Ramsar Remote Sensing Case Studies

This section of the Gateway provides a series of case studies on the application of remote sensing to Ramsar Wetlands of International Importance. Remote sensing (also known as Earth Observation) can be of great value for a wide range of applications, including wetland delineation and characterization, mapping species composition, understanding hydrology, development of management plans, zoning for wise use, identification of internal/external threats, establishing a baseline data set, and monitoring of changes in land-cover and ecological character. The objective of these case studies is to help wetland managers and remote sensing scientists to identify the types of imagery and methodologies that have been applied at different sites, and for which purposes. The case studies also identify, where appropriate, the kinds of ancillary data sources that were combined with the remote sensing imagery in geographic information systems.

For more information on remote sensing applications of relevance to multilateral environmental agreements, visit SEDAC's web resource Remote Sensing and Environmental Treaties: Building More Effective Linkages.

Case Study Area	Author	Summary
Global	EarthSat Corporation	This case study focuses on generic applications of remote sensing in a number of areas, including pilot applications in the Chesapeake Bay (USA) and Lake Naivasha (Kenya).
Global	Dr. Frank Ahern, Atlantis Scientific (on behalf of the TESEO Initiative)	This case study focuses on generic applications of remote sensing in a number of areas, including pilot applications at Mer Bleu (Canada), Doñana (Spain), and Djoudj (Sénégal).
Argentina: Esteros del Iberá wetland	Dr. Steven Loiselle, University of Siena	This case study focuses on a pilot application of remote sensing at a large wetland site in northern Argentina which is associated with a wetland complex of more than 12,000 square kilometers. The application monitored water quality and the impact of a large dam.
Bolivia, Brazil and Paraguay: Pantanal wetlands	Dr. Montserat Carbonell, Ducks Unlimited (on behalf of the Pantanal GIS Consortium)	This case study provides a detailed description of the methodologies utilized for a transboundary pilot project in the Upper Paraguay River Basin. It focuses heavily on remote sensing data integration in a geographic information system
South Africa: uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park and the National Wetlands Inventory	Dr. John Dini, Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Rep. of South Africa	This case study examines a pilot application in Natal Province (uKhahlamba Drakensberg NP) that was useful for developing the proposed methodology for the South Africa National Wetlands Inventory.
United States: Connecticut River Estuary and Tidal River Wetlands Complex	Ron Rozsa, Office of Long Island Sound Programs, Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection	This case study examines operational applications of remote sensing for monitoring the ecological character of the Connecticut River Estuary.