Earth Observation

“Earth observation is the gathering of information about planet Earth’s physical, chemical and biological systems. It involves monitoring and assessing the status of, and changes in, the natural and man-made environment. In recent years, Earth observation has become more and more sophisticated with the development of remote-sensing satellites and increasingly high-tech “in-situ” instruments. Today’s Earth observation instruments include floating buoys for monitoring ocean currents, temperature and salinity; land stations that record air quality and rainwater trends; sonar and radar for estimating fish and bird populations; seismic and Global Positioning System (GPS) stations; and over 60 high-tech environmental satellites that scan the Earth from space.” (Group on Earth Observations, 2018).

Sources

"FAQ". Group on Earth Observations, Group on Earth Observations. 2019.
http://www.earthobservations.org/g_faq.html.
Accessed February 14, 2019.

How do you personally and professionally relate to water?

Growing up in Israel, water scarcity was a constant backdrop to my childhood. The arid climate and frequent droughts shaped my relationship with water from an early age. One vivid memory that remains stamped in my mind is the series of TV campaigns highlighting the importance of water conservation. I recall sitting in front of the television, concerned by the urgency conveyed in those campaigns. The images of dry landscapes and the emphasis on every drop of water as precious left a lasting impression.

Interview with Sawaid Abbas, Assistant Professor at the Centre for Geographical Information, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan

Sawaid Abbas, Assistant Professor at the Centre for Geographical Information System, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan discussed his extensive work in addressing water-related challenges through the nexus between smart sensing and space technologies. His thematic focus spans water scarcity, food security, climate risks, and environmental monitoring with an emphasis on the Asia-Pacific region, including Pakistan and China. Key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) guiding his work include SDG2 (Zero Hunger), SDG13 (Climate Action), SDG15 (Life on Land), and SDG11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities). Abbas's passion for water emerged during his early career at the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), where he was involved in Pakistan’s Wetland Program and witnessed the impact of water on associated ecosystems. This sparked his interest in understanding and managing water, forestry, and wildlife resources. He recently studied coastal ecosystems and their responses to climate and anthropogenic stressors in the Asia-Pacific region. The Living Indus – Investing in Ecological Restoration has become a new focus of interest for him, addressing sustainability challenges related to food security, river basin management, and efficient water use in alignment with the UN Decade of Ocean objectives. Abbas shared his fascination with water, recognizing its complex and essential nature. He is captivated by its beauty in all forms and acknowledges its fundamental importance for life on Earth. This water connection further motivates his commitment to addressing global water challenges and promoting sustainable water use through innovative solutions. Sawaid Abbas's work, stimulated by both professional commitment and personal fascination, stresses the critical role of space technologies, particularly earth observation, smart sensing nexus, and artificial intelligence in addressing water-related challenges. His research contributes to the development of innovative solutions for sustainable water use, environmental protection, and disaster response, aligning with global goals for a more resilient and water-secure future.

Interview with Gregory Giuliani, Head of the Digital Earth Unit (GRID-Geneva) & Senior Lecturer in Earth Observations (UNIGE)

Photo of Gregory Giuliani teaching at INPE in Brazil

In this interview, we discuss how time-series of satellite data can be used to monitor the environmental, and more specifically the water domain, using the data cube technology.

Monitoring runoff using Earth observation data

When rain falls on Earth, the water starts moving and flowing downhill through sewers and rivers as runoff. Runoff is extremely important to recharge surface water bodies and groundwater. Furthermore, runoff changes the landscape by action of erosion. It is an integral part of the water cycle (Earth Science Data Systems 2021).

Relation of extreme precipitation with temperature: How do open-access global gridded datasets work in a hydrometeorological study?

Analysts have long noted that extreme precipitation appears to intensify with temperature at a rate of around 7%/°C, which is governed by the Clausius-Clapeyron (CC) equation. This study aims to investigate the relationship between the spatio-temporal properties of hourly precipitation and daily dew point temperature. Specifically, the global gridded products of bias-corrected Climate Prediction Center morphing technique (CMORPH-CRT) and ERA5 reanalysis were applied for nine locations in the world. The results show that significant spatial heterogeneity in extreme precipitation scaling is present at the selected locations, which might be attributed to local conditions, such as regional climate and the proximity to humidity sources. Despite the potential limitations, this study provides insight into the application of high-resolution open-access global gridded products in analysing precipitation scaling.

Wetlands conservation: How satellite observation supports sustainable wetland management

Pelicans in the Danube Delta, Photo by Florin Tomozei.

