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VALUABLES

VALUABLES is a collaboration with NASA to measure how satellite information benefits people and the environment when it is used to make decisions.

The Consortium for the Valuation of Applications Benefits Linked with Earth Science (VALUABLES) is a cooperative agreement between Resources for the Future (RFF) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). We are based at RFF’s Washington, DC headquarters.

Created in 2016 with a $3.5 million award from NASA, we are working to quantify and communicate how the use of satellite information in decisions can improve outcomes for people and the environment. The consortium brings together economists and decision scientists, NASA scientists and remote sensing experts, and members of the wider Earth science community.

Our work is motivated by the science of the value of information (VOI), a microeconomic approach to determining what information is worth by assessing the difference in how people make a decision with and without this information.

Our efforts center around two types of activities: conducting case studies, known as impact assessments, and developing educational materials and activities designed to support the Earth science community in quantifying the societal value of its work.

Receive updates about these activities by signing up for our email newsletter and following us on Twitter @RFFvaluables.

Impact Assessments

To demonstrate the societal benefits provided by remotely-sensed information—and information from Earth-observing satellites in particular—we conduct rigorous case studies called impact assessments that quantify how the use of Earth observations improves outcomes for people and the environment across a range of application areas. These application areas include water quality, health and air quality, disaster response, and climate observation. Learn more.

Educational Tools and Resources

In addition to producing impact assessments, consortium researchers are developing a VOI framework the scientific community can use to design impact assessments for their applied research. This framework forms the basis of our tutorials, webinars, workshops, and digital media products. It structures our work to help Earth scientists better understand the terms, concepts, and methods they can use to develop rigorous impact assessments for specific satellite data applications. Learn more.

VALUABLES Consortium Community

Find experts working with the VALUABLES Consortium.

Impact Assessments

Measuring the socioeconomic benefits that Earth observations provide.

Tools & Resources

Educational materials and activities to support the Earth science community.

Featured Publications

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Working Paper — Jul 11, 2019

The Cost-Effectiveness of Satellite Earth Observations to Inform a Post-Wildfire Response

This study demonstrates the cost-effectiveness of using satellite imagery to assess burned areas and prioritize response measures after a wildfire; it shows that, by using Landsat imagery, federal agencies can save up to $7.7 million per year in post-fire costs.
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Working Paper — Jun 27, 2019

Market-Based Methods for Monetizing Uncertainty Reduction: A Case Study

A market-based method to quantify the societal value of Soil Moisture Active Passive mission information.
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Explainer — Mar 5, 2019

What Is "Value"?

What do economists mean by value, and how do they think about the value of information?

Featured Events

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Webinar — Jan 17, 2019

Using the Social Cost of Carbon to Value Earth Observing Systems

Presented at the RFF-CMCC European Institute
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Conferences & Panels — Dec 10, 2018

2018 American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting

Join the VALUABLES Consortium at the 2018 AGU Fall Meeting to learn more about our work to quantify the socioeconomic benefits of Earth observations when they are used to make decisions.
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Webinar — May 23, 2017

Understanding the Benefits of Observing Earth from Space

RFF Fellow Yusuke Kuwayama introduced RFF’s Consortium for the Valuation of Applications Benefits Linked with Earth Science (VALUABLES), a cooperative agreement between RFF and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Featured News

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Press Release — Jul 11, 2019

Satellite Imagery Saves Federal Agencies up to $7.7 Million per Year in Post-Wildfire Costs

A new VALUABLES study finds that using the Landsat satellite program is the most cost-effective method to assess burned land and prioritize responses.
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Press Release — Dec 26, 2018

Resources Radio: Sensing Pollution with Satellites

A podcast with Alan Krupnick and Daniel Sullivan

Press Release — Sep 12, 2018

New satellite data show twice as many Americans live in counties not meeting fine particulate air quality standards than previously thought.

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