Japanese Encephalitis Risk Zone Mapping Using Remote Sensing Data: A Case Study of Mid and Far-Western Part of Nepal

Abstract

This study explores the usability of remotely sensed data and GIS technology to identify the impact of climatic/environmental variables and land use to Japanese Encephalitis (JE). JE is still a major health concern of Nepal. Since the first outbreak in 1978, its cases are reported in 54 districts out of 75. The climatic and environmental variables such as temperature, precipitation and land use (mainly paddy field) etc. are the main influencing factors for the growth of culextritaeniorhynchus mosquitoes that consequently increase the chance of occurring JE. This study tries to correlate relationship of JE cases with independent climatic and environmental variables using regression analysis. JE has been found having positive correlation with the precipitation and temperature but as the precipitation and temperature increase very high above average, it starts to decrease. Similarly, the result shows that the paddy field is the most vulnerable area for the JE. Remotely sensed data are found to be useful in finding climatic and environmental variables as well as land cover. Finally, JE risk map of far and mid-western part of Nepal was developed. The map was categorized for risk levels: Very High, High, Moderate, Low and Very Low.

Keywords:  Japanese Encephalitis, remotely sensed data, precipitation,  temperature,  risk zone map temperature