The lack of suitable data is a key challenge in ex-post policy evaluations. This paper proposes a novel data to measure local economic activities using vehicle counts in each 500 meter (m) x 500 m tile. The metric is derived from high resolution satellite images using a machine learning...

We present a novel approach for analyzing the effects of EU cohesion policy on local economic activity. For all municipalities in the border area of the Czech Republic, Germany and Poland, we collect project-level data on EU funding in the period between 2007 and 2013. Using night light emission...

We present a novel approach for analyzing the effects of EU cohesion policy on local economic activity. For all municipalities in the border area of the Czech Republic, Germany and Poland, we collect project-level data on EU funding in the period between 2007 and 2013. Using night light emission...

This paper develops a novel procedure for proxying economic activity with day-time satellite imagery across time periods and spatial units, for which reliable data on economic activity are otherwise not available. In developing this unique proxy, we apply machine-learning techniques to a...

This report produced by the Informatics team provides a review of patent data relating to satellite technologies which includes GPS-based technologies and space-based and earth-based (receiver-side) technologies

Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) information has become an essential global resource for investors. Regulators have attempted to standardize their reporting process and assure its quality but have obtained mixed results. While more companies offer ESG disclosure, it is usually not fully...

This study combines three rounds of surveys with remote sensing to measure long-term impacts of a randomized irrigation program in the Dominican Republic. Specifically, Landsat 7 and Landsat 8 satellite images are used to measure the causal effects of the program on agricultural productivity,...

The Covid-19 crisis has highlighted innovative high-frequency dataset allowing to measure in real-time the economic impact. In this vein, we explore how satellite data measuring the concentration of nitrogen dioxide (NO2, a pollutant emitted mainly by industrial activity) in the troposphere can...

The spatial granularity of poverty statistics can have a significant impact on the efficiency of targeting resources meant to improve the living conditions of the poor. However, achieving granularity typically requires increasing the sample sizes of surveys on household income and expenditure or...

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has been pursuing both political and economic integration since its inception in 1973. While pursuing integration within the region, the entity has also been pursuing an extra-regional relationship with the United States of America.Three case studies are used to...

Satellite imagery is often used to study and monitor Earth surface changes. The open availability and extensive temporal coverage of Landsat imagery has enabled changes in temperature, wind, vegetation and ice melting speed for a period of up to 46 years. Yet, the use of satellite imagery to...

This report is structured as follows: an in-depth explanation of the FHSAE method is presented in section two. Section three reviews the sub-district level data used in this study, which includes imprecise TL-SLS and DHS direct estimates, as well as satellite imagery data used in this study. The...

To understand how global firm networks operate, we need consistent information on their activities, unbiased by their reporting choices. In this paper, we collect a novel dataset on the light that factories emit at night for a large sample of car manufacturing plants. We show that nightlight...

Chapter 1. A Review of Remote Sensing Applications in Agriculture and Forestry to Establish Big Data Analytics -- Chapter 2. Calorie-based Seasonal Multicrop Land Suitability Analysis Using GIS and Remote Sensing for Regional Food Nutrition Security in Bangladesh -- Chapter 3. Agricultural Land...

Estimates of poverty are an important input into policy formulation in developing countries. The accurate measurement of poverty rates is therefore a first-order problem for development policy. This paper shows that combining satellite imagery with household surveys can improve the precision and...

Society’s dependence on space infrastructure is at a critical juncture. Public and private actors worldwide are planning to launch tens of thousands of satellites into Earth’s orbit in the next five years. This will greatly expand and enrich the use of space resources, but it will also...

"With authoritative text and stunning photography, Space Race 2.0 traces the history of commercial space exploration from its tentative first steps in the 1990s to the incredible achievements of today and beyond."

Over time, cities expand their physical footprint on land and new cities emerge. The shape of the built environment can affect several domains which are policy relevant, such as carbon emissions, housing affordability, infrastructure costs, and access to services. This study lays a...

This study explores the potential and the limits of medium-resolution satellite data as a proxy for economic activity at small geographic units. Using a commune-level dataset from Vietnam, it compares the performance of commonly used nightlight data and higher resolution Landsat imagery which...

Country-level census data are typically collected once every 10 years. However, conflict, migration, urbanization, and natural disasters can cause rapid shifts in local population patterns. This study uses Sri Lankan data to demonstrate the feasibility of a bottom-up method that combines...

We use state-of-the-art, satellite-based PM2.5 estimates to assess the extent to which the EPA's existing, monitor-based measurements over- or under-estimate true exposure to PM2.5 pollution. Treating satellite-based estimates as truth implies a substantial number of "policy...