235 
REMOTE SENSING, AN ENABLING TECHNOLOGY FOR 
RESOURCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 
Karel Vanturennout, Ross Rose 
MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. 
Richmond, British Columbia, Canada 
V6V 2J3 
ISPRS Commission VII 
Abstract 
In recent years mankind has become increasingly aware of the need to integrate 
economic development policy with resource and environmental management policy, 
so that the economic development can be sustained. To accomplish this 
integration at the policy levels, one needs accurate and current information 
about the state of development, resources and environment, scientific 
knowledge of the dynamic relationships between the various information types, 
and the ability to apply this knowledge to the changing information through 
dynamic modelling techniques. The results of this continuous process will 
then form the basis for devising and updating policies. 
Achieving such a direct relationship between status changes, science and 
policy requires a comprehensive earth information technology which on the one 
hand includes the collection, normalization, reduction and storage of vast 
amounts of spatially oriented information, and on the other hand the 
capability to view, correlate, model and disseminate this information in 
support of the policy decision making process. This process can be depicted as 
an Earth Information Lifecycle and is shown below in Figure 1. 
DATA NORMALIZATION VIEWING INFORMATION 
COLLECTION AND STORAGE CORRELATION DISSEMINATION 
REDUCTION MODELLING 
Figure 1 Earth Information Lifecycle 
Over the past decades, significant technological advances have been 
accomplished across all phases of the Earth Information lifecycle. Some of the 
most dramatic advances have occurred in the field of remote sensing which 
involves the acquisition of detailed measurements of various properties of the 
earth from remotely located sensor device. Remotely sensed imagery has now 
become an important Earth Information data source. 
Through integration of current technologies it is now feasible to construct 
effective smaller scale policy decision support infrastructures (e.g., at the 
national level). Further advances in the coming years will allow these 
decision support infrastructures to become increasingly cost effective at 
larger scales (i.e., at the regional and local levels). 
This paper focuses primarily on the information gathering and storage portions 
of the Earth Information lifecycle. It examines how changes expected to take 
place over the next five years will make remote sensing an increasingly 
suitable technology to address the problems associated with gathering the 
information required to effectively manage the earth's resources and 
environment for all levels of society.