On 2 February 2020, we celebrate World Wetlands Day to raise global awareness about the vital role of wetlands for people and our planet. This year’s edition highlights the connection between water, wetlands, and life.

Monitoring River Delta Using Remote Sensing

Since ancient times, people have established communities in river deltas because it provides water, fertile land, and transportation access, making them an ideal place to live. This pattern has been carried forward to the present. With nearly 6 billion people living in river deltas, they are one of the most densely populated places on Earth (Kuenzer and Renaud, 2011). However, they are facing threats such as climate change, sea level rise, land use changes, and ecosystem degradation.

Linked Data Infrastructures – a viable solution for efficient water resource management

Water challenges — ranging from lack of access to safe drinking water and sanitation services, to hydrological uncertainty and extremes such as floods and droughts, to chronic water scarcity — are perceived as some of the greatest threats to global prosperity and stability (Sadoff et al. 2014). Many of these challenges are expected to intensify as climate change unfolds and population continues to grow (World Bank, 2017). Water resources are a critical asset in any country. Therefore, their monitoring, maintenance, preservation, and use abide strict rules and regulations enforced and executed by specialized personnel.

Using space-based technologies to predict mosquito-borne disease outbreaks

Mosquitos are often cited as one of the deadliest animals in the world, causing up to one million deaths per year (WHO, 2020; CDC, 2021). They can carry and transmit a variety of diseases, including malaria, West Nile virus, dengue fever, and Zika virus; transmitting illness across the globe (Figure 1). To help decrease the burden of disease resulting from mosquitos, researchers are utilising satellite data and remote sensing models to better predict where mosquito breeding grounds may occur in the future.

Monitoreando la escorrentía mediante datos de observación de la Tierra

Translated by Isabel Zetina

Cuando la lluvia cae sobre la Tierra, el agua empieza a moverse y a fluir cuesta abajo a través de alcantarillas y ríos en forma de escorrentía. La escorrentía es extremadamente importante para recargar las masas de agua de la superficie y las aguas subterráneas. Además, la escorrentía modifica el paisaje por acción de la erosión. Es una parte integral del ciclo del agua (Earth Science Data Systems 2021).

Conservación de humedales: cómo la observación por satélite apoya la gestión sostenible de los humedales

Translated by: Isabel Zetina

El 2 de febrero de 2020 celebramos el Día Mundial de los Humedales para concienciar al mundo sobre el papel vital de los humedales para las personas y nuestro planeta. La edición de este año destaca la conexión entre el agua, los humedales y la vida.

Space technologies' role in marine monitoring and management

Mapping and monitoring of the marine environment has been consistently reliant upon space-based technologies (Johannessen et al., 2006). Particularly tools targeting monitoring of human activity in the marine domain, marine resources such as marine protected areas and fish stocks, as well as marine environmental conditions, are extensively utilised by regulatory actors (Desaubies, 2006).

The water cycle from space: the central role of satellite-informed models in corporate water management

Water in the atmosphere, in the soil, in rivers and oceans is in continuous exchange via the global water cycle. This is commonly thought to be the circular movement of water that evaporates from the Earth's surface, rises on warm updrafts into the atmosphere, and condenses into clouds. It is transported by the wind as water vapour, and eventually falls back to the Earth’s surface as rain or snow.

Space technologies for transboundary water management

Water is an essential natural resource for human survival as well as the health of the entire ecosystem, including agriculture. It is fundamental for long-term sustainable growth of economies and societies globally and locally. Water resources, which cross political boundaries, are vital for both the environment and human populations. Transboundary water management refers to the cooperative process of managing shared water bodies across political boundaries, ensuring the equitable and sustainable use of water resources by riparian states (Bernauer & Böhmelt, 2020).

Why geospatial standards matter: Benefits and challenges of EO data standardization

Even 115 years later, the Great Baltimore Fire—which burned down much of the city of Baltimore in the United States—still carries important lessons in standardization. Firefighters from hundreds of kilometres away were sent to assist in putting out the fire, but they could do little to help because their hose couplings did not fit Baltimore’s fire hydrants – meaning, the fire hoses were not standardized. The lack of standardization turned hundreds of firefighters into spectators as the city burned (OGC, ISO & IH, 2018, p.

Monitoring the impact of mining on water quality based on space technology

^{Source: (Morgan, J. 2020)}

El rol de las tecnologías espaciales en la vigilancia y gestión del medio marino

El mapeo y la vigilancia del medio marino han dependido siempre de las tecnologías espaciales (Johannessen et al., 2006). En particular las herramientas destinadas a vigilar la actividad humana en el medio marino, los recursos marinos, como las zonas marinas protegidas y las poblaciones de peces, y las condiciones del medio marino (Desaubies, 2006). El objetivo de este artículo es ofrecer una serie de ejemplos de tecnologías espaciales que se utilizan para vigilar distintos aspectos del medio marino, ilustrando la amplia gama de aplicaciones disponibles.

