About the project.

My motivation to participate in the Pale Blue Dot Visualization Challenge is multifaceted. It stems from my enduring enthusiasm as a NASA fan for the past four decades, coupled with a keen interest in our planet and the solar system. However, the most pivotal factor is my profound love for science, exploration, and continuous learning.

This competition couldn’t have come at a better time, coinciding with my contemplation of initiating a new personal project—a non-profit portal aimed at raising awareness about sustainability, climate change, and their interchangeable impact on the environment. Additionally, the focus will be on promoting self-sustenance in human communities, particularly in the poorest regions where traditional statistical datasets are scarce. The abundance of remote sensing and data offers a significant opportunity to observe and comment on changes in these communities.

Through my work, I aspire to present complex data in the simplest visual form possible, reaching a broad audience, including those less inclined towards science. Moreover, my goal is to spark interest among youth and children in both environmental studies and programming, contributing to our sustainable future.

About the author.

Hi! Thank you for taking time to read this summary about myself. My name is Radek, I am PhD in Clinical Psychology, and statistics is a big part of my life. I am interested in data analysis, data visualization and programming. As you know from the “About the project” part, I am super curious about our planet. It was only natural for me to get hooked on idea of remote sensing. In a matter of fact I self tought myself programming just to fulfill my dream of building my own workshop of tools helping me on this journey.

This is my very first project of this type, as I am at the beggining of my adventure with data visualization. I am very happy for the opportunity to submit my work, and have it seen by professionals.

Thank you.

Report

  1. How does your visual inform a decision or action that furthers one or more of the key competition SDGs (zero hunger, clean water and sanitation, climate action)?

    The Haiti Deforestation Visualization aims to showcase the impact of biosphere changes on undernourishment, emphasizing their strong interconnection. This socio-ecological crisis documentation not only illustrates how deforestation affects the human population but also highlights how missed or incorrect reactions can further deepen the crisis.

  2. How did you create your submission? Include the tools you used (e.g., Python, Excel, specific python packages), how you processed the data, and (if applicable) how you managed your codebase. If you have a public repository with code, you can share a link here.

    Programming Languages / Frameworks used:

    also: * python-dotenv and pymongo for MongoBD interaction

    Tools:

    • Visual Studio Code for code editor, with following extensions:
      • Jupyter This extension along with it’s dependancies provide jupyter notebook for VSC.
      • GitLens
    • GitHub Desktop - for GitHub Interaction
    • Qgis - for stacking geospatial layers and exporting them to presentation

    Version Control:

    Database:

    Altough all data is available in CSV, XLS or JSON formats (for statistical data from FAO), I have used:

    • MongoDB to store and retrieve data with ease. I have used GUI tool for MongoDB:
    • MongoDB Compass which is free to use.

    In summary, all steps to reproduce results, along with geospatial data retrieval, statistical data preparation, calculation, and visualization, are documented in code snippets available in the project repository (link below). All tools used for the project are free to use and publicly available.

    Codebase Availability:

    • Code Repository - The entire codebase is available in a public repository with an applicable MIT license. While QGIS project files are not included, all materials used in the presentation, including high-resolution satellite imagery, can be downloaded from the GitHub repository.

    Datasets Used:

  3. What motivated you to choose this topic?

    Deforestation is a significant problem, particularly in the current era marked by numerous climate-altering events. Its immense impact extends not only to the natural environment but also profoundly affects human communities. This impact is notably pronounced among the poorest, with Haiti unfortunately standing out as one of the most vivid examples. As one of the poorest and most undernourished countries globally, Haiti also ranks among the most deforested nations.

    I aim to raise awareness, especially among the youngest generation, with the hope that this effort can become one of the many catalysts for the desired and much-needed change.

    1. How did you learn about the broader context of your chosen issue (e.g., historical, social, political)? This could include drawing on the lived experiences of team members, reading articles and literature, conducting interviews with community members, etc. Did what you learned change your approach?

    I have spent time to read about historical context of Haitis socio-political situation using sources like World Bank Overwiev, FEWS NET, Britannica, United Nations News

    I have research topic of deforestation and udnernoursihment and its mutual impact from the following additional sources Global Forest Watch, FAO Website, ReliefWeb Response

    Research Papers:

  4. What are the ethics and/or equity issues you considered? What are some possible strategies or approaches for addressing them?

    I have employed a consistent methodology to ensure the use of reliable data. Being mindful of the cultural, historical, and economic situation of the Haitian people, I took care not to reinforce any biases. The raw data used for the report is available in a public repository, and all datasets used are accessible to the public, either as open source or free of charge closed source. The primary goal of this report is to highlight areas for improvement in the situation of both people and the natural environment in Haiti.