Use of Remote Sensing for Monitoring Climate Variability: New Applications for Human Health, Insect Pest and Fire Management

摘要

A number of the major human infectious diseases and insect pests that plague the developing world are sensitive to inert-seasonal and inter-decadal changes in environment and climate. Monitoring variations in environmental conditions such as rainfall and vegetation helps decision-makers at Ministries of Health and Ministries of Agriculture to assess the risk levels of malaria epidemics as well as insect pests such as Desert Locusts. The International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI) has developed products based on remotely sensed data to monitor those changes and provide the information directly to the decision-makers. This paper presents recent developments which use remote sensing and available ground-based observations to monitor climate variability, environmental conditions and their impacts on the dynamics of infectious diseases (malaria), Desert Locust outbreaks, and fires. In particular, TERRA-MODIS images (at 250 m spatial resolution) are used to monitor vegetation development, vegetation moisture content and water bodies. Different rainfall estimates products are also provided depending on the accuracy of the estimates and user requirement.