El ciclo del agua desde el espacio: el papel central de los modelos informados por satélite en la gestión corporativa del agua

Translated by: Isabel Zetina

Pourquoi les Normes Géospatiales sont-elles Importantes : Avantages et Challenges de la Normalisation des Données d’Observation de la Terre

Space technology observing the effects of forests on watersheds

Have you ever heard the phrase "All the rivers run into the sea"? In most cases, this statement holds, with one exception: rivers that end up in lakes. If you imagine mountain ranges as the walls of a bathtub, the ocean is like the bottom of the bathtub, collecting all the water from the bathtub. No matter where you live, you inhabit a land area where all the water, above and below ground, converges into a common body of water (Figure 1). We call this area a watershed. Watersheds vary in size.

Les Technologies Spatiales : un Pilier Essentiel de la Protection des Ressources Marines

Merci à Martin Sarret d'avoir traduit cet article volontairement.

Exploring aquatic realms: CubeSat applications for water research

Introduction

Embarking on a new kind of adventure, scientists are using small satellites called CubeSats to explore the mysteries of water on Earth. They can help us learn more about oceans, lakes, and rivers. Water sustains all forms of life but, for something so integral to our existence, we know little about its intricate dynamics. This is where the collaboration between space technology and water research comes into play.

Earth observation data cubes for water resources management

Data has become one of the most valuable resources of the 21st century. Indeed, data can be considered the most important input when it comes to make informed decisions. The recent global pandemic crisis highlighted the vital role of data for reporting accurate case numbers and outbreaks, identifying the most vulnerable demographics, and understanding the most effective vaccines, to mention few. Data also plays a key role when it comes to sustainability.

Le Cycle de l'Eau depuis l'Espace: le Role Central des Modèles Informés par Satellite dans la Gestion de l'Eau en Entreprises

Merci à Mussa Kachunga Stanis d'avoir traduit cet article volontairement.

Interview with Mina Konaka, Satellite engineer at JAXA

Mina Konaka works at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) as a satellite engineer and is currently working on the satellite ALOS-4, which can detect changes in groundwater on land. She attended the International Space University, participating in the project AWARE (Adapting to Water and Air Realities on Earth), in which participants aimed to provide solutions for flood and air quality risks due to climate change, using earth observation data and ground-based sensors. Mina feels strongly about the need to talk more globally about water management solutions, rather than on an individual country basis. Mina also hopes that in the future there will be more female engineers who pursue dreams of space, and that gender balance is no longer an issue.

Interview with Benjamin Kitambo, PhD student at the Laboratory for Space Geophysics and Oceanography

Describe your professional (and/or personal) experience relating to water and space technologies.

My interest in water is a result of my background in Geology. I come from a region (Katanga Province, Congo DR) where mining is the main source of livelihood. So, I had my bachelor's degree in Geology intending to work in the mining sector after graduation. However, towards the end of the bachelor’s programme, I was exposed to the deployment of geophysical equipment for water prospecting in my department.

Interview with Ailin Sol Ortone Lois, Director of SAR Research group, at Universidad Tecnológica Nacional, Specialist at the Argentinian Air Force, Teacher and Researcher at Universidad Nacional de Luján and the UTN

Interview with Mastawesha Misganaw Engdaw, Research scientist at WEGC

Mastawesha Misganaw Engdaw is a research scientist with an academic background including geo-information science and earth observation, water resources management, hydrology, and climate change. His research activities include assessing the past, present, and future changes in the climate system, as well as its impacts on multiple sustainable development goals. He is particularly interested in assessing impacts of climate change on hydrological extremes and water resources management. Mastawesha is currently working on climate risk assessment and attribution of compound hydrological extreme events.

