Northland Regional Council (NRC) engaged PDP to provide a solution for monitoring bare soil changes for the entire Northland region. The ability to remotely detect change helped to support consent compliance monitoring.
We developed and delivered a solution for bare soil change detection using freely available satellite imagery and image analysis. The solution detects and monitors change in the areas of exposed soil from a current observation to the previous observation. The results of the analysis were delivered via an ArcGIS Online Dashboard allowing NRC officers to view and inspect current and historical exposed soil area changes throughout the Northland Region.
This is just one application of this capability, information from this solution can be applied across several industries, scientific disciplines, and management practices. Some other applications include, but are not limited to, land cover and environmental monitoring, coastal inundation, vegetation management, and urban expansion.
What our client had to say:
“Before using PDP’s Change Detection solution, our enforcement team was largely reliant on public reports, which meant our responses were often reactive. This approach made it especially difficult to monitor rural areas that are harder to access or observe.
PDP’s Change Detection tool has transformed how we work. The ability to visually assess soil and vegetation changes in the environment through color grading helps us quickly filter out permitted activities and focus our investigations where they’re most needed. It’s an efficient, proactive system that supports smarter decision-making and better use of our resources.
We’re continuing to explore new ways to get value from the tool. Right now, we’re using it to identify unconsented land irrigation, a particularly tricky task due to the need to investigate individual water users. The potential applications are exciting, and I’m enthusiastic about how this technology will support our work into the future.”
– Neihana Umuroa
NRC Monitoring Technician
Key Contacts
David Klap
David Whitty
