Nairobi - Interesting neighbours (golfcourses and slums)
Trends in development and urbanization show that the gaps between the rich and the poor is generally increasing world wide. This satellite image over Nairobi, Kenya highlights the location of golf courses and informal settlements (e.g. slums, squatters) and they are, in a few cases, next door to each other - highlighting the contrasts.
20 Sep 2005 - by Hugo Ahlenius, UNEP/GRID-Arendal
Bovanenkovo gas field and impacts on reindeer herding (Yamal, Russia)
A false color Quickbird-2 satellite image of a portion of the Bovanenkovo Gas Field on the Yamal Peninsula in West Siberia. Image acquired 4 July 2004. The construction phase began in the late 1980s. From that period onward there remain visible signs of extensive off-road vehicle traffic across the terrain. Many of those tracks have naturally revegetated and now appear as bright red, indicating dense grass- and sedge-dominated vegetation. The roa...
01 Nov 2010 - by Hugo Ahlenius, UNEP/GRID-Arendal
Reindeer herding - vegetation impacts (Norway and Finland)
A very high-resolution false color Ikonos-2 satellite image of Jauristunturit in the border zone shared by Norway and Finland. Image acquired 28 June 2001. The main vegetation type is lichen dominated tundra heath with dwarf shrubs. The difference in whiteness is due to lichen coverage, and the national border with reindeer fence visibly divides the area. The northern portion is Norway, where fruticose lichen coverage is higher. This is a consequ...
01 May 2010 - by Hugo Ahlenius, UNEP/GRID-Arendal