Applications of environmental intelligence for rural land management

Abstract

Environmental intelligence brings together multiple data streams, employing human reasoning and machine learning to better understand and manage the environment. This article describes the possibilities and limitations of using environmental intelligence to support outcomes-based rural land management policy. We argue that environmental intelligence approaches are particularly well suited to planning and assessing the effectiveness of nature-based solution investments for the delivery of ecosystem services, such as flood mitigation and climate change mitigation. However the ‘outcome’ to be achieved, and the outcome metrics used, need to be carefully selected to ensure they are realistic, responsive to land management and rigorously measurable. Environmental intelligence in support of outcomes-based approaches must address social issues of fairness and social justice as well as environmental outcomes.