SERVIR article on water quality monitoring selected as feature and cover story for the current issue of Remote Sensing

A recent article authored by SERVIR-Mekong Regional Science Associate Kel Markert et al. (2018) was selected as the feature and cover story for the current Remote Sensing issue.  Collaborating authors include the Mekong River Commission (MRC), SERVIR-Mekong/ADPC, USF, Google, and the SERVIR Science Coordination Office (SCO).

SERVIR is collaborating with the MRC to enhance their current water quality monitoring program.  Changes in land cover, land use, and dam construction have vast impacts on sediment loads and water quality throughout the Lower Mekong basin.  MRC, the SERVIR-Mekong Hub, and SERVIR SCO have turned to Landsat to fill month- to year-long gaps in in situ observations, ranging from 1985 to present. An operational model was implemented in Google Earth Engine, allowing users, without any prior knowledge of remote sensing, to freely access and interpret sediment data across the region.

This activity has advanced our understanding of capabilities and limitations for applying Earth observations for water quality monitoring in the Lower Mekong region. The online tool provides a useful input into SERVIR’s service planning approach, allowing MRC and other stakeholders to visualize what EO can offer to address their environmental monitoring and management challenges. Read the full article.