Landsat’s Role in Managing Water Resources
Water is essential for life. A third of Earth’s populace has unreliable access to clean water. With current population growth and environmental trends, the U.N. Environmental Program estimates that 1.8 billion people will face water scarcity by 2025. Water means survival for people and other species we rely upon to thrive, making proper stewardship of our water resources vital. Good decisions require good data. Since 1972 the Landsat series of satellites has been providing such data. Landsat-based decisions on how to manage limited water resources have impacted millions of people worldwide. From finding water for refugees in arid nations to reducing pollution in our national waterways, Landsat enables decisions that directly help people.
Landsat Sees Dr. Beach’s Top 10 Beaches of 2021
For over 30 years, Dr. Beach, aka Dr. Stephen Leatherman, a professor and coast geomorphologist at Florida International University, has created a Top 10 Beach list based on criteria including water and sand quality, safety, and management. You can find his 2021 picks here and see how Landsat views them as well.
Planning the Future of Palau Fish Stocks with Satellites
In Micronesia, the nation of Palau is building sustainable aquaculture farms in the ocean with the help of satellites.
Spotting Brittany’s ‘Green Tides’ from Space
‘Green tides’ of algae have wreaked havoc across the coastlines of Brittany, France, for half a century due to high levels of agricultural runoff. With efforts to reduce these underway, a new technique using over three decades of satellite images highlights the extent of the continuing problem.
South Asian Farmers Fine Tune When to Water with Landsat
Putting NASA and USGS satellite information at farmers’ fingertips leads to less water use and better crop yields in South Asia.
Downstream Consequences: How NASA Satellites Track Harmful Algal Blooms
Harmful algal blooms pose a health risk to fish and other wildlife as well as humans; satellites, including Landsat, are helping public health officials keep people safe.
Landsat Satellite Data Warns of Harmful Algal Blooms
Landsat helps water resource managers know where to look for dangerous algal blooms in Utah lakes.
