Methodological approach for assessing the economic impact of forest fires using MODIS remote sensing images

Abstract

Assessing areas affected by forest fires requires comprehensive studies covering a wide range of analyzes. From an economic standpoint, assessing the affected area in monetary terms is crucial. Determining the degree of loss in the value of natural resources, both those of a tangible and intangible nature, enables knowing the residual value remaining after a fire, i.e., it enables determining the "net change in the value of the resources." While the importance of economic analysis in the planning process for different post-fire rehabilitation actions is indisputable, determining the net change in the value of natural resources becomes complex when the size of the affected area makes gathering the information unfeasible, partly because of the costs involved in obtaining the information and partly because of the time that will elapse before the final assessment is available. Once the set of algorithms that allow the initial assessment and the corresponding depreciation of existing resources due to fire impact have been obtained, the assessment can be made immediately with the help of a geographic information system and the corresponding "fire impact depreciation matrix." The ability to incorporate satellite image processing into economic damage assessment allows identifying with greater precision the delimitation of the affected areas based on the "normalized vegetation index."Analysis and interpretation of MODIS images, combined with the energy intensity emitted by the spread of fire, can be integrated into econometric models in order to obtain, in a geo-referenced manner, the economic value per hectare resulting from wildfire damage. This paper details the methodology followed and the results obtained and validated in a series of wildfires that occurred in different geographic areas.

Parent Publication

• Proceedings of the fourth international symposium on fire economics, planning, and policy: climate change and wildfires

Citation

Rodríguez y Silva, Francisco; Martínez, Juan Ramón Molina; Soto, Miguel Castillo. 2013. Methodological approach for assessing the economic impact of forest fires using MODIS remote sensing images. In: González-Cabán, Armando, tech. coord. Proceedings of the fourth international symposium on fire economics, planning, and policy: climate change and wildfires. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-245 (English). Albany, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station: 281-295.