Contributions of Land Remote Sensing for Decisions About Food Security and Human Health
Contributions of Land Remote Sensing for Decisions About Food Security and Human Health

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2007-01-13

Total Pages: 112

ISBN-13: 0309102952

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Land remote sensing: the use of space-based satellite technologies to obtain information on environmental variables such as land-use and land-covering combination with other types of data can provide information on changes in the Earth's surface and atmosphere that are critical for forecasting and responding to human welfare issues, such as disease outbreaks, food shortages, and floods. This book summarizes a workshop on the potential contributions of remotely sensed data to land-use and land-cover change and ways to use physical, biological, temporal, and social characteristics of particular locations to support decisions about human welfare. The discussions focused on human health and food security, two aspects of human welfare in which remotely-sensed environmental conditions play a key role. Examples illustrating the possibilities for applying remote sensing for societal benefit are included throughout the report. As a result of the workshop, three themes were identified that, if fostered, could help realize the potential for the application of land remote sensing to decisions about human welfare: (1) integration of spatial data on environmental conditions derived from remote sensing with socioeconomic data; (2) communication between remote sensing scientists and decision makers to determine effective use of land remote sensing data for human welfare issues; and (3) acquisition and access to long-term environmental data and development of capacity to interpret these data.

Environment and Development
Environment and Development

Author: Stavros G. Poulopoulos

Publisher: Elsevier

Published: 2016-05-23

Total Pages: 596

ISBN-13: 044462743X

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Environment and Development: Basic Principles, Human Activities, and Environmental Implications focuses on the adverse impact that human activities, developments, and economic growth have on both natural and inhabited environments. The book presents the associated problems, along with solutions that can be used to achieve a harmonic, sustainable development that provides for the co-existence of man and natural life. Chapters provide detailed information on a range of environments including: atmospheric, aquatic, soil, natural, urban, energy, and extraterrestrial, as well as the relationship between the environment and development. In addition, this comprehensive book presents the latest research findings and trends in global environmental policy for each issue. - Offers a discussion of the extraterrestrial environment and waste in earth orbit as one of the distinctive topics of the book - Addresses global environmental policy issues and policies - Presents tabulated data to support the analysis and explain the issues presented - Includes case studies covering many topics of current interest - Analyzes environmental issues and proposes solutions grounded in recent research findings - Discusses the various interpretations of the development concept as well as alternative pathways to sustainable development

Threats, Risks and Sustainability - Answers by Space
Threats, Risks and Sustainability - Answers by Space

Author: Kai-Uwe Schrogl

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2009-07-24

Total Pages: 321

ISBN-13: 321187450X

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Development is challenged by, at least until 2050, a strong population, more severe environmental strains, growing mobility, and dwindling energy resources. All these factors will lead to serious consequences for humankind. Inadequate agricultural resources, water supply and non renewable energy sources, epidemics, climate change, and natural disasters will further heavily impact human life. The European Space Policy Institute (ESPI) sheds a new light on threats, risks and sustainability by combining approaches from various disciplines. It analyzes what could be the contribution of space tools to predict, manage and mitigate those threats. It aims at demonstrating that space is not a niche but has become an overarching tool in solving today’s problems.

Earth Science and Applications from Space
Earth Science and Applications from Space

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2007-10-01

Total Pages: 460

ISBN-13: 9780309103879

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Natural and human-induced changes in Earth's interior, land surface, biosphere, atmosphere, and oceans affect all aspects of life. Understanding these changes requires a range of observations acquired from land-, sea-, air-, and space-based platforms. To assist NASA, NOAA, and USGS in developing these tools, the NRC was asked to carry out a "decadal strategy" survey of Earth science and applications from space that would develop the key scientific questions on which to focus Earth and environmental observations in the period 2005-2015 and beyond, and present a prioritized list of space programs, missions, and supporting activities to address these questions. This report presents a vision for the Earth science program; an analysis of the existing Earth Observing System and recommendations to help restore its capabilities; an assessment of and recommendations for new observations and missions for the next decade; an examination of and recommendations for effective application of those observations; and an analysis of how best to sustain that observation and applications system.

Spectrum Management for Science in the 21st Century
Spectrum Management for Science in the 21st Century

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2010-02-25

Total Pages: 249

ISBN-13: 0309151546

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Radio observations of the cosmos are gathered by geoscientists using complex earth-orbiting satellites and ground-based equipment, and by radio astronomers using large ground-based radio telescopes. Signals from natural radio emissions are extremely weak, and the equipment used to measure them is becoming ever-more sophisticated and sensitive. The radio spectrum is also being used by radiating, or "active," services, ranging from aircraft radars to rapidly expanding consumer services such as cellular telephones and wireless internet. These valuable active services transmit radio waves and thereby potentially interfere with the receive-only, or "passive," scientific services. Transmitters for the active services create an artificial "electronic fog" which can cause confusion, and, in severe cases, totally blinds the passive receivers. Both the active and the passive services are increasing their use of the spectrum, and so the potential for interference, already strong, is also increasing. This book addresses the tension between the active services' demand for greater spectrum use and the passive users' need for quiet spectrum. The included recommendations provide a pathway for putting in place the regulatory mechanisms and associated supporting research activities necessary to meet the demands of both users.

