Opportunities for increasing conservation effectiveness and

research collaborations through a developing Conservation Remote

Sensing Working Group

Robert A Rose and lots of others people

Main Goals of TalkMain Goals of Talk• Overview of the current state of RS at a large Overview of the current state of RS at a large

NGONGOo Assortment of applicationsAssortment of applicationso Successes and challenges aheadSuccesses and challenges ahead

• Reflect on the future RS needs of conservation Reflect on the future RS needs of conservation organizationsorganizationso Near future lookNear future looko Data and applicationsData and applications

• Discuss efforts to revitalize a Conservation Discuss efforts to revitalize a Conservation Remote Sensing Work GroupRemote Sensing Work Group

RS Work at a RS Work at a Conservation NGOConservation NGO

• Long history of great RS research focused on conservationLong history of great RS research focused on conservationo Has not necessarily trickled down to the practice of conservationHas not necessarily trickled down to the practice of conservation

• Basic applicationsBasic applicationso LULCCLULCCo Some modeling workSome modeling worko Habitat suitability modelsHabitat suitability modelso othersothers

• No broad capacity for remote sensingNo broad capacity for remote sensingo Have done a good job developing GIS capacity (almost 200 people Have done a good job developing GIS capacity (almost 200 people

using ArcGIS)using ArcGIS)o Fallen behind in RS capacity (about 10 using any RS tools)Fallen behind in RS capacity (about 10 using any RS tools)

• Hard to dedicate research to RS applicationsHard to dedicate research to RS applicationso Lack of timeLack of timeo Lack of fundsLack of funds

• Our questions focus on conservation outcomes not RS technologies and Our questions focus on conservation outcomes not RS technologies and methodsmethods

ChallengesChallenges• Data Data

o Dependent on free or low cost dataDependent on free or low cost data• Landsat TM and ETM Landsat TM and ETM

o If we do budget for data we have 5, 000 – 10,000If we do budget for data we have 5, 000 – 10,000o Lack of availability in remote areasLack of availability in remote areas

• From ground truth to high resolution imageryFrom ground truth to high resolution imageryo CloudsCloudso Opportunities such as Planet Action have helpedOpportunities such as Planet Action have helped

• Lack of capacityLack of capacityo We can get decent land cover maps doneWe can get decent land cover maps doneo Don’t have experts that can bring in advanced techniques - LIDARDon’t have experts that can bring in advanced techniques - LIDARo Don’t have time to develop advanced techniques as we tend to react to critical Don’t have time to develop advanced techniques as we tend to react to critical

problems quicklyproblems quickly

• FundsFundso Hard to raise funds for technology in conservationHard to raise funds for technology in conservationo Can’t dedicate the resources to RS applicationsCan’t dedicate the resources to RS applications

WorkshopWorkshop• NASA funded Workshop – early 2013NASA funded Workshop – early 2013• Bring together 30 peopleBring together 30 people

o Government agencies, academic institutions, conservation NGOsGovernment agencies, academic institutions, conservation NGOs

• Develop list of 10 Ten Conservation Questions that can Develop list of 10 Ten Conservation Questions that can be answered using RS technologiesbe answered using RS technologies

• Foster discussions across different institutionsFoster discussions across different institutions• Publish results - map for moving conservation RS Publish results - map for moving conservation RS

forwardforwardo Focus of research and funding for next several yearsFocus of research and funding for next several yearso Will directly impact the practice of conservationWill directly impact the practice of conservation

• Discussions on formal Conservation Remote Sensing Discussions on formal Conservation Remote Sensing CommunityCommunity

• We hope this will be a beginning for future effortsWe hope this will be a beginning for future efforts

CRS Working GroupCRS Working Group• Panel discussion at past NASA Biodiversity and

Ecological Forecasting Team meeting o Focused on the lack of communication and collaboration opportunities

between scientists, academics and NGOs. o Disjuncture between the innovative remote sensing research

conducted by NASA and university scientists, and the applied remote sensing work needed by NGOs to solve critical challenges to sustainable environmental management.

• Reviving and reinvigorating this multi-organizational working groupo greater communication amongst remote sensing scientists and

practitionerso create a critical link between the novel and visionary work of remote

sensing scientists and on-the-ground conservation projects.

CRS Working GroupCRS Working Group• Foster better communication among groups,

thereby positioning researchers to benefit from NGOs’ wealth of field knowledge and datao Land cover, wildlife, socio-economic data

• Provide opportunities for NGOs to work with scientists to secure support for collaborative, conservation-relevant projects

• If successful, will significantly address challenges conservation NGOs face

CRSWG Mission CRSWG Mission StatementStatement

• Collaborative effort to develop Mission Statement Collaborative effort to develop Mission Statement following workshopfollowing workshop

• "The Mission of the Conservation Remote Sensing Working Group is to increase conservation effectiveness through enhanced integration of remote sensing technologies in research and applications"

CRSWG ThemesCRSWG Themes• Research and CollaborationsResearch and Collaborations• Standards and Best PracticesStandards and Best Practices• Capacity DevelopmentCapacity Development• CommunicationsCommunications

Next StepsNext Steps• Develop Objectives and Goals around each themeDevelop Objectives and Goals around each theme

o Find theme leads and interested participantsFind theme leads and interested participantso Lay out next steps to build around themesLay out next steps to build around themes

• Build communityBuild communityo Find more interested participants from 3 participating groupsFind more interested participants from 3 participating groups

• Communications toolCommunications toolo To allow participants to easily share ideasTo allow participants to easily share ideas