Recent Advances in Land Remote Sensing: An Overview

Earth’s surface is undergoing rapid changes due to urbanization, industrialization and globalization. Environmental problems such as water shortages, desertification, soil depletion, greenhouse gas emissions warming the atmosphere, deforestation, elevated coastal waterway sediment and nutrient fluxes, among other environmental problems, are increasingly common and troubling consequences of human activities. Policy decisions about the environment rely on accurate and reliable information, especially data and understanding leading to better predictions of natural hazards, epidemics, impacts of energy choices, and climate variations. Comprehensive, systematic Earth observations are key to forecasting Earth system dynamics. Predicting future scenarios of our planet’s habitability requires analysis of what has transpired in the past along with observations of present conditions and processes. Timely, quality long-term global data acquired through remote sensing is essential for the ongoing viability and enhancement of human society on Earth.