of digital soil maps into the upcoming GAEZ framework.
