For some, the effects of humans on the environment are debatable.  For those who need proof that we are having a dramatic and negative impact on the planet, one needs only to look at the United Nations Environment Programme’s Atlas of our Changing Environment.

People can ‘fly’ to some of the world’s most dramatic environmental hotspots courtesy of this tool created by UTEP and Google Earth. Armchair environmentalists, politicians, researchers and business executives monitor nearly 200 sites across the globe. Many of the sites offer “before and after” satellite images of the areas with stories attached to each to depict what happened and why.

Highlights include the appearance of road networks in the remote rainforests of the Democratic Republic of Congo and the dramatic expansion of many West African cities.

Here, you will see an example of the detail and story behind one of the spots:

This pair of satellite images shows the impact of massive and rapid agricultural development in Almeria Province along Spain’s southern coast. In the earlier image, the landscape reflects rather typical rural agricultural land use.

In the 2000 image, much of the same region-an area covering roughly 20 000 hectares (49 421 acres) - has been converted to intensive greenhouse agriculture for the mass production of market produce. (Greenhouse-dominated land appears as whitish gray patches.)

In order to address increasingly complex water needs throughout Spain, the government adopted the Spanish National Hydrological Plan (SNHP) in 2001.

Initially, this water redistribution plan involved the construction of 118 dams and 22 water transfer projects that would move water from parts of the country where it was relatively abundant to more arid regions.  In 2004, the Spanish government announced it would begin exploring more environmentally friendly water-saving technologies, such as wastewater recycling and seawater desalinization.

The Program

While the program has been live since 2006, it has now finally hit its stride and become a mainstream attraction for environmentally-minded people across the globe.

Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary General and UNEP Executive Director, said:

”If we are to change the hearts and minds of the global public we need to surprise, to excite and occasionally perhaps to shock. These images, allied to modern computer technology, do all three.”

“But these ‘fly-by’ satellite sets do more. They also show humanity is equally capable of positive, intelligent and empowering change-from the re-forestation of parts of Niger to a new management plan for the Itezhi-tezhi Dam in Zambia which is helping to restore natural and seasonal flooding,” he said.

These virtual ‘trips’ are featured in UNEP’s popular series of changing environment atlases including “One Planet many people: Atlas of our Changing Environment” from 2005 and the recently released ‘Africa, Atlas of Our Changing Environment.’

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