The Implementation Path of the Construction of Natural Resources Survey and Monitoring System at a Provincial-Level: A Case Study of Guangdong Province

Provincial-level natural resources survey and monitoring play a crucial role in the national natural resources survey and monitoring system. Constructing a provincial-level system is essential for effectively implementing the national survey and monitoring work. However, the construction of such a system in Guangdong Province, a typical tropical and subtropical coastal region with diverse natural resources and distinctive geographical characteristics, presents significant challenges. This study focuses on addressing several problems encountered in Guangdong Province, including the lack of optical image data due to the region's cloudy and rainy climate, fragmented monitoring patches resulting from complex terrain and landforms, rapid changes in the surface caused by high-intensity human activities, and the difficulty in managing a wide range of monitoring objects. By clarifying the goals of natural resources survey and monitoring, this study systematically reviews the status and practical needs of a provincial-level survey and monitoring work and summarizes the key issues in the construction of the survey and monitoring system. This study proposes an overall construction plan for a provincial-level system that includes establishing a unified basic platform, which aids in implementing a fast and coordinated monitoring mode, developing flexible and efficient application services, and strengthening intensive and refined support environments. It also analyzes critical challenges, such as organizational model restructuring, accurate object recognition, and technological integration. Finally, this study presents a path to achieve the provincial-level natural resources survey and monitoring, focusing on object-based businesses, information implementation, technological intelligence, targeted evaluation, and service knowledge. Regarding investigation targets, this study emphasizes adopting a business-oriented approach, enhancing the alignment of investigation and monitoring with precise business strategies and facilitating bidirectional feedback. Regarding organizational implementation, this study emphasizes strengthening support through information technology, establishing provincial-level coordination and a municipal and county-level division of labor model, commonly referred to as the general-subordinate-general organizational structure. Regarding monitoring technology, this study emphasizes adopting an intelligence-led approach; it is primarily centering on pivotal technological research related to collaborative perception, intelligent processing, integrated management, and intelligent services. Regarding analysis and evaluation, this study emphasizes a target-oriented approach, centered around supporting economic and social development and optimizing natural resource management through comprehensive analysis and evaluation. Regarding application services, this study emphasizes delivering knowledge-based services and exploring the development of a model that encompasses the knowledge ontology of natural resource investigation and monitoring. This study promotes the orderly construction of a survey and monitoring system in Guangdong Province, provides a scientific basis for provincial-level natural resource surveys and monitoring work and serves as a reference for the construction of survey and monitoring systems in other regions. © 2023 The Author(s).