Remote sensing of watershed characteristics in Costa Rica

An integration of digital elevation modelling and satellite remote sensing of land cover and land use in the Upper Reventazon Basin in Costa Rica has been used to identify possible sources of enhanced sediment erosion. The techniques described quantify the occurrence and spatial distribution of specific land use categories as a function of slope for the entire basin. The results provide a framework for the designing of focused field measurement and policy programmes related to soil conservation. In the Reventazon Basin these techniques could help resolve conflicts between agriculture, hydropower production and water quality protection.