Abstract
Brazil has some of the world’s most important forest and natural ecosystem resources and their sustainable management is of global significance. The expansion of agriculture for livestock, food and biofuel production, the extractive industries, illegal logging, land conflicts, hydropower projects, fire and deforestation are pressures on land use and drivers of land use change in many regions of Brazil. While different institutions in Brazil have sought to use earth observation (EO) data to support better land use management and conservation projects, several problems remain at the national and state level in the implementation of EO to support such policies and the quality of services for Brazilian society. This research presents the results of the first systematic analysis of the key challenges in applying EO data to land management in Brazil. It includes the results of in-depth semi structured interviews (43) and structured interviews (52) across different locations in Brazil. The research examined the challenges users are facing in the transformation of raw EO data into usable information. A conceptual model, including the key challenges, was developed of the path from raw EO data to information and action based on the research. In the complex and multi-facetted aspects of wider use of EO-based information the major challenges identified were associated with access, processing, and the transformation of raw EO data into usable information. The analysis has also revealed lack of communication between institutions, adequate office infrastructure, lack of personnel, the right type of EO data, funding restrictions, political instability and bureaucracy as other factors that presently limit a more effective use of EO data in Brazil.