Socio-Environmental Research in Latin America: Interdisciplinary Approaches Using GIS and Remote Sensing Frameworks

This volume presents relevant examples of socio-environmental research that highlight the challenges and opportunities of using geotechnologies in interdisciplinary settings across the vast, culturally, and environmentally mega diverse region known as Latin America. While remote sensing has been mostly used for mapping and monitoring physical systems, geographic information systems open up opportunities for the integration of this kind of data and those collected through social surveys, in-situ measurements, and other participatory research techniques to offer additional analytical grounded power when evaluating socio-environmental processes that shape Latin American landscapes. This book summarizes major themes and approaches to socio-environmental research that centers on the use of geographic information systems and remote sensing frameworks spanning a multitude of knowledge domains. The topics addressed through these frameworks include deforestation and land degradation, borderlands dynamics, agriculture and agroecological systems, environmental conservation and development, public health, tourism, environmental justice, archeology, volunteered geography and urban planning, among others. The book is intended for academic, graduate and undergraduate classrooms, and general audiences with interest in Latin America and the socio-environmental issues that threaten the sustainability of the region and local communities. The book will also appeal to practitioners, managers, and policy makers interested in the application of geo-technologies and ground-based research to address complex socio-environmental problems in the Global South.