Giving Compass' Take:

· In order to get the most accurate information about a country's rural development and well-being, an international team of researchers suggests relying on satellites instead of on-the-ground household surveys.

· Why is the accuracy of this information so important? How would the satellites be used in your areas of concern?

· Learn how satellites are helping address society's biggest challenges.  

Spatial data from satellites are now fine-scale enough to provide land use and vegetation cover information at the level of individual farms. An international team of researchers examined the potential of remotely sensed satellite data to help monitor rural poverty in lower-income countries. They found that certain local environmental features, including agricultural land uses, are related to the level of wealth of households and villages and can be quantified by satellite data.

Imagery taken from satellites helps scientists map the Earth's surface. Using these images, scientists quantify different types of land cover, distinguishing areas of forest from those dominated by scrub, grassland, crops, or water. By analyzing satellite data from different time periods, researchers assess changes in vegetation cover across the globe.

Rural residents in lower-income countries rely on natural resources for food, fuel, building materials, and medicines. Loss of these resources is likely associated with lower socioeconomic circumstances. Some features of environmental resources, such as the size of a woodland or its proximity to a road, can be obtained from satellite imagery.

Read the full article about monitoring rural development by Sue Palminteri at Pacific Standard.