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Earth observation - Human-environment interactions

Humans have a strong influence on landscapes and their environmental component, and many of the changes linked to human activities are visible from space. With earth observation we can derive information about human activities in the region we are studying.

We can study changes in land use or land cover and link them to socio-economic and political processes in several ways. Urban expansion can be studied using night-time lights, or we can figure out information about population density differences within an administrative unit. We can also study landscape processes in certain contexts, for example land abandonment related to out-migration or wildfire occurrences in areas affected by armed conflict.

Mapping of human activities using Earth Observation

Mapping of human activities using Earth Observation is often done in collaboration with researchers from other disciplines. While earth observation can help answer questions about what changes are happening, where, when, and how much, other knowledge may be needed to answer questions about who or what is causing the change and what are the societal implications.

 

Satellite image of fires and burn scars in agricultural areas near Tikrit, Iraq, June 2019.
Fires and burn scars in agricultural areas near Tikrit, Iraq, June 2019, captured by Sentinel-2.

Contact

Lina Eklund: lina [dot] eklund [at] nateko [dot] lu [dot] se

Torbern Tagesson: torbern [dot] tagesson [at] nateko [dot] lu [dot] se