How Earth observations link biodiversity to biosurveillance

Biodiversity is deeply tied to our own health. Many of the diseases that affect people, from emerging viruses to vector-borne illnesses, start with changes in ecosystems or wildlife populations. Nature gives us warning signs and the better we can monitor biodiversity, the better we can anticipate health risks to humans.

Biodiversity sciences must keep up with ongoing efforts to track and prevent the spread of pathogens between people and animals, forming the foundation of what we now call the “One Health” approach.

This is where Earth observations can play a key role.

The GEO BON working group on One Health recently published a paper looking at success in the monitoring of biodiversity, and how this can inform a better integration with biosurveillance.

The paper found that success requires:

This comprehensive approach to monitoring, particularly the challenging task of integrating data across different spatial and temporal scales, can be significantly enhanced by earth observation knowledge and advanced data products.

While biodiversity data collection relies heavily on ground-based surveys and field research, these temporally and spatially sparse datasets can be substantially supplemented by high-resolution satellite measurements and remote sensing technologies.

Earth observation systems offer unique advantages in filling both spatial and temporal gaps in biodiversity monitoring. Satellite data can provide continuous coverage of large areas, detecting changes in habitat quality and environmental conditions that might influence disease transmission dynamics. This information can be transformed into predicted changes in species distribution, providing a finer perspective on disease risk.