CONSIDERATIONS ON THE USE OF SAR SATELLITES BASED ON ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES IN CUBA

Abstract

Remote sensing, and in particular Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), are essential tools for environmental monitoring in tropical regions like Cuba, where high cloud cover limits the use of optical sensors. SAR, operating in microwave bands, penetrates clouds and allows for observations independent of weather conditions, with key applications in coastal management: detecting changes in the shoreline and monitoring flooding, crucial for assessing the impact of sea-level rise and extreme events; forest monitoring: estimating forest biomass and detecting deforestation; and natural disasters: techniques such as DInSAR and PSI allow for measuring ground deformations associated with seismicity, subsidence, and coastal erosion with high spatial accuracy. Due to its geographic location and climatic vulnerability, Cuba benefits from open-access SAR missions that facilitate environmental studies aligned with national policies such as Tarea Vida. This work highlights the potential of SAR to address environmental challenges in tropical environments, emphasizing its ability to generate data under adverse weather conditions.