Land Use & Land Cover

Land use and land cover are a result of the interactions between human activities and the environment.

Why is it important that we have information about land use and land cover?

The way land is used is one of the main causes of environmental change:

• Constructed areas often have less wind and are warmer than the surrounding countryside.
• Sand plains heat the air, while forests have a cooling effect.
• Forests can also retain CO2 and give us oxygen.

Land cover data is of vital importance in the sustainable management of natural resources, the development of environmental protection strategies, surveying climate change aspects, etc.