Interview with Dr. Ayan Santos Fleischmann, Lead, Research Group in Geospatial Analysis of the Amazonian Environment and Territory

Ayan Santos Fleischmann is a hydrologist with a particular interest in wetlands and large-scale basins, mainly in South America and Africa, and in the context of human impacts on water resources. His main study approaches involve remote sensing techniques and hydrologic-hydrodynamic modeling, as well as interdisciplinary collaborations with other disciplines such as ecology and social sciences. Currently, he is a researcher at the Mamirauá Institute for Sustainable Development (Tefé, Amazonas, Brazil), where he leads the Research Group in Geospatial Analysis of the Amazonian Environment and Territory. He also leads the Conexões Amazônicas initiative for science communication about the Amazon Basin. Ayan holds a PhD degree from UFRGS, with a collaborative period at Université Toulouse III – Paul Sabatier (France). His Ph. D. thesis focused on the hydrology of the South American wetlands. Ayan holds an Environmental Engineering degree from the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), with a research stay at the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom. In this interview, we talked to him about his career path, the work he has been developing in Brazil with wetlands and floods, and his work in the Amazon River basin.

Interview with Dr. Shimrit Maman, Senior Scientist at the Goldman Sonnenfeldt School of Sustainability and Climate Change

How do you personally and professionally relate to water?

Interview with Sarhan Zerouali

Sarhan Zerouali became fascinated with water at a young age through learning about water scarcity around the world and about traditional methods for locating groundwater. In a space applications course Sahran then learnt about space-based technologies. He is currently working on a research project on how remote sensing and other technologies can help alleviate global challenges arising from land degradation. As an aerospace engineer, Sahran has worked with various modern technologies in his work including nanosatellites, artificial intelligence, and feature extraction algorithms.

Interview with Sawaid Abbas, Assistant Professor at the Centre for Geographical Information, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan

Interview with Valdilene Silva Siqueira

Valdilene Siqueira has a diverse background in chemistry and environmental engineering and is currently pursing a master’s degree in Sustainable Territorial Development. Her work and experience has always been closely tied to water management and sanitation. She believes that access to water and ensuring the sustainable management of water resources in a fast-paced changing world are two of the most important challenges for the coming years. Valdilene feels that achieving mutual understanding on how to manage this resource, especially in water-scarce regions, is a real challenge for decision-makers but considers that an intersectoral, integrated and participatory approach is capable of bringing stakeholders together to reconcile their different interests and build collective solutions. 

Interview with Joshua Ubah, Geospatial Environmental Engineer

Joshua is a Master’s student in Tropical Hydrogeology and Environmental Engineering at Technische Universität of Darmstadt. His interest is focused on hydrogeological processes, groundwater modelling, application of remote sensing and GIS in environmental studies, water management and climate change. He also works as a graduate Intern at AgriWatch BV, a company that applies geospatial solutions for precision Agriculture. As a graduate intern, he applies his interdisciplinary knowledge in developing smart-farming solutions using space-based technologies to farmers in the Twente region of the Netherlands. He deploys satellite imagery, field studies and machine learning algorithms to predict the effect of climate change on arable crops. He also utilizes precipitation data to predict rainfall events to aid farmers in determining planting and harvesting periods. Joshua earned a bachelor’s degree in Geological Sciences, his bachelor’s thesis research aimed at carrying out paleoenvironmental reconstruction using paleocurrent indicators of water flow and direction, and application of ArcGIS to produce maps. Currently, he is working on his master’s thesis with emphasis on the impact of the ancient climate on the paleoenvironment particularly on vegetation, where he tries to research plants response to long-term greenhouse periods and short-term warming events on various timescales throughout Earth's history. His research interests revolve around the application of space technologies in providing solutions and tackling climate change.

Interview with Margherita Bruscolini, Geospatial & Earth Scientist, Drone Pilot at RSS-Hydro

Margherita is an interdisciplinary Earth scientist and drone pilot with a background in geologic and environmental sciences. She has international experience working in fields such as Earth Observation (EO), remote sensing, drones & geospatial data analysis applied to the environmental and humanitarian sectors, sustainability and climate change. Margherita is passionate about natural and climate-related technologies that can be used to develop sustainable and long-lasting solutions. She is working for a more inclusive world (Women in Geospatial+), without any sort of geographical or social barriers. Keywords: Science communication, Climate Change, STEM, inclusivity, sustainability, nature, hydrosphere, hydrology, water risks, Earth Observation (EO), satellite data, flood modeling, vulnerability, resilience, lifelong learning Region/Country mentioned: Temperate climates, Arid climates, Luxembourg, Niger Relevant SDG targets: 1, 4, 6, 9, 11, 13, 17

Interview with Gregory Giuliani, Head of the Digital Earth Unit (GRID-Geneva) & Senior Lecturer in Earth Observations (UNIGE)

In this interview, we discuss how time-series of satellite data can be used to monitor the environmental, and more specifically the water domain, using the data cube technology.

