VALUABLES Consortium Capstone Celebration

On Monday, December 5, the RFF-NASA VALUABLES Consortium community hosted a celebratory capstone event about measuring the societal benefits of using satellite data in decisions.

During this half-day event, we reflected on more than five years of the VALUABLES Consortium, which has involved socioeconomic research, capacity building, and convening. We celebrated the interdisciplinary consortium community, discussed socioeconomic impact assessment results and resources, reflected on lessons learned, and looked ahead at future trends in socioeconomic assessment and impact measurement for Earth observations.

We also highlighted research results from the VALUABLES community on health, water quality, ecosystems, and disasters. Researchers reflected on lessons learned from quantifying the value of using satellite information in decisions that improve socioeconomically meaningful outcomes. We then spotlighted impact assessment tools and resources, methods to measure the value of scientific information, and metrics for measuring progress against socioeconomic assessment goals.

The event culminated in a forward-looking discussion about what qualitative, quantitative, microeconomic, and macroeconomic assessment opportunities members of the community could take up next to document and measure the societal value of Earth observations.

11:45 a.m. EST | Lunch | Available for in-person attendees

12:30 p.m. EST | Welcome Remarks

• Yusuke Kuwayama, University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) and Resources for the Future (RFF)
• Mike Toman, RFF
• Shanna McClain,* NASA Earth Science Division Applied Sciences Program

12:50 p.m. EST | VALUABLES Consortium Highlights

• Bethany Mabee,* RFF

1:00 p.m. EST | Panel Discussion: VALUABLES Community Impact Assessment Results and Lessons Learned

• Sonia Aziz, Moravian University, Early Warning Systems, Mobile Technology, and Cholera Aversion: Evidence from Rural Bangladesh
• Jill Caviglia-Harris, Salisbury University, Estimating the Value of Near-Real-Time Satellite Information for Monitoring Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon
• Stephen Newbold, University of Wyoming, Valuing Satellite Data for Harmful Algal Bloom Early Warning Systems
• Mariel Borowitz, Georgia Institute of Technology, Examining the Value of Satellite Data in Halting Transmission of Polio in Nigeria: A Socioeconomic Analysis
• Bryan Leonard,** Arizona State University, The Value of Remotely-Sensed Data in Terrestrial Habitat Corridor Design for Large Migratory Species
• Andrew Kruczkiewicz,* Columbia University, Assessing the Value of Earth Observations in the Humanitarian Sector, featured in How Can Scientists Work with Decisionmakers to Understand How Satellite Data Really Influences Decisions?
• Moderator: Alan Krupnick, RFF

2:30 p.m. EST | Break | Coffee available for in-person attendees

3:00 p.m. EST | Impact Assessment Resources, Products, and Key Takeaways

• Yusuke Kuwayama, UMBC and RFF

3:30 p.m. EST | A Look Ahead: What is the Future of Impact Measurement for Earth Observations?

• Lawrence Friedl, NASA Earth Science Division Applied Sciences Program
• Vanessa Escobar, NOAA National Environmental Satellite Data and Information Service
• Joseph Conran, NOAA Office of the Chief Economist
• Greg Snyder, USGS National Land Imaging Program
• Moderator: Ann Bartuska, RFF and Environmental Defense Fund

4:30 p.m. EST | Meeting Adjourns | Post-event reception for in-person attendees

*Designates pre-recorded speaker remarks **Designates remote speaker