Opinion: Satellites as a powerful tool in managing global land use

The world will have nearly 10 billion people to feed by 2050. Many will reside in dense urban areas, enjoy higher incomes, and have an increased appetite for meat-rich diets. To create the food, fuel, and fiber needed for the growing population, food systems must become 70% more productive within the same period.

But most of the land suitable for farming has already been exploited. Overfarming is degrading soil quality, and vital ecosystems are being destroyed at alarming rates to keep up with our demanding lifestyles. Agricultural activities account for one-quarter of today’s total greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to extreme weather events and exacerbating food security challenges.

Overcoming these issues will, in part, be achieved by doing things in a more sustainable way. We must become more productive and less damaging; increase quality while reducing costs; and boost efficiency without creating waste. But we must also try new and innovative approaches if we are to break the cycles of old.

It’s no overstatement to say that one of today’s most pressing environmental issues for businesses, civil society, and governments alike is ensuring sustainable and efficient land use. This transformation calls for the protection, restoration, and management of natural ecosystems, in close collaboration with communities on the front lines of climate change, to deliver nature-positive solutions while preserving — and ultimately increasing — food supplies.

The role of space technology

Satellites are uniquely positioned to support the sustainability of our planet. Increased access to satellite data, geospatial intelligence, and ubiquitous connectivity creates actionable insights for decision-makers to help boost growth and productivity while safeguarding the planet’s most valuable assets: our natural resources and the infrastructure, economies, and communities that rely on them.

Satellites are enabling governments, NGOs, and businesses to remotely monitor and measure their assets and supply chains across vast landscapes. They provide independent evidence that can be used for transparent reporting on environmental practices and impact and allow organizations to demonstrate to their investors, customers, and employees that they are delivering on sustainable development commitments.

Projects such as OceanMind and ForestMind illustrate how satellite data can be used to monitor environmental impacts and provide evidence around compliance and delivery for organizations’ sustainability commitments.

OceanMind, for example, uses satellite data and artificial intelligence to monitor the ocean for illegal fishing, helping marine enforcement and enabling industry to work more responsibly and transparently. It has been used to support evidence of sustainably caught tuna. The technology is also being applied to monitor emissions from shipping cargoes and is part of Al Gore’s Climate TRACE initiative. OceanMind was one of the Satellite Applications Catapult’s initiatives and has since spun out.

ForestMind, another initiative led by the Satellite Applications Catapult, demonstrates similar applications of machine-learning and satellite technology for sustainable land use — specifically, monitoring deforestation in supply chains. Actionable insights can be derived from the geospatial data, and the unbiased source offers solutions for current and future deforestation procurement and legislative compliance.

Space technology can also be used for mitigating climate risk. In small island developing states, where around one-third of the population lives within 5 meters (5.5 yards) above sea level, the sustainability of the land and food systems is at urgent risk. Rising waters and the increasing intensity and frequency of extreme weather events are having a dramatic impact on the land — and the communities living there.

Through the creation of the Open Data Cube and other platforms to access satellite information, the International Partnership Programme’s CommonSensing project — funded by the UK Space Agency — has delivered solutions to support Fiji, Vanuatu, and the Solomon Islands in becoming more resilient to the negative impacts of climate change. These include improved access to climate finance, disaster risk reduction, and enhanced food security and resilience.

Progress and COP 26

Protecting, conserving, and restoring nature and its ecosystems are critical for both mitigating and adapting to climate change, according to the Glasgow Climate Pact, a critical outcome of the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference. The importance of nature in addressing climate change has gained much attention over the years.

However, more has to be done to accelerate solutions. The significance of deforestation was widely recognized at COP 26, and another outcome was a deforestation pledge by 141 parties to work collectively to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030.

This commitment was supported by $12 billion in public funding and a further $7.2 billion from private and philanthropic sources. More than 30 financial institutions also committed to divest from activities linked to commodity-driven deforestation.

There is widespread consensus that we need to restructure the economic incentives that currently encourage deforestation. We need nature-based solutions to preserve carbon sinks. And at the same time, we need to rapidly decarbonize the way our land is used. In doing so, we can halt and ideally reverse carbon emissions and move closer to the 1.5 degree Celsius target needed to secure a livable planet.

This is where satellites and remote sensing data can play an important role. In monitoring changes in the natural environment, satellites can effectively help inform evidence-based targets and decision-making for climate change adaptation and mitigation, including in the food system.

In doing so, satellites can provide key insights to the commercial sector. Geospatial data can encourage investors to support sustainable land use by providing the impartial evidence needed to make immediate decisions on where to allocate funds to meet investment commitments outlined at COP 26.

Now is the time to realize the vital role that data from satellites can play in the management of global land use in the evolving climate. This is crucial as we forge a more sustainable future, and the data will drive actionable insights, benefiting all.

Want to learn more? Catch up on the recording from the event Ecosystems for the future: Harnessing space technology for sustainable land use, hosted by Devex in partnership with Satellite Applications Catapult amid COP 26.