GEO SDG Awards Program

Call for Nominations for the GEO SDG Awards

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development provides a universal set of priorities to use as a blueprint of action for people, the planet, and prosperity. Earth observations, geospatial data, and the information they provide play insightful roles in monitoring targets, tracking progress, as well as helping nations and stakeholders make informed decisions toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Workshop on Water Quality Monitoring & Assessment

The Innovation Workshop on Water Quality Monitoring & Assessment, organized by World Meteorological Organization (WMO), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and World Water Quality Alliance (WWQA), co-organized with and supported by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) and in partnership with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), will take place from 27 to 29 September 2023 at the JRC in Petten, Netherlands.

Climate and Disaster Resilience Pilot 2024

The Call For Participation (CFP) is now open! Applications close December 30, 2023. See below for more information.

Call for Applications: Internal Research Fellow in Earth Observation for Earth System Science

The ESA-ESRIN Earth System Science Hub has 5 positions open for new Post-Docs (Internal Research Fellows)

European Space Agency’s “Water Scarcity” Kick-Start

The challenge

Water is one of the most important substances on Earth and covers 70% of the planet. However, freshwater makes up a very small fraction with 97% being saline and ocean-based. While the amount of freshwater on the planet has remained fairly constant over time, the world’s population has exploded, meaning that freshwater is threatened by significant forces, like overdevelopment, polluted runoff, and global warming.

Call for contributions to the PaleBlueDOT challenge by NASA and the United States Permanent Mission in Vienna

Are you interested in leveraging public Earth observation data and visualization techniques to contribute to SDGS? You have until 26 January 2024 to sign-up to the PaleBlueDot challenge organized on behalf of NASA and the US mission to international organization in Vienna.

EODC Forum 2021: Best Ideas Award - Call for Submissions

EODC Forum 2021

This years virtual EODC Forum will inform on EODC's Earth Observation infrastructure and will include special lectures, hands-on presentation, specific business-to-business meeting opportunities and the “Best Ideas Awards” with the chance to win special EODC prizes.

https://www.space4water.org/events/eodc-forum-2021

Interview with Mastawesha Misganaw Engdaw, Research scientist at WEGC

Interview with Dr. Ayan Santos Fleischmann, Lead, Research Group in Geospatial Analysis of the Amazonian Environment and Territory

Interview with Sarhan Zerouali

Interview with Valdilene Silva Siqueira

Interview with Joshua Ubah, Geospatial Environmental Engineer

Interview with Margherita Bruscolini, Geospatial & Earth Scientist, Drone Pilot at RSS-Hydro

Interview with Mina Konaka, Satellite engineer at JAXA

Interview with Benjamin Kitambo, PhD student at the Laboratory for Space Geophysics and Oceanography

Describe your professional (and/or personal) experience relating to water and space technologies.

Register for the Fourth Space4Water Stakeholder Meeting

co-organised by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA)
and the Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water (PSIPW)

Register for the 3rd Space4Water Stakeholder Meeting: Registration open

24-25 October 2023, at the Vienna International Centre

organised by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs
co-organised with the Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water (PSIPW)

This event is restricted to Space4Water stakeholders, featured professionals, young professionals and representatives of Indigenous communities featured on the portal.

Register for the Third Space4Water Stakeholder Meeting

co-organised by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA)
and the Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water (PSIPW)

The third Space4Water Stakeholder Meeting

co-organised by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA)
and the Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water (PSIPW)

Register for the 2nd Space4Water Stakeholder Meeting - End of registration: 30 April

organised by UNOOSA in partnership with the Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water (PSIPW)
11-12 May 2023, Online

This event is restricted to Space4Water stakeholders, featured professionals, young professionals and representatives of Indigenous communities featured on the portal.

Registration for speakers submitting technical presentations closes on 15 April 2023.
Registration for all other participants closes on 30 April 2023.

ARSET - Using Earth Observations to Monitor Water Budgets for River Basin Management II

Overview:

Rivers are a major source of freshwater. They support aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, provide transportation, generate hydropower, and when treated, provide drinking and agricultural water. Estimating and monitoring water budgets within a river basin is required for sustainable management of water resources and flooding within watersheds. This webinar series will focus on the use of NASA Earth observations and Earth system-modelled data for estimating water budgets in river basins.

Digital Earth Africa: Water Resources

Amp showing change in water extent in a river between 2019 to 2021

Digital Earth Africa learning platform

This learning platform helps users understand the significance of Earth observations, explore Digital Earth Africa datasets through an interactive map, and get started on the basics of python coding for spatial analysis.

Digital Earth Africa makes Earth observation (EO) data readily available, delivering decision-ready products to the African continent. Data generated by Digital Earth Africa will provide valuable insights for better decision-making across many areas, including resource management, food security and urbanisation.

