For the period 1996-2010, we provide first indication of drivers behind mangrove land cover and use change across (pan-)tropics using time-series Japanese Earth Resources Satellite (JERS-1) Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Advanced Land Observing (ALOS) Phased Array-type L-band SAR (PALSAR) data. Multi-temporal radar mosaics were manually interpreted for evidence loss gain in forest extent its associated driver. Mangrove as a consequence human activities was observed their entire range....

This study presents a new global baseline of mangrove extent for 2010 and has been released as the first output Global Mangrove Watch (GMW) initiative. is to apply globally consistent automated method mapping mangroves, identifying 137,600 km 2 . The overall accuracy was 94.0% with 99% likelihood that true value between 93.6–94.5%, using 53,878 points across 20 sites distributed globally. Using geographic regions Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, Asia highest proportion mangroves 38.7% total,...

There is a growing awareness that if we are to achieve the ambitious goal of malaria elimination, must compliment indoor-based vector control interventions (such as bednets and indoor spraying) with outdoor-based such larval source management (LSM). The effectiveness LSM limited by our capacity identify map mosquito aquatic habitats. This study provides proof concept for use low-cost (< $1000) drone (DJI Phantom) mapping water bodies in seven sites across Zanzibar including natural bodies,...

This study demonstrates a globally applicable method for monitoring mangrove forest extent at high spatial resolution. A 2010 baseline was classified 16 areas using combination of ALOS PALSAR and Landsat composite imagery within random forests classifier. novel map-to-image change used to detect annual decadal changes in PALSAR/JERS-1 imagery. The presented makes fewer assumptions the data than existing methods, is less sensitive variation between scenes due environmental factors (e.g., tide...

Providing timely and accurate maps of surface water is valuable for mapping malaria risk targeting disease control interventions. Radar satellite remote sensing has the potential to provide this information but current approaches are not suitable African malarial mosquito aquatic habitats that tend be highly dynamic, often with emergent vegetation. We present a novel approach both open vegetated bodies using serial Sentinel-1 imagery Western Zambia. This region dominated by seasonally...

A methodology is developed to estimate daily river discharge at an ungauged site using remote sensing data. Use made of ERS-2 and ENVISAT satellite altimetry provide a time series channel stage levels longitudinal slope Landsat imagery range widths over 50 km reach river. The data are substituted into the Bjerklie et al. (2003) equation, which based on Manning's resistance equation has been global database hydraulic information measurements. Our applied three locations Mekong Ob Rivers...

Mangrove forests play a global role in providing ecosystem goods and services addition to acting as carbon sinks, are particularly vulnerable climate change effects such rising sea levels increased salinity. For this reason, accurate long-term monitoring of mangrove ecosystems is vital. However, these extremely dynamic data frequency often reduced by cloud cover. The Continuous Change Detection Classification (CCDC) method has the potential overcome utilising every available observation on...

Abstract Continental-scale models of malaria climate suitability typically couple well-established temperature-response with basic estimates vector habitat availability using rainfall as a proxy. Here we show that across continental Africa, the estimated geographic range climatic for transmission is more sensitive to precipitation threshold than thermal response curve applied. To address this problem use downscaled daily predictions from seven GCMs run continental-scale hydrological model...

Over 40% of the United States population visit beach each year. For 10 year period between 2003 and 2012, lifeguards made on average 67,700 rescues per Rip currents account for 80% annual fatalities. When a lifeguard spots victim, must reach victim before mean time 102 seconds (σ = 30s). This paper presents design Life-ring Delivery Drone System, which delivers life-rings to victims faster than lifeguard. Once have life-ring, they can survive long enough until reaches them. A stochastic...

Knowledge of the location and extent surface water inundated vegetation is vital for a range applications including flood risk management, biodiversity monitoring, quantifying greenhouse gas emissions, mapping water-borne disease risk. Here, we present new tool, TropWet, which enables users all abilities to map wetlands in herbaceous dominated regions based on simple unmixing optical Landsat satellite imagery Google Earth Engine. The results demonstrate transferability throughout African...

