Optimal Dam Site Selection Using Google Earth Engine (GEE)

This lecture introduces the core concepts of remote sensing—how satellites capture, process, and transmit data about Earth’s surface. You’ll learn about sensor types, spectral bands, resolutions (spatial, temporal, and spectral), and how these affect data interpretation. The lecture provides a solid foundation for understanding the satellite imagery you'll use later in Google Earth Engine. This knowledge is essential for environmental analysis, especially when working with elevation, land cover, and hydrology datasets for dam site suitability.

Here, you’ll explore the methodology behind site suitability mapping for infrastructure like dams. You'll learn to define and prioritize multiple spatial criteria—such as slope, elevation, proximity to water, and land use—based on environmental and technical requirements. This lecture teaches you how to score and combine spatial factors to assess location suitability. The concepts covered are applicable to any suitability analysis and form the conceptual backbone of the dam site selection process in later lectures.

In this lecture, you’ll be introduced to Geographic Information Systems (GIS), the technology that enables spatial analysis and visualization. You’ll learn about GIS data types (raster and vector), projections, layers, spatial operations (buffering, overlay, etc.), and how GIS is used in environmental planning. The goal is to equip you with a clear understanding of how multiple spatial datasets can be analyzed and combined for geospatial decision-making—critical skills for mapping dam suitability.

This session introduces you to the Google Earth Engine platform. You’ll learn how to use its web-based Code Editor, explore the data catalog, and write basic JavaScript code for geospatial analysis. You’ll also understand how GEE simplifies the processing of massive remote sensing datasets in the cloud. By the end of this lecture, you’ll be ready to use Earth Engine for processing terrain, hydrology, and land cover data for dam site selection.

This section introduces the Google Earth Engine platform, guiding learners through accessing the Code Editor, understanding its interface, and exploring key panels like the script editor, map viewer, inspector, and data catalog. It helps beginners get comfortable navigating GEE before writing any code or performing analysis.

This lecture is where theory meets practice. You’ll implement a full dam site suitability model using real satellite datasets in Google Earth Engine. Step-by-step, you’ll calculate slope and elevation, assess proximity to permanent water bodies, and exclude unsuitable land types. You'll learn to assign scores, classify the results into low, medium, and high suitability zones, and visualize your final output on a map. Finally, you'll export your results for further use. This hands-on session equips you with practical, job-ready skills in geospatial environmental analysis.