EUMETSAT Supporting Marine Earth Observation Applications (SMA) training course 2025

The 2025 EUMETSAT Supporting Marine Earth Observation Applications (SMA) training course, a United Nations Ocean Decade activity, conducted in partnership with the University of Hull, will share knowledge, skills, resources and code so attendees are able to independently access and process data from the EUMETSAT product catalogue for their marine work-flows and applications.

How to Cloud for Earth Scientists

Overview

With the impending arrival of new, high-data-volume missions, the need to effectively archive and process significantly larger data volumes will require new data management technologies and architectures that are more cost-effective, flexible, and scalable than traditional on-premises systems. To meet these needs, the Earth Science Data Systems (ESDS) Program has adopted a strategic vision to develop and operate multiple components of the Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) in a commercial cloud environment.

Digital Earth Africa: Agriculture and Food Security

Digital Earth Africa learning platform

Rapid Impact Assessment Using Open-source Earth Observation - on the example of the Kachowka Dam Break

The Jupyter notebook demonstrates how EOdal can be used for disaster relief after the break of the Kachowka using open-source Earth Observation data.

On June 6, 2023, the Kakhovka Dam in Ukraine broke. We do not yet know who or what was responsible for the collapse of the dam. What we do know, however, are the devastating consequences for the region downstream - especially for the local population.

Digital Earth Africa: DEA101 - Introduction to the Digital Earth Africa Sandbox

Digital Earth Africa learning platform

Introduction to the GEO Knowledge Hub - Webinar

GEO Knowledge Hub Webinar Series

The first GEO Knowledge Hub (GKH) webinar, on the 24th February 2021, introduced the GKH in its current stage of development.

Objective

The goal was to provide a user perspective based on input from the Knowledge Providers, notably to outline GKH capabilities and benefits to the GEO community.

Topics

Topics included:

GEO Knowledge Package Deep Dive - Webinar

GEO Knowledge Hub Webinar Series

The second GEO Knowledge Hub (GKH) webinar took place on Thursday 1 April 2021 from 1pm to 2pm (CET)

Objective

The webinar covered a deep dive into the Land Use/Land Cover Classification Knowledge Package developed by the Brazilian Data Cube team at INPE.

The webinar illustrated the journey of a Knowledge Provider, from creating a Knowledge Package through to sharing it in the GEO Knowledge Hub.

Data Recipes & Short Tutorials

Overview

Data recipes are video tutorials that include step-by-step instructions to help users learn how to discover, access, subset, visualize and use Earth science data, information, tools and services. These recipes cover many different data products across the Earth science disciplines and different processing languages/software.

9th International Conference on Remote Sensing and Geoinformation of Environment (RSCy2023)

The 9th International Conference on Remote Sensing and Geoinformation of Environment or RSCy2023 will be held in Cyprus on 3-5 April, 2023.

The RSCy2023 is organized by the Cyprus Remote Sensing Society in cooperation with ESA, NASA, Copernicus, DLR, Group On Earth Observations, the Department of Electronic Communications of the Ministry of Communications and Works, the Technical Chamber of Cyprus, the Cyprus Department of Meteorology and the Agricultural Research Institute.

The conference is published by SPIE.

EO Summit

The EO Summit will take place on June 10-11, 2025 in New York, United States. The EO Summit Concept includes panel sessions, industry tracks and case studies. It is organised by TerraWatch Space.

Industry tracks

Four tracks focusing on the difference applications of EO with panel discussions and presentations:

Insurance & Finance

Parametric Insurance
Claims & Underwriting
Catastrophe Modelling
Climate Risk
Commodity Trading

XXIV ISPRS Congress: International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing

The ISPRS Congress (2021 digital only) is the leading forum where classical and emergent topics related to photogrammetry, remote sensing, and spatial information sciences are discussed. It continues the unique tradition of gathering scientists, educators, and engineers from multiple domains and more than 100 countries. It promotes cross-fertilization between topics and communities, public and private sectors.

Topics

Topics of interest include all aspects of photogrammetry, remote sensing and spatial information sciences including, but not limited to:

International Workshop on High-Resolution Thermal Earth Observation

High-resolution thermal Earth Observation (EO) has been identified as a major observational gap in our rapidly warming climate. Land-surface temperature is a key variable needed for understanding and adapting to climate variability, managing water resources sustainably for agricultural production, mitigating health stress during heatwaves, predicting droughts, monitoring coastal and inland waters and addressing natural hazards such as fires and volcanoes.

