Saving the environment is something that many organizations have been advocating and supporting through the years. After all, we only have one planet to live in (as of yet). Thankfully, as technology continues to evolve, so does humankind’s capability to stop or reverse the damage that the environment has suffered.
One of these technologies is continuous data integration. It may not seem obvious at first, but saving the environment is a data-intensive endeavor, requiring the collection and analysis of large volumes of data. Because of the disparity of such data collected from various agencies, using data integration solutions like log-based change data capture can help with sorting, integrating, updating, and creating standardized information, while keeping the original sources untouched. This way, scientists will have an easier time spotting discrepancies, improvements, and other changes to the data that they are monitoring. This, in turn, can result in faster, better analysis and development of potential solutions.
Here are some facets where data integration can help save the environment.
Global Warming
One of the most pressing environmental concerns is global warming. Also known as climate change, global warming is an amalgamation of various factors, which is why several fields and disciplines have (and contribute) relevant data that relate to its management and reversal. These data include those collected from satellites, observation stations, and the like, which can then be integrated with geographical and even socio-economic information down to the local government level. Those that don’t need to be integrated can be kept as is, especially when there is a need to keep the original data intact for comparison and trending, among others.
Transdisciplinary data on climate change can be used to develop solutions to stop its devastating effects, but also in creating necessary disaster risk reduction plans and sustainable development programs to prevent further damage.
Regulating Invasive Species
An invasive species can either be a plant, fungus, or animal that is not native to a location, whether it was introduced voluntarily or naturally found its way to the locale. These species can potentially cause an imbalance to the location’s ecosystem, resulting in environmental damage, as well as economical and health hazards.
Data integration and management is crucial in regulating the spread of invasive species, especially in understanding how they behave and interact with and eventually overwhelm local species. Geo-referenced data, together with other biological data resources, can be quickly accessed and updated with the most recent findings. These can help manage the effects of invasive species in terms of human health, economical impact, biodiversity, and ecosystem processes.
Natural Resource Management
With the fast rise of global populations and coupled with human activities that negatively affect the environment, our resources — water, fossil fuels, fish and other seafood, produce and livestock, among others — could barely keep up. The impact is staggering, among them world hunger, disease, and the further degradation of the environment.
With the help of data integration, information from various fields can be collected, updated, and referenced in order to develop means to preserve and replenish these resources, as well as address the shortage in certain areas. More funds and research can also be allocated to more critical aspects, as the historical and current data indicates.
It can be argued that technology is partly to blame for the environmental problems that we are facing today. However, it also can’t be denied that technology has also helped advance our methods in researching and developing solutions for these problems. Not to mention, technology has also brought these issues to the forefront, bringing more awareness and more minds working on solutions.
With the help of data integration, modent scientific instruments and tools, and other allied technologies, both large-scale and small-scale environmental concerns can hopefully be solved in the near future.
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