Satellite Technology for Environmental Monitoring

Tools to map environmental crime in the Amazon Basin. Environmental crimes like land grabbing, illegal deforestation, and poaching hinder climate action, deter investment in sustainable practices, and threaten biodiversity across major biomes worldwide. Despite challenges such as vast territories difficult to police and weak rule of law, new technologies like geospatial and predictive analytics are being leveraged to enhance the detection and disruption of these activities in places like the Amazon rainforest. Robert Muggah and Peter Smith of Instituto Igarapé review several tools that enable users to map environmental crime in the Amazon Basin. MapBiomas: A multi-partner initiative tracking issues such as land use, fire scars, soil carbon stocks, industrial mining, and deforestation. MapBiomas offers deforestation alerts. Amazônia Protege: Aims to identify infractions and mobilize sanctions against individuals and entities responsible for deforestation of at least 60 hectares Brazil MAIS: Leverages satellite data generated by Planet in order to facilitate government officials’ access to geospatial insight on deforestation. PrevisIA: Launched by Microsoft, Imazon and Fundo Vale, PrevisIA predicts and monitors the areas most at risk of deforestation. SeloVerde: Provides real-time monitoring of over 20 million hectares of forested areas by expanding transparency and traceability at the property level (CAR) Amazônia in Loco: Tracks risks and opportunities in the Brazilian Legal Amazon via more than 80 environmental, social, and economic indicators from 25 public data sources across all 772 municipalities Radar Mining Monitoring Initiative (RAMI): Rapidly detects emerging illegal mining operations in the southern Peruvian Amazon. Sistema de Alertas e Ações Preventivas (SAAT): Combines drone, GPS, phone and other technologies to rapidly identify and disseminate information on potential threats to eight of the most at-risk communities in northeast Peru. Amazon Mining Watch: A project of the Rainforest Investigations Network and Earthrise Media, the platform detects legal and illegal mining activities, including open-pit mining, across the entire Amazon region. https://lnkd.in/gz2gx_6Q

Do you know what SPECTRAL SIGNATURES are and how they are used in GIS? 🌐🔍 Spectral signatures are basically unique patterns of electromagnetic radiation reflected or emitted by different materials on Earth's surface. 🛰️ Every material on Earth has a unique spectral signature within the electromagnetic spectrum. The specific wavelengths of light absorbed or reflected by a material act as its barcode, allowing scientists to identify substances from above. These signatures are typically measured across different wavelengths, such as visible, infrared, and microwave bands. 🌈💡 In geospatial data analysis, spectral signatures play a crucial role in identifying and classifying features on the Earth's surface. 🌍📊 For example, healthy vegetation strongly reflects green light while absorbing other colours. Water, meanwhile, absorbs most visible wavelengths but reflects infrared. Satellites equipped with spectroscopic sensors precisely measure this spectral data across narrow bands, spanning both the visible spectrum and beyond. The software then analyses the unique signatures to identify features on the ground which has various applications like: 1️⃣ Feature Identification: Spectral signatures help in identifying and distinguishing between various land cover and land use types. Different materials, such as vegetation, water bodies, buildings, and bare soil, exhibit distinct spectral characteristics. 2️⃣ Change Detection: Spectral signatures can also be used to monitor changes in land cover and land use over time. By comparing spectral signatures acquired from different time periods, analysts can detect changes such as deforestation, urban expansion, or agricultural practices. 3️⃣ Anomaly Detection: Spectral signatures help in identifying anomalies or unusual patterns on the Earth's surface. For example, sudden changes in vegetation health or water quality may indicate environmental disturbances such as droughts, pollution, or natural disasters. Analysts can detect these anomalies and investigate their causes using them. 4️⃣ Environmental Monitoring: Spectral signatures are used in various environmental monitoring applications, including ecosystem health assessment, water quality monitoring, and climate change studies. Scientists can track environmental parameters such as vegetation health, soil moisture, and ocean temperature, contributing to our understanding of Earth's dynamic systems. Spectral analysis has advanced our understanding beyond just "seeing" our planet. Scientists now use it to map changes in forests, reefs and other ecosystems, revealing new insights into Earth's complex systems over time. 🌿🌊 The power of spectral signatures lies in using multiple data dimensions to decode satellite images and probe the biochemical composition below. Picture - NASA #geospatial #climatetech #gismapping #geospatialtechnology #geospatialanalysis #gis #datascience #googleearthengine #python #remotesensing

Remote Sensing And Satellite Technology For Green Sustainability -- https://lnkd.in/gqQpyBvC <-- shared technical article -- [This post is not considered an endorsement of this specific company or product, but is shared for the overview they provide of remotesensing] “... Harnessing the capabilities of satellites orbiting our planet, coupled with remote sensing technologies, opens new frontiers in understanding and safeguarding our environment. Remote sensing and satellite technology play a pivotal role in environmental monitoring by providing comprehensive and real-time data. These technologies enable the observation of changes in land use, vegetation, and climate, aiding in the assessment of ecological health and natural resource management. WHAT IS REMOTE SENSING?: In the realm of geospatial technology, remote sensing captures samples emitted through electromagnetic radiation and reflected from the Earth’s atmospheric, terrestrial, and aquatic ecosystems. This enables the detection and monitoring of the physical characteristics of an area without direct physical contact... WHAT ARE REMOTE SENSING APPLICATIONS?: Remote sensing technology involves capturing information about Earth’s surface without direct physical contact. This is achieved using satellites, aircraft, or other sensors to collect data, providing a wide-ranging perspective for environmental analysis. Satellite imagery is instrumental in environmental monitoring, offering a bird’s-eye view of changes over time. It aids in tracking deforestation, assessing land use alterations, and monitoring natural disasters. The wealth of data generated supports informed decision-making in environmental conservation and resource management. In carbon-related projects, remote sensing finds applications in diverse ways. Satellite imagery helps quantify forest carbon stocks, monitor changes in vegetation, and assess land-use impacts on carbon sequestration. For instance, it facilitates monitoring afforestation initiatives and identifying areas susceptible to carbon emissions. This technology enhances precision in measuring carbon-related parameters, contributing significantly to global efforts in understanding, mitigating, and adapting to climate change. Remote sensing is pivotal in environmental monitoring, furnishing comprehensive data on land, water, and atmospheric conditions. This data is indispensable for comprehending environmental shifts, identifying pollution, evaluating natural resources, and scrutinizing the repercussions of human activities…” #GIS #spatial #remotesensing #satellite #overview #summary #usecase #appliedscience #model #modeling #monitoring #environment #green #sustainability #vegetation #wildlife #ecosystems #climatechange #landuse #landcover #ecology #naturalresources #earthobservation #humanimpacts #spatialanalysis