×

You are using an outdated browser that does not fully support the intranda viewer.
As a result, some pages may not be displayed correctly.

We recommend you use one of the following browsers:

Full text

Title
Special UNISPACE III volume
Author
Marsteller, Deborah

International Archives of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. Vol. XXXII Part 7C2, UNISPACE III. Vienna 1999
8
I5PRS
UNISPACE III - ISPRS Workshop on
“Resource Mapping from Space”
9:00 am -12:00 pm, 22 July 1999, VIC Room B
Vienna, Austria
I5PR5
measurements, as well as local knowledge (Turner and Baiuner,
1984). Consequently, GIS has been rapidly adopted in well
mapped areas. Regardless of the approach, it is possible to
quantify resources such as vegetation species and type, number
of wildlife, crop yield, timber volume, water yield, water quality
etc.
Interpretation of aerial photographs remains a powerful tool for
mapping and monitoring land cover and natural resources. The
main advantage of using aerial photography is that it
significantly reduces the time spent undertaking field work, as
well as making field work much more effective. Consequently,
since the 1950s. aerial photographs were enthusiastically
embraced by professionals managing natural resources. Aerial
photographs are relatively easy to obtain, flights can be
arranged locally (and often at short notice) when conditions are
suitable, and photographs may be obtained at large scales.
However, the cost of acquiring aerial photographs is high
compared to satellite imagery, and a high labour input is
required to compile and interpret a series of aerial photographs.
Satellite remote sensing is often the most up to date source of
data and information for earth resources, and as indicated
earlier, may be the only data available in developing countries.
It is synoptic, allowing regional scale studies to be undertaken
relatively quickly and cheaply. It is possible to order satellite
images over any portion of earth’s surface from a number of
different satellite systems
A number of remote sensing systems provide very long term
data sets (eg. the US Landsat MSS and NOAA AVHRR
systems, as well as the French SPOT imagery') which are
proving invaluable for identifying change. The NOAA AVHRR
is a particularly useful system, as twice daily images are
available. Food early warning systems and estimated cereal
production, based on NOAA AVHRR satellite data, have been
developed by FAO in conjunction with national donor agencies
in Africa. The change in biomass over a season may be
monitored and food shortages predicted. Such systems are
operational in Kenya and West Africa and used to predict food
shortages, as well as projected national income from agriculture.
New projects, using aircraft based scanner to monitor the health
of vegetation and crop biomass, are also being developed, as are
applications to predict biodiversity.
Techniques incorporating the values of local people have
become important in development and conflict resolution. Such
participatory approaches may be made more effective through
the use of remote sensing to inform local people about the
landscape in which they live. Participatory approaches are
possible through the use of GIS to develop land use planning
scenarios to highlight the effects of selecting different land
management strategies, both from an individual perspective, as
well as at a village or community level.
Countries with remote sensing systems include France
(SPOT), European Union, US (NOAA AVHRR, Landsat),
Russia, India (IRS), Japan,
Using traditional method scientific methods, local point based
data and associated models have become ubiquitous. An
interesting development is how to scale up detailed point based
studies. A typical example includes estimates of pastoral and
crop production, as well as wildlife habitat potential. Another
type of point based study is agricultural ‘yield gap’, where the
actual production from a site does not match the potential
production, for example as developed in experimental research
stations. Such point based studies may be extrapolated over
large areas using GIS and remote sensing, in order to indicate to
planners and farmers where production may be increased, and at
what cost.
The environmental impact of development activities can be
severe in countries undergoing rapid economic development, as
planning controls may be poorly designed and policed.
Environmental impact assessment and land use planning are
based upon environmental profiles, which are geographical
descriptions of a region of interest. Land use planning requires
maps showing land capability for different purposes, as well as
techniques to allocate land to different uses. It is a key factor in
agricultural and nature conservation at a local and regional
level, as it aims to select the best use of land, based on land
capability and the needs of people. GIS and remote sensing
provide a cheap, rapid and efficient method to generate tire
spatial information required for planning, impact assessment,
and environmental profiles.
Operational remote sensing systems in the EU were analysed
during a of a workshop held by the Centre for Earth
Observation (CEO of the Space Applications Institute. Joint
Research Centre, Rome) entitled ‘Has remote sensing found its
customers?’ The conclusions are summarised in Table 1~. Neil
Hubbard et al (1999) found that specific applications (eg.
precision farming) within broad market sectors (eg. agri-
industiy) are becoming operational, but that broad economic
segments cannot be categorised as operational or successful.
The main markets with greatest potential within the next 5 years
were identified as agri-industry, insurance, software,
travel/tourism/leisure, intergovernmental bodies. In addition,
other markets which have been most strongly purchasing
imagery and using remote sensing included oil and gas, land
navigation, the European Commission, and the meteorological
sector.
2 Italics refer to emerging or ‘rising star’ industries.