predict fluctuations in biological productivity of 

 the oceans and to give early warning of 

 catastrophic climatic conditions. 



6. Remote Sensing from Space for 

 Resource Mapping and Assessment 



The distribution of natural resources in the 

 developing world is inadequately mapped. Thus many 

 countries do not know the full extent and condition of 

 their arable land, forests, rangeland, water resources, 

 or promising areas for mineral exploitation and as a 

 result are unable to harness these resources and 

 protect their environment effectively. This lack of 

 knowledge results partly from a lack of the trained 

 personnel and facilities necessary to analyze and 

 interpret existing information, and partly from a lack 

 of good basic data. 



Rationale for Selecting this Topic 



Resource mapping and assessment are activities of 

 major interest and potentially high impact in 

 developing countries. Mapping is used here in the 

 broad sense of locating and charting resources. 

 Resource mapping may involve preparation and display of 

 information in ways other than topographical maps; 

 numerical data stored in computers can be part of the 

 resource mapping technique, for example. 



Good potential exists within developing countries 

 for capitalizing on the use of remote sensing from 

 space for resource mapping. Much of the technology has 

 already been successfully demonstrated and used in 

 developing countries and LANDSAT imagery is readily 

 available to them. Most countries already possess a 

 nucleus of the scientists, engineers, and technicians 

 needed to make use of the information generated by 

 remote sensing, and some have already started. 



Developing countries have strong economic and 

 social incentives to use resource information from 

 remote sensing and other sources to forecast crop 

 yields, establish the quantity and location of water 

 resources, detect the erosion of land and pollution of 

 water, recognize alterations in land use and support 

 land-use planning, give warning or assess the damage of 

 natural disasters, observe other aspects of 

 environmental change, and make wise use of water 

 resources and control flooding through long-term river 

 basin planning. Remote sensing can also be used to 

 help locate mineral deposits, assess the content and 



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