Contribution of satellite data and GIS techniques to follow the various envirenemental processes and natural hazards mapping

Abstract

Remote sensing refer to obtaining information about objects or areas by using electromgnic radation without being in direct contact with the object or area, so remote sensing is day-to-day business for people. Next, these data are translated into useful information. The use of remotely-sensed data in natural resources mapping and as source of input data for environmental processes modeling has been popular in recent years. With the availability of remotely-sensed data from different sensors of various platforms with a wide range of spatial, radiometric and spectral resolutions has made remote sensing as a great source of data dealing with diverse scale applications and study. We summarize some of the most commonly used applications of the technique in environmental resources mapping and modeling. Applications of remote sensing in agricultural crops, foresty, land cover and botany, vegetation dynamics, water quality, meteorology, geography, urban growth and civil engineering. Remote sensing helped to increase our undestanding of the ecological system of the earth, used in precision agriculture practeces to follow crop developpement and to detect water or nutrient deficits. Furthermore, remote sensing and GIS applications are also used in different types of hazards management includes natural disasters as earthquakes, landslides, floods, forest fires, storms and volcanic eruptions; besides to the technological ones as fires-explosions, pollution, and biologic risks as well as air, sea, railway and road accidents. The consequences of these catastrophic events are potentially minimized by developing disaster early warning strategies using remote sensing and GIS technologies, by preparing and implementing plans to provide solutions to such disasters and to facilitate rehabilitation. Remote sensing techniques have a potential use in providing immediate and precise information to local, national and international organizations.