Satellite Images as a Powerful Tool to Mitigate the Effects of Climate Change

Norma Dávila is an expert in Geographic Information Systems. In the GreenWatersheds project, she developed satellite data analysis and modeling focused on landslide susceptibility, forest fire detection, drought indices, vegetation cover, and land use, among others. Together, these models allow continuous monitoring of the impacts of ecosystem-based adaptations (EbA) being applied in rural and protected areas in Guatemala, Cuba, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic. In addition, the data feed into the planning of new interventions. 

"The opening up of the use of free high-resolution satellite data and its increasing availability over the last 10 years has given us the opportunity to measure the impact of climate change on ecosystems on a daily basis. This gives us a powerful tool to design early detection systems that help us mitigate the effects of climate change using Geographic Information Systems," explains Dávila. 

Apart from the development, monitoring, and evaluation of the impacts of adaptations implemented in the field, the information collected is also crucial for the creation and strengthening of participatory governance mechanisms and the engagement of the private sector in the financing of climate change mitigation and adaptation, as well as the inclusion of measures that have proven successful in public planning processes. > More information