Project Overview

The collective evapotranspiration (ET) of wetlands in Southeast Asia (SEA) holds significant influence on the water cycle. However, existing studies on ET of wetlands in SEA have focused on individual wetlands or on specific land covers and there is an absence of a systematic assessment of wetland ET budget over a larger geographical area. A regional ET budget is essential for quantifying the influence of wetlands on regional and global atmospheric circulation patterns. Only by establishing this baseline information can we begin to examine the environmental and anthropogenic factors driving changes in wetland ET within SEA. In addition, there is no baseline information on ET and its past dynamics resulting in a limited ability to predict future ET changes, even as SEA faces a future of significant changes in climate and land use/ land cover.  To address these research gaps, this study aims to investigate the long-term patterns and drivers of ET of SEA wetlands from 1988 to the present and predict ET in light of impending climatic changes. To achieve this, we will implement three specific aims in sequence: (1) map the ET of SEA wetlands and analyze the spatiotemporal patterns, (2) investigate the drivers of ET patterns, and (3) predict ET under climate change. Our specific aims will be implemented via remote sensing, field surveys, a diagnostic model of surface energy balance, and artificial intelligence (AI).