Toward climate-resilient societies: Remote sensing and GIS for adaptation and mitigation

Abstract

The global climate crisis has transcended theoretical prediction to become a present reality, with developing nations positioned at the devastating forefront of its impacts. Among these, Pakistan stands as a critical case study; despite contributing less than 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions, it consistently ranks as one of the most climate-vulnerable countries in the world. This paper explores the indispensable role of Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) as transformative tools to bridge the gap between climate vulnerability and societal resilience, with a specific focus on Ecological Vulnerability Assessment (EVA) in Pakistan. Utilizing multi-source satellite observation data sets and the Remote Sensing Ecological Index (RSEI), this paper analyzes spatio-temporal variations of ecological vulnerability across three major provinces—Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan—from 1990 to 2020. Key findings reveal distinct regional patterns: Punjab demonstrated gradual improvement, Balochistan maintained relatively stable moderate-to-good ecological conditions, while Sindh exhibited accelerating deterioration by 2020. These results, driven primarily by normalized difference vegetation index loss (NDVI decline) and rising land surface temperature (LST), provide evidence-based insights for adaptation planning, ecosystem conservation policy, and scalable methodological frameworks applicable to other climate-vulnerable regions worldwide. The paper further argues for data democratization through platforms such as Google Earth Engine (GEE) and highlights the strategic importance of Japan's Earth observation assets, particularly ALOS (Advanced Land Observing Satellite)/PALSAR (Phased Array type L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar), in supporting climate resilience in the Global South.