On 2 October 2025, guest researcher Nathalie Neptune gave a workshop at poltextLAB on how satellite data can be combined with legal and policy information to study forest management and wildfire control in Hungary.
She demonstrated how changes in forest laws — such as those governing harvesting rules, conservation, or emergency logging — can be linked to satellite indicators, including forest loss, burned area, and vegetation health. This approach helps reveal whether and when new policies have had visible effects on Hungary’s forests.
The project employs advanced statistical methods, including interrupted time-series analysis, regression models, and Bayesian structural time-series (BSTS) models, as well as case studies. These methods test whether legislative changes correspond to measurable shifts in forest conditions or wildfire frequency, offering evidence to support more adaptive and data-driven forestry and fire management strategies.
The Hungarian Academy of Sciences Distinguished Guest Scientists Fellowship Programme supports this research.
