Science for a Hungry World Podcasts:
NASA satellite remote sensing data provide the world with
essential information that enables government organizations to feed the hungry,
policymakers to make informed decisions, and aid organizations to provide relief.
This series of videos illustrate the value of the unique perspective gained
from space and enforces the need for global agricultural monitoring and
accurate forecasting. The six episodes will define the global food system, look
at NASA’s role in providing an uninterrupted supply of satellite remote sensing
data for agricultural production monitoring, explore the successful
partnerships and monitoring tools used to provide an understanding of the
global perspective on agriculture, and examine the concepts of land cover and
land use change, food security, the availability of water resources, and global
agricultural production in a changing climate.
The first two podcasts are available here:
What is the Global Food System?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RJ6AqWAOEg
NASA and its Partners
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rucWGuj0Lk
Coming up:
1. Land Use Change
and Agriculture
NASA remote sensing
data is used to measure how much land is used for agriculture and where farms
are in relation to population density. This episode explore the transition
between native vegetation, farms, and cities. Satellites show where land use
changes have been most significant.
2. Food Security
Sponsored by USAID,
the Famine Early Warning System Network (FEWS NET) was designed to help
governments and aid agencies assess the need for food aid before a famine
develops. This episode describes FEWS NET and looks at how FEWS NET uses NASA
data to make decisions on the ground.
3. Water and
Agriculture
Water plays a crucial
role in agriculture and food security. This episode shows how the water cycle
works and examines the question of how changes in the water cycle could impact
agricultural outputs and the role of irrigation.
4. Climate Change,
Agriculture, and NASA
How will climate
change impact agriculture? This episode explores the need for accurate,
continuous and accessible data and computer models to track and predict the
challenges farmers face as they adjust to a changing climate.
For More information:
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NasaNews/Agriculture2009/
