Policymaking, Satellite Imagery, and Sustainable Development
Welcome to the first of two policy modules!
In this module, we'll look at how satellite data informs policies aimed at creating a better world for all of us. We'll touch on the importance of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a global effort to tackle social, economic, and environmental issues. Satellite imagery is not just about collecting data; there is also the challenge of interpreting and connecting it with policy. We need transdisciplinary collaboration, between all types of experts and bodies of knowledge, so we can work together towards a better future for our human planet.
Earth data for Earth people!
“I am driven by two main philosophies, know more today about the world than I knew yesterday. And lessen the suffering of others. You’d be surprised how far that gets you.”
Space and Sustainability?
So how does satellite data inform the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals?
The Sustainable Development Goals can be seen as a set of global policies aimed at human life on earth and its many challenges and inequalities. However, the UN does not have governmental authority to implement policies, and how the SDG directives are implemented and inform policy is up to a myriad of actors and factors. The actors include national governments, the most significant policymakers, but also regional organizations, local organizations, educational institutions, companies in the private sector, and others entities. We are seeing worldwide engagement with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, and on multiple scales, and this is significant in comparison with the preceding Millennium Development Goals which gained less traction globally.
Recap and Further Policy Resources
Here’s what we learned in this training:
Satellite analyses are essential towards making well-informed decisions that affect humanity.
However, data by itself, can lead to incorrect conclusions. The socio-technical and socio-ecological context of an issue must be understood using various sources of expertise.
Policy Resources:
Under each of the Track pages, there are provided some summary documents that you can use to learn more about the social and environmental context of your track issue.
These resources can give you a start towards further research that can be conducted using resources from online searches or the ASU Library.
Not Data alone…
There are challenges with connecting data to solutions and policy of course. Data interpreted outside of its rich socio-technical and socio-ecological context can be misunderstood and even be misleading. Also, it often takes experts – scientists, technologists – to interpret satellite data, and the technical experts do not always connect with policy or policymakers. Political, social and cultural factors often cannot be seen, in data, but even on the ground and in the field with communities, governments and policymakers. Moreover, policymakers are a broad and varied group, and often have different and competing agendas. These are just a few challenges, but even with these, I will end on a very positive note. Satellite data is powerful and can be hard to ignore, especially when it is visualized and can be clearly interpreted for its environmental, social, political, economic and future implications. This means integrating the data with other sources, and engaging transdisciplinary teams, as we do here at ASU, to work on these challenges together within the rich context in which we humans inhabit this earth.
Policy informed by Data
Satellite data can be a powerful tool for policymakers when learning the ideal ways to manage people and their environment. One example can be seen in a 2006 study concerning the deforestation of the Amazon rainforest. Satellite data was used to automatically classify how deforested land is being used. Classifications included cropland, pasture land, and unused land. The study found that surprisingly deforested area used for cattle pastures decreased from 78% to 66% while land converted to cropland increased from 13% to 23%. This insight allows Brazilian policymakers to more accurately address the underlying causes of Amazon deforestation.
Cropland expansion changes deforestation dynamics in the southern Brazilian Amazon. Douglas C. Morton, Ruth S. DeFries, Yosio E. Shimabukuro, and Jeff Morisette. September 26, 2006. 103 (39) 14637-14641. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0606377103