Satellite observations for science-based management of the environment

Abstract

The Philippines' increasing population has posed a challenge to the sustenance of its environment, threatening food and water security, loss of biodiversity and over-exploitation of its natural resources. Appropriate management is imperative in order to support current needs and to guarantee a sustainable future. One of the key factors leading to effective management is the availability of objective, quantifiable and verifiable measurements. Earth-observation satellites have been relied upon globally for weather forecasting and environmental monitoring. With comprehensive coverage, satellites can provide time-sensitive and actionable information that are useful to various stakeholders. In this talk, I will be discussing some of our researches that demonstrate the utilization of satellite data to address some of the country's pressing environmental issues: agricultural drought assessment, monitoring and forecasting, deforestation and the National Greening Program, and lake and coastal pollution. The challenges on remote sensing product development and calibration will also be presented. Finally, I will provide updates on the Philippines' microsatellites, Diwata-1 and 2 and their contribution towards environmental monitoring.