Biophysical M&E Dashboard

A user-friendly online tool for monitoring biophysical changes

Solution Application

Environmental Mapping

Open Source

Detecting Land Cover Change in Cambodia

In support of USAID’s initiative to monitor and evaluate land cover change in Cambodia, Spatial Informatics Group and SERVIR SEA created an application powered by Google Earth Engine to allow the nation to track progress on various conservation projects.

Technical Data

System Capabilities

System Support

Creating the Dashboard

SIG and partners developed the Biophysical Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) application through the use of geospatial datasets and Google Earth Engine, which makes the tool freely accessible online. NASA’s MODIS data was used for the system’s Enhanced Vegetation Index, capable of measuring relative biomass in especially dense areas. The software can also monitor changes to forest cover and provide alerts to users, as well as detecting wildfire activity in the area.

The Biophysical M&E Dashboard provides a user-friendly interface through which clients can study the temporal dynamics of biophysical conditions, landscape change, forest gain or loss, forest fire activity, and forest alerts.

By providing detailed data on these environmental changes, the dashboard enables users to observe not just the overall ecological outcomes of policies and projects, but their specific effects on different components of the environment.

Biophysical Monitoring and Evaluation Dashboard

Sustainable Futures for Cambodia and Beyond

With the Dashboard, Cambodia can monitor and evaluate any changes to their land, tracking conservation impacts and helping stakeholders achieve their conservation goals. In keeping with SIG’s open science focus, the tool is freely available. In addition to USAID Cambodia, it is being used by NGOs like Conservation International and the Wildlife Conservation Society. The technology within the Biophysical M&E is multifunctional and adaptable, and could be used for a variety of other projects or countries with similar needs in the future.