Abstract Aim Climate change is pressing extra strain on the already degraded forest ecosystem in Tanzania. However, it mostly unknown how climate will affect distribution of forests future. We aimed to model impacts natural help inform national‐level conservation and mitigation strategies. Location Methods conducted maximum entropy (MaxEnt) modelling simulate habitat suitability using Tanzanian national inventory survey (1,307 occurrences) environmental data. Changes habitats were simulated...

Larval source management strategies can play an important role in malaria elimination programmes, especially for tackling outdoor biting species and eliminating parasite vector populations when they are most vulnerable during the dry season. Effective larval requires tools identifying geographic foci of proliferation transmission where these efforts may be concentrated. Previous studies have relied on surface topographic wetness to indicate hydrological potential breeding sites, but this is...

Larval source management is a promising component of integrated malaria control and elimination. This requires development framework to target productive locations through process-based understanding habitat hydrology geomorphology.We conducted the first catchment scale study fine resolution spatial temporal variation in Anopheles productivity relation rainfall, geomorphology for high transmission area Tanzania.Monthly aggregates river stage water table were not significantly related...

Access to temporally dense time series such as data from the Landsat and Sentinel-2 missions has lead an increase in methods which aim monitor land cover change on a per-acquisition rather than yearly basis. Evaluating accuracy limitations of these can be difficult because validation are limited often rely human interpretation. Simulated offer objective method for evaluating comparing between detection algorithms. A set simulated was used evaluate four methods: (1) Breaks Additive Seasonal...

Medium-resolution DEMs have limited applicability to flood mapping in large river systems within data sparse regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa. We present a novel approach for the enhancement of SRTM (30 m) Digital Elevation Model (DEM) The Gambia, West Africa: A time-series analysis frequency and land cover was used delineate differences vertical limits between morphological units an alluvial floodplain. Combined with supplementary stage vegetation removal techniques, these methods were...

The ability to accurately map tropical wetland dynamics can significantly contribute a number of areas, including food and water security, protection enhancement ecosystems, flood hazard management, our understanding natural greenhouse gas emissions. Yet currently, there is not tractable solution for mapping forested wetlands at high spatial temporal resolutions regional scale. This means that we lack accurate up-to-date information about some the world’s most significant wetlands, Amazon...

Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS) measurements are increasingly vital in forest management and national inventories. Despite the growing reliance on ALS data, comparatively little research has examined sensitivity of to varying survey conditions over commercially important forests. This study investigated: (i) how accurately Discrete Anisotropic Radiative Transfer (DART) model was able replicate small-footprint collected Irish conifer plantations, (ii) characteristics influenced precision...

Drones have the potential to revolutionize malaria vector control initiatives through rapid and accurate mapping of malarial mosquito larval habitats help direct field Larval Source Management (LSM) efforts. However, there are no clear recommendations on how these can be extracted from drone imagery in an operational context. This paper compares results two approaches: supervised image classification using machine learning Technology-Assisted Digitising (TAD) that employs a new region...

The potential of drones to support public health interventions, such as malaria vector control, is beginning be realised. Although permissions from civil aviation authorities are often needed for drone operations, the communities over which they fly tend ignored: How do affected perceive drones? Is deployment accepted by communities? should engaged?An initiative in Zanzibar, United Republic Tanzania using map malarial mosqutio breeding sites targeting larval source management interventions....

Abstract Background Larval Source Management (LSM) is an important tool for malaria vector control and recommended by WHO as a supplementary measure. LSM has contributed in many successful attempts to eliminate the disease across Globe. However, this approach typically labour-intensive, largely due difficulties locating mapping potential malarial mosquito breeding sites. Previous studies have demonstrated drone imaging technology map key questions remain unanswered related use cost of within...

Under Vietnam's subsidy system that lasted until the late 1980s, state made many decisions about people's lives. Among these rules were those on household registration (ho khau), which closely regulated movement. The doi moi reforms dismantled state's hold employment, but ho khau administered by police remained an important tool of control over population. It is used for purposes identification, eligibility and work, as well to restrict migration into cities. This article argues limited room...

Earthworks such as embankments and cuttings are integral to road rail networks but can be prone instability, necessitating rigorous continual monitoring. To date, the potential of remote sensing for earthwork hazard assessment has been largely overlooked. However, techniques airborne laser scanning (ALS) now ripe addressing these challenges. This research presents development a novel strategy, combining high-resolution with numerical modeling approach. The was implemented at railway test...