Select one country from the list below and evaluate the contribution Essay

Select one country from the list below and evaluate the contribution that remote sensing could make to measuring and monitoring - Essay Example Amongst the eight distinct MDGs, MDG 7 deals with environmental sustainability and is measured through a set of 10 indicators. The task of preserving the environment is extremely important for the achievement of other MDG goals such as education, economic development, equality and healthcare. For instance, Azmi (2010) notes that over a quarter of the epidemics and diseases reported worldwide result from environmental factors. Over 35% of all deaths in third world countries are caused from environmental disturbances. According to Hassan (2004), MDG 7 is sometimes misunderstood for its context and broader outlook and criticized for being disconnected from other issues such as farming and healthcare that seem to affect the poor. Bradford (2005) says that this is however not true since numerous studies have concluded that most of these problems are a direct result of environmental exploitation and the lack of sustainable practices and strategies to counter this decline. Researchers like Faure (2009) have carried out extensive studies on environmental impact and have concluded that most environmental disasters result from and are often accelerated by massive environmental degradation. For example, countries like Jordan are facing acute water shortage, energy deficiency and climate change due to rapid desertification of the countryside and global warming. Within the context of poverty reduction, environmental sustainability plays a pivotal role due to their widespread dependence on non-renewable sources of energy and unsustainable environmental practices. Wagstaff (2010) argues that the major obstacle to developing any environmental strategy is the measurement of the current trends in the local environment and cites the importance of technologies like remote sensing in monitoring any related initiatives. With over 65% of the population dependent on fisheries, agriculture and minerals, Jordan is a nation that is highly dependent on the environment for its economic gro wth (Mays, 2009). Thus, devising and tracking any environmental strategy for the country needs a holistic and wholesome approach and cannot rely on a person-to-person methodology. Remote sensing, the science of acquiring information on a geographical region from aerial satellites, encompasses numerous technologies that are capable of measuring anything from meteorology and terrain (minerals and other natural resources) to deforestation and desertification. This paper therefore describes the role of remote sensing in monitoring and measuring progress towards the MDG 7 in Jordan. Role of Remote Sensing The metrics and targets specified under MDG 7 help in determining the amount of conservation of a resource. In the case of Jordan, indicators 7.1 and 7.5 have been used to evaluate the total amount of land covered by forests and the percentage utilization of water resources available within the country (Joseph, 2010). While these indicators provide critical insights into a regionâ€℠¢s environmental stability, these resources are so widespread and diverse that it becomes to measure these metrics at the national level. Resources such as water and natural resources are also harnessed from underground sources and are highly difficult to estimate based on simple physical observation of the area. Moreover, ecosystems and inherent ecological processes are so intricate that it becomes difficult to use simple parameters to