The 2022 Workshop on Earth Observation for Ecosystem Accounting (EO4EA 2022)

The objective of the 2022 Workshop on Earth Observation for Ecosystem Accounting is to bring together experts in Earth Observation and experts in Ecosystem Accounting to jointly discuss the key challenges that need to be addressed in order to use Earth Observation in compiling national ecosystem accounts to support national policies.

5th Space for Hydrology Workshop

The European Space Agency, in the context of the "Earth Observations Science for Society" Programme, the Global Energy and Water EXchanges project (GEWEX) of the World Climate Research Programme and Centre National d'Études Spatiales (CNES) are organising a sequel joint event to Hydrospace2021 and EO4Water2020, called 5th Space for Water Cycle and Hydrology Workshop, HYDROSPACE 2023.

5th COSPAR Symposium: Space Science with Small Satellites

The Fifth COSPAR Symposium will be held in Singapore, in April 2023, and will address the broad topic of

40th International Symposium on Remote Sensing of Environment (ISRSE-40)

The 40th International Symposium on Remote Sensing of Environment (ISRSE-40) takes place on 17-21 March 2025 at the Farnborough International Exhibition & Conference Centre, in Farnborough, UK.

As we navigate the critical challenges of the 21st century, ISRSE-40 will focus on how Earth observations (EO) can drive sustainable development and resilience across multiple sectors.

Open-Earth Monitor Global Workshop 2024

The workshop

Jointly organized by the OpenGeoHub Foundation (OGH) and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), the Open-Earth-Monitor Global Workshop 2024 will bring together European and global actors in the field of open-source Earth Observation applications in policy, business, research, and for society.

The 15th Asia-Oceania Group on Earth Observations (AOGEO) Symposium

The AOGEO symposium is the annual regional forum to initiate the directions of the activities on Earth observations (EO) and their applications based on exchanging broad perspectives as well as identifying regional emerging topics to coordinate further collaboration amongst various stakeholders.

The theme of this year’s AOGEO Symposium is:

“New horizons for Earth observation in Asia Oceania Region: Searching for engagements”.

GEO Knowledge Hub Webinar Series - Digital Earth Africa Agriculture & Food Security - Part 1

Digital Earth Africa and the GEO Knowledge Hub teams are pleased to invite you to the upcoming webinar showcasing the applications on Agriculture and Food Security available in the GEO Knowledge Hub. The Geo Knowledge Hub is an open-source digital repository of open, authoritative and reproducible knowledge created by the Group on Earth Observations.

The first part is on 27 March 2025 and the second part is on 10 April 2025. The same registration link applies for both.

Environmental Informatics – A bogeyman or saviour to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals?

The EnviroInfo 2021 is the 35th edition of the long standing and established international and interdisciplinary conference series on leading environmental information and communication technologies. The conference is open for contributions covering innovative topics at the interface between informatics and environmental research. The conference is organized by the Technical Committee for Environmental Informatics of the German Informatics Society.

Webinar: Global flood monitoring and Surface Soil Moisture anomalies

The EO AFRICA R&D Facility Space Academy has a series of webinars covering topics related to the use of EO to assess and monitor the state of water and food security-related spatial components.

The 9th webinar will describe ways to monitor flood events and surface soil moisture on a global scale, using microwave Earth Observation data. Current research topics will be described that are relevant for use cases in Africa (e.g. subsurface scattering in arid regions). The validation of flood monitoring and of soil moisture products will be discussed.

ESA Φ-WEEK

Overview

This event focuses on how to accelerate the future of Earth Observation (EO), presenting recent developments in EO Open Science and latest trends in EO markets, exploring bold and transformative ideas that ESA’s Φ-lab and Data Applications Division supports and scales up along with researchers, start-ups, industry and private investors.

The Global Space Conference on Climate Change (GLOC) 2023

The Global Space Conference on Climate Change 2023 (GLOC 2023) will contribute to the global efforts to better understand and battle climate change through the use of space-based services and applications. First conference of its kind, GLOC 2023 is designed to encourage the sharing of programmatic, technical and policy information, as well as collaborative solutions, challenges, lessons learnt, and paths forward among all nations.

GLOC 2023 will focus on the theme

Geospatial World Forum (GWF)

Geospatial World Forum (GWF) is an annual gathering of geospatial professionals and leaders representing the entire ecosystem of public policies, national mapping agencies, private sector enterprises, multilateral and development organizations, scientific and academic institutions, and large end-users from government businesses and citizen services.

GEO Week 2023 Ministerial Summit

Climate. Biodiversity. Air quality. The planet has a lot to say about the things that each and every one of us depend on.

