The application of earth observation to help manage land use and land use change in Brazil : an analysis of user needs

Abstract Brazil is a country with some of the most important forest ecosystems and natural resources in the world. The expansion of agriculture, livestock, demand for food production, extractive industries, illegal logging,... [ view full abstract ]

Abstract

Brazil is a country with some of the most important forest ecosystems and natural resources in the world. The expansion of agriculture, livestock, demand for food production, extractive industries, illegal logging, land conflicts, deforestation and fire are just some of the main pressures associated with environmental management in different regions of Brazil. Despite the attempts of different institutions aiming to promote the use of earth observation (EO) to support land use management and conservation projects in Brazil, established institutions at the national and state level are encountering several problems associated with the use of EO data. This paper presents the results of a research project which aimed to explore the challenges involved in promoting the use of EO to support environmental management in Brazil. The topic from the point of view of the end users of EO data has been under-explored in the literature. A total of 53 informants in Brasilia (the capital city of Brazil), the city of Rio Branco (Acre) and Cuiaba (Mato Grosso) were interviewed. EO was certainly regarded by the respondents as essential for helping to monitor and address deforestation, estimating crop yields, monitoring disasters and promoting sustainable use of land resources. The results indicated that one of the main limitations on the use of EO is lack of government investments due to the recent economic crises and political instability. The most important factor for the end user was the cost of the EO data. However, perhaps surprisingly, technical support was not seen by respondents as very important for users, as they expect a final product already to use. Institutions had limited internal capacity due to a lack of staff and high workload. We included a list of the main limitations on the use of EO data. The results shows that EO is very important to assist policy-making and to support actions in remote areas of Brazil, but is just one essential factor to guide action on the ground and to reduce the impacts of land use and land use change.

Keywords: Earth Observation, environmental management, policy, institutions, sustainable development.