From earth observation to policy-making: How remote sensing is changing decision-support landscape
Abstract
Understanding the complex interlinkages between ecosystems, ecosystem services, and their interaction with the economy is being transformed by ecosystem accounting (EA). Ecosystem accounting, as proposed by the UN System of Environmental Economic Accounting (SEEA) requires use of spatially explicit data for the estimate of assets as well as the flows of benefits from ecosystems to well-identified beneficiaries and economic sectors, in a way that is consistent with the System of National Accounts (SNA). Update at a regular basis, as recommended, relies on Earth observation (EO) data and is key in cost-effective measurements of numerous EA components.
A key lesson from the implementation of EA in different countries is that the ecosystem accounting efforts must be tightly linked to policy priorities. Indeed, experience shows that the not only policies can inform the priority accounts to be developed, but the institutionalization continuous implementation of accounting is much faster when policy application of accounting statistics can be used to inform planning and development, in addition to its obvious role towards reporting and monitoring status and trends of ecosystems and ecosystem services. Ecosystem accounting has demonstrated numerous short and long terms applications, including spatial planning, resource mobilization and allocation, as well as to inform commitments (e.g., SDG Goals and the Aichi Targets). Not just the public sector, private sector is increasingly relying on natural capital assessment approaches to understand impacts and dependency of businesses on natural capital. This paper will discuss key observations on how EO data is playing a transformational role in the policy and decision-support landscape, providing a few illustrative examples based on recent efforts.- Publication:
-
AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2018
- Bibcode:
- 2018AGUFM.B33L2843W
- Keywords:
-
- 1630 Impacts of global change;
- GLOBAL CHANGEDE: 1632 Land cover change;
- GLOBAL CHANGEDE: 1640 Remote sensing;
- GLOBAL CHANGEDE: 6304 Benefit-cost analysis;
- POLICY SCIENCES