CSU_Hackathon_Problem_Statements_MRP_Geospatial_FINAL.txt

CSU hackathon - Geospatial problem statements for consideration

Idea 1 – Fruit Fly spread and establishment

Fruit flies pose a significant threat to U.S. agricultural production and the economy, if left undetected and
allowed to spread. The USDA's Fruit Fly Exclusion and Detection Program within Plant Protection and
Quarantine works to prevent fruit fly populations from becoming established or spreading in the United
States through a domestic surveillance network and mitigation efforts at ports of entry. Understanding the
passenger and cargo pathway volumes and risks from foreign countries with fruit fly infestations countries
outside of the U.S. is critical to efficient surveillance and early detection.

Some ideas to consider OR expected outcomes:

1. Create a solution using geospatial data, analysis, and visualizations to understand potential fruit fly
   establishment from foreign pathways into the contiguous U.S., assisting program managers with data
   driven decision making.

   a. What foreign countries and their associated pathways pose the highest risk for fruit fly entry into
      the U.S. and during what time of the year?

   b. What indicators/variables would help predict where fruit flies would enter and establish in the U.S?

2. Create an interactive application that assists managers to visualize the highest risk pathways at any
   given time of the year and the monthly flow of passengers or cargo.

3. Any other ideas to contribute to optimizing fruit fly detection in the U.S. from foreign pathways


Potential Public Passenger and Cargo Pathway Data Sources

Source                                    | Type of Data                                      | Access Level          | Relevance to Fruit Fly Risk
------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------|-----------------------|------------------------------------------------------------
DOT – BTS Airline Origin &                | Air passenger volumes by route                    | Public (Aggregated)   | Medium – Helps estimate passenger flow from risk countries
Destination (DB1B)                        |                                                   |                       |
DOT – BTS T-100 International Segment     | Flight-level passenger counts                     | Public                | Medium – Detailed route-level passenger data
TSA                                       | Passenger screening volumes                       | Public (Aggregated)   | Low – Trend indicator, not origin-specific
U.S. Census Bureau – Foreign Trade Data   | Import/export stats by commodity & country        | Public                | High – Tracks agricultural imports from infested regions
BTS – Freight Analysis Framework          | International freight flows by mode & commodity   | Public                | Medium – Useful for cargo volume modeling
USDA Agricultural Import Data             | Imported fruits & vegetables by country           | Public                | High – Direct link to host commodities
UN Comtrade / WTO                         | Global trade flow data                            | Public                | Medium – Context for pressure from infested countries
IPPC                                      | Pest status reports & phytosanitary info          | Public                | High – Confirms pest presence in origin countries
USDA APHIS Pest Risk Analysis Reports     | Historical pest interception data                 | Public                | High – Validates pathway risk