Geospatial Data Science in Healthcare for Society 5.0
Geospatial Data Science in Healthcare for Society 5.0

Author: Pradeep Kumar Garg

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2022-03-10

Total Pages: 321

ISBN-13: 9811694761

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The book introduces a variety of latest techniques designed to represent, enhance, and empower multi-disciplinary approaches of geographic information system (GIS), artificial intelligence (AI), deep learning (DL), machine learning, and cloud computing research in healthcare. It provides a unique compendium of the current and emerging use of geospatial data for healthcare and reflects the diversity, complexity, and depth and breadth of this multi-disciplinary area. This book addresses various aspects of how smart healthcare devices can be used to detect and analyze diseases. Further, it describes various tools and techniques to evaluate the efficacy, suitability, and efficiency of geospatial data for health-related applications. It features illustrative case studies, including future applications and healthcare challenges. This book is beneficial for computer science and engineering students and researchers, medical professionals, and anyone interested in using geospatial data in healthcare. It is also intended for experts, offering them a valuable retrospective and a global vision for the future, as well as for non-experts who are curious to learn about this important subject. The book presents an effort to draw how we can build health-related applications using geospatial big data and their subsequent analysis.

Informing an Effective Response to Climate Change
Informing an Effective Response to Climate Change

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2011-01-07

Total Pages: 346

ISBN-13: 0309145945

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Global climate change is one of America's most significant long-term policy challenges. Human activity-especially the use of fossil fuels, industrial processes, livestock production, waste disposal, and land use change-is affecting global average temperatures, snow and ice cover, sea-level, ocean acidity, growing seasons and precipitation patterns, ecosystems, and human health. Climate-related decisions are being carried out by almost every agency of the federal government, as well as many state and local government leaders and agencies, businesses and individual citizens. Decision makers must contend with the availability and quality of information, the efficacy of proposed solutions, the unanticipated consequences resulting from decisions, the challenge of implementing chosen actions, and must consider how to sustain the action over time and respond to new information. Informing an Effective Response to Climate Change, a volume in the America's Climate Choices series, describes and assesses different activities, products, strategies, and tools for informing decision makers about climate change and helping them plan and execute effective, integrated responses. It discusses who is making decisions (on the local, state, and national levels), who should be providing information to make decisions, and how that information should be provided. It covers all levels of decision making, including international, state, and individual decision making. While most existing research has focused on the physical aspect of climate change, Informing an Effective Response to Climate Change employs theory and case study to describe the efforts undertaken so far, and to guide the development of future decision-making resources. Informing an Effective Response to Climate Change offers much-needed guidance to those creating public policy and assists in implementing that policy. The information presented in this book will be invaluable to the research community, especially social scientists studying climate change; practitioners of decision-making assistance, including advocacy organizations, non-profits, and government agencies; and college-level teachers and students.

Foreign Direct Investment, Trade and Economic Growth
Foreign Direct Investment, Trade and Economic Growth

Author: Shahid Ahmed

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2014-04-17

Total Pages: 398

ISBN-13: 1317809939

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This volume examines the opportunities and challenges in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and trade, particularly service trade, for developing and emerging economies in a globalised world. Using comprehensive case studies from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and other South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries, it explores various channels through which trade and FDI affect the process of economic growth and development. In particular, it determines growth trajectories impelled by service trade (such as telecommunications, transport, finance and distribution), where developing countries are playing an increasingly significant role. It also discusses value chains and production networks in the backdrop of the financial crisis of 2008. Combining theoretical and empirical tools, rigorous methodology and latest data, this work will serve as an important resource for formulation of international trade and economic policies in developing countries. It will be of special interest to students, researchers and policy makers dealing with international trade and FDI, and those in economics, commerce, business & management and political science.

Exploring the Solar System
Exploring the Solar System

Author: R. Launius

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2012-12-28

Total Pages: 705

ISBN-13: 1137273178

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Beginning in the early days of the Space Age - well before the advent of manned spaceflight - the United States, followed soon by other nations, undertook an ambitious effort to study the planets of the solar system. The remarkable fruits of this research revolutionized the public's view of their celestial neighbors, capturing the imaginations of people from all backgrounds like nothing else save the Apollo lunar missions. From the first space probes to the most recent planetary rovers, they have continually delivered impressive discoveries and reshaped our understanding of the cosmos. Offering fascinating investigations into this crucial chapter in space history, this collection of specially commissioned essays from leading historians opens new vistas in our understanding of the development of planetary science.