Mapping of land cover and land use in Southeast Asia and other tropical regions is challenging because of persistent cloud cover and topography. SAR sensors have the ability to penetrate clouds and the backscatter is related to structural characteristics such as canopy density, crown and leaf shapes. However, radar shadows, foreshortening and layover effects limit data usability in steep terrain. Most radar studies in Southeast Asia have been conducted for small, selected areas over flat terrain. Little is known about the potential and limitations of SAR for monitoring large areas.
With ERS-1/2 data and ENVISAT ASAR there are now, for the first time, long radar time series available (since 1990 more than 20 years). The long history of acquisitions and ensured data continuity through future missions (Sentinel-2) makes these sensors particularly attractive for operational monitoring in a REDD context.
The aim of this study was to explore the utility of space-borne SAR sensors for mapping of land cover in Southeast Asia by examining topographic effects on radar visibility in this region.

This is a joint work with the group of  Prof. Hostert at the department of Geography.

Figure 1: Southeast Asia with its rough topology. (Image from Wikipedia, Public Domain)

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