Metrology Applied in Decision-Making for Land Planning: A Guide for Critical Analysis to Guarantee the Quality of Land Use and Cover Results

Considering the scientific movements of Metrology toward Environmental and Terrestrial Sciences, the objective was to identify and correlate metrological tools that could contribute to decision-making on the quality of results generated by land use and cover methods. In this perspective, it was verified how the validation parameters of methods and the tools for guaranteeing the validity of internal results are aligned with characteristics of measurement and treatment of results generated by these methods. Based on this correlation, the Guide for Critical Analysis of Results of Land Use and Coverage was structured, which was used to evaluate the quality of the data generated by the Brazilian standard method of land use and cover. Next, the objective was to demonstrate the conformity of the guide for critical analysis of results and for decision-making on the quality of the examined geographic information. It was found that, although there is no direct use of metrological tools, the official Brazilian producer uses similar mechanisms to ensure the quality of geospatial data on land use and cover. Method validation parameters demonstrated the suitability of the method for the intended use of generating results within the acceptance standard established by the producer. Through the tools to guarantee the validity of internal results, the compliance of the treatments carried was verified to guarantee the quality of the results. Thus, the usefulness of the guide for critical analysis of results as a decision-making instrument about the quality of geographic information on land use and cover was confirmed. With this, the correlation between Metrology and Environmental and Terrestrial Sciences was insipidly established. In addition, was shown how these metrological tools contribute to data producers and users in the critical analysis to guarantee the quality of land use and cover results.