Earth Observation as a Tool to Halt Deforestation: A Case Study in Brazil

摘要

In spite of its favourable geographic position for launching satellites and its substantial market for space technologies, the Brazilian space sector has fallen shy of its potential, particularly with regard to the development of national satellites and access to space. There is however an important sector in which Brazil has stood out: Earth observation and satellite imagery processing. With the largest tropical forest in the world, Brazil has an important role to play in the use of satellite capabilities as a tool to halt deforestation, and in recent years it has successfully applied space technologies to curtail illegal deforestation in its territory. The present essay aims to investigate the Earth observation sector in Brazil, and how it has contributed to the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, one of the key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In particular, this study will examine two Brazilian space-based projects to monitor changes in forest cover - PRODES and DETER - and their impact in the struggle to combat deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon.