Aerial imagery to support participatory landscape decision-making

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer review

Authors

  • Yilin Huang
  • Eva Lieberherr
  • Khammeun Nandee
  • Chaloun Bounithiphonh
  • Jasmin Krähenbühl
  • Phonevilay Sichanthongthip
  • Fritz Kleinschroth

External Research Organisations

  • ETH Zurich
  • National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute (NAFRI)
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Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number100287
JournalEarth System Governance
Volume26
Early online date2 Sept 2025
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2025

Abstract

Effective land-use management is crucial for addressing sustainability challenges. Participatory landscape planning can facilitate this by integrating diverse stakeholders and local knowledge. Our study explores the use of drone-captured aerial imagery to enhance shared understanding and knowledge co-production in 27 village councils in Laos. We show that this imagery supports participatory planning by making spatial information more interpretable. Using Participatory Action Research (PAR), we evaluate the effectiveness of aerial imagery, comparing nadir and oblique drone images with satellite images to assess their interpretability by local stakeholders. We found that nadir images provided highest identification rates of natural and built features, while oblique imagery was preferred for self-localization and contextual understanding. The study demonstrates that such images help stakeholders understand the landscape from new perspectives, essential for informed land-management decisions. Our findings highlight the need to integrate technological tools with local knowledge to ensure inclusive environmental governance grounded in community experience.

Keywords

    Environmental policy, Forest conservation, Knowledge integration, Laos, Participatory mapping, UAV

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Sustainable Development Goals

Cite this

Aerial imagery to support participatory landscape decision-making. / Huang, Yilin; Lieberherr, Eva; Nandee, Khammeun et al.
In: Earth System Governance, Vol. 26, 100287, 12.2025.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer review

Huang, Y, Lieberherr, E, Nandee, K, Bounithiphonh, C, Krähenbühl, J, Sichanthongthip, P & Kleinschroth, F 2025, 'Aerial imagery to support participatory landscape decision-making', Earth System Governance, vol. 26, 100287. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esg.2025.100287
Huang, Y., Lieberherr, E., Nandee, K., Bounithiphonh, C., Krähenbühl, J., Sichanthongthip, P., & Kleinschroth, F. (2025). Aerial imagery to support participatory landscape decision-making. Earth System Governance, 26, Article 100287. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esg.2025.100287
Huang Y, Lieberherr E, Nandee K, Bounithiphonh C, Krähenbühl J, Sichanthongthip P et al. Aerial imagery to support participatory landscape decision-making. Earth System Governance. 2025 Dec;26:100287. Epub 2025 Sept 2. doi: 10.1016/j.esg.2025.100287
Huang, Yilin ; Lieberherr, Eva ; Nandee, Khammeun et al. / Aerial imagery to support participatory landscape decision-making. In: Earth System Governance. 2025 ; Vol. 26.
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