Scope and topics
The session explores how remote sensing and Earth observation can monitor extractivism and land-
system change across diverse socio-ecological contexts globally and their rehabilitation. We welcome contributions addressing formal and informal extractive activities-including mining, large-scale agriculture, forestry, and energy development-and their impacts on Indigenous territories, protected areas, ecosystems, and local livelihoods. Particular emphasis is placed on
multi-temporal and multi-sensor approaches using optical, radar, thermal, hyperspectral, LiDAR,
and other Earth observation data to detect, characterize, and quantify the spatial and temporal
dynamics of extraction. Contributions addressing time-series analysis, change detection, machine
learning, and data fusion are encouraged, especially approaches capable of identifying and/or
prediction dispersed, small-scale, informal, or rapidly changing activities. The session also
examines post-extraction processes, including land rehabilitation, ecological restoration, recovery
trajectories, and the resilience of land systems. We seek interdisciplinary perspectives connecting
Earth observation with political ecology, Indigenous studies, conservation, and sustainability to
better understand degradation, recovery, and long-term landscape resilience, and to support
effective and equitable land-system monitoring and governance.
List of topics:
- Extractivism – Monitoring, detection and quantification
- Mapping formal and informal extractive activities
- Environmental and land-system impacts of extractivism
- Multi-temporal and multi-sensor monitoring of extractive activities
- Monitoring extractive frontiers and land-system change
- Assessment of land degradation and ecosystem disturbance
- Monitoring land rehabilitation and post-extraction recovery
- Resilience and recovery trajectories of extractive landscapes
- Extractivism in Indigenous territories and protected areas
Organizers
Prof. Dr. Valerie Graw, Ruhr-University Bochum (RUB), Germany, valerie.graw@rub.de
Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Topan, Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit Üniversitesi, Türkiye, topan@beun.edu.tr