REMOTE SENSING FIRST: Service for the Technological Revolution and Innovation in Natural Resources Survey.

With the development of remote sensing (RS) technology and increasing demand for the application of RS in natural resources survey, RS is promoting the transformation of procedure and method in natural resources survey by means of prior-observation, prior-detection and prior-monitoring to enhance the acquisition of natural resources data and improve the accuracy and speed of survey. Based on the new changes of natural resources survey system in the new era, the paper puts forward the concept, goal and development direction of Remote Sensing First as follows: RS-first is an important part of the construction of natural resources survey and monitoring technology system, which can realize the total-factor, full-coverage, all-weather and full-scale survey and monitoring of natural resources; Through the innovation of RS technology and transformation/application of RS products, RS can play an important leading role in survey and monitoring of minerals, ecology, water, soil and disaster; The integrated satellite-aero-ground RS observation is the most effective technical means to promote the accurate and rapid survey of natural resources in western China, as well as monitoring of global-scale environmental problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]