But can you hear what it’s saying?

There is more data than ever before on our changing Earth. The problem is that many people can’t get hold of it, and when they can, it’s in a language they don’t understand.

If we’re going to act on what the planet is saying, we need an organization that can bring together the best Earth observation data, technology and science and translate it into free, trusted information that makes sense to everyone.

EO FOR WATER CYCLE SCIENCE 2020 (online event)

Background

In the coming decades increasing population will drastically rise the demand for freshwater. Today, more than 600 million people lack access to safe drinking water and estimates show that with current practices, the world will face a 40% shortfall between forecast demand and available supply of water by 2030. Needs to increase agricultural production will significantly impact water withdrawals and will increase stress on people living in regions already suffering from water scarcity.

GEO Knowledge Hub Webinar Series - Digital Earth Africa Agriculture & Food Security - Part 2

The first part is on 27 March 2025 and the second part is on 10 April 2025. The same registration link applies for both.

EODC Forum 2021

This year’s EODC Forum will be hosted as a three-days virtual conference with special lectures, hands-on presentations, specific business-to-business meeting opportunities and the “Best Ideas Awards” with the chance to win special EODC prizes.

Get informed about EODC’s dedicated Earth Observation infrastructure and our updated service offerings for the scientific, private, and public sectors. Take advantage of getting to know other EODC partners and business opportunities.

22nd William T. Pecora Memorial Remote Sensing Symposium (Pecora 22)

The 22nd William T. Pecora Memorial Remote Sensing Symposium (Pecora 22) will convene in Denver, Colorado, USA from October 23 – 28, 2022.

Open-Earth-Monitor Global Workshop 2023

Open-Earth-Monitor project’s main aim is to directly support the implementation of the European Green Deal, and the European Digital Transition, the EuroGEO (Europe’s part of the Group on Earth Observations) and overall the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). How? By producing and integrating a range of open-source, data-based and user-friendly tools to monitor European and global environmental trends, and for ecosystem services accounting in constant collaboration with user communities.

Fifth Space4Water Stakeholder Meeting

Co-organised by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA)
and the Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water (PSIPW)

29-30 May 2025, Vienna, in person, with selected sessions in hybrid format

Public-Private partnerships for Copernicus water services

Free registration

The use of the Copernicus program for monitoring inland waters highlights the links with the political and legislative cycle: this covers water policies as well as policies related to agriculture and the environment. Modern decision-making in these domains aims to take into account existing Earth Observation technologies, which are greatly aided by innovations developed in the private sector.

GEO Global Forum 2025

The inaugural GEO Global Forum in 2025 will be a premier global event to inspire all elements of our society – from Ministers and global leaders to citizens – to harness Earth Intelligence to empower informed and ambitious actions to ensure food security, restore ecosystems, prevent disasters, and confront the triple planetary crisis, transforming the Sustainable Development Goals into an achievable reality.

The GEO Global Forum takes place in Rome, Italy on 5-9 May 2025.

Virtual Training Workshop: EO and Copernicus for Disaster Risk Reduction

Floods and droughts are some of the most frequent natural disasters that can become a major threat to livelihoods, food-security, infrastructure and even life. Remote sensing and earth observation provide valuable tools to monitor ongoing floods and drought, assess the current situation from space and produce products that can support stakeholders and decision makers.

2022 GEOAquaWatch Meeting – virtual

Water Quality Information for the Benefit of Society

The future of Earth Observation technology, products and people: A Virtual GEO AquaWatch Community Workshop

The use of Earth Observation (EO) for water quality applications is rapidly advancing. GEO AquaWatch invites you to a three-day gathering of the inland and coastal water quality community.

EUMETSAT Meteorological Satellite Conference 2023

Over the years, the EUMETSAT user conference has become a key annual event for the meteorological and scientific communities where participants from around the world can meet to share their experience and knowledge during plenary, poster and workshop sessions.

The theme of this year’s annual EUMETSAT conference is “The Evolutionary challenge for EO satellites from technology to exploitation”.

2025 Copernicus Land Monitoring Service (CLMS) General Assembly

The second Copernicus Land Monitoring Service (CLMS) General Assembly will be held in Krakow, Poland, at the Centrum Konferencyjne Fabryczna on 20-21 May 2025.

CLMS provide geographical information on land cover and its changes, land use, ground motion, vegetation state, water cycle and Earth surface energy variables for both Europe and the entire globe.

12th Advanced Training Course on Land Remote Sensing

The European Space Agency (ESA) is organizing an Advