Monitoring and assessment of endangered UNESCO World Heritage Sites using space technology: a case study of East Rennell, Solomon Islands

Abstract Space technology offers effective tools to monitor the status of World Natural Heritage sites. East Rennell Island, which covers approximately 37,000 hectares (ha) and a marine area extending three nautical miles into sea, was added list endangered sites in 2013. Deforestation natural disasters have increasingly threatened sustainable development on island. Based analyses multi-source time series remote sensing data (e.g., MODIS Worldview), forest cover change Island from 2000 2020 its future trends were mapped analysed using Sen + Mann–Kendall Hurst index models. A land classification system derived high-resolution Worldview images developed as baseline for monitoring analysing changes Our results showed that (1) areas vegetation degradation improvement basically equal 2020. (2) The trend had weak continuity, significant improvements could be achieved with damaged given sufficient protection measures financial input. (3) This heritage site has strong regeneration ability, human activities such mining, logging, road construction, greatly disturb unique ecosystem, should restricted.