Virtual course: “Satellite Data for Monitoring Regional Environmental Change”
The Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), in partnership with National Geographic, is offering a free, self-paced, certificate-based course for students and researchers in Latin America and the Caribbean interested in using satellite data to monitor environmental change in the region.
This course aims to strengthen participants' technical skills in processing and interpreting satellite images to identify spatial and temporal changes in ecosystems, climate, and human aspects such as health. These skills will enable the generation of relevant products for land-use planning, such as the detection of vulnerable areas, using open-access tools such as Google Earth Engine.
The program combines technical learning with practical application in case studies contextualized in Latin America and the Caribbean, addressing issues such as deforestation, extreme events, air quality, and land cover. The approach seeks to promote the use of geospatial data to support decision-making in science, public policy, and sustainable development.
Course structure
The course consists of five core technical modules. Each module offers two topics applied to real-world situations to facilitate the practical use of the knowledge acquired. The methodology includes asynchronous video tutorials, conceptual readings, practical exercises, and reflection questions. Upon completion, participants must complete a personal project and a final exam to receive the certificate.
The suggested duration is five weeks, with an estimated commitment of four hours per week.
Learning modules
- Image processing and visualization
- Time series analysis
- Calculations with vector data
- Land cover change analysis
- Presenting before/after change
Course author
The program content was designed by Liza Goldberg, a researcher at NASA Goddard. Goldberg leads global initiatives that integrate satellite science, education, and climate action to support sustainable development policies in low-income countries. She leads Cloud to Classroom, a global educational initiative from National Geographic that trains young people in environmental science. She also directs a project that combines satellite imagery and fieldwork to analyze the Rohingya refugee crisis and co-leads a mangrove conservation initiative in India that strengthens coastal city planning in the face of climate change. In addition, she is a Marshall Scholar and a Sigma Squared and Slavin Foundation Fellow and a Google Development Expert.
Registration:
To learn more, download the syllabus here
Registration will open at the end of August 2025 on the IAI’s Virtual Campus: https://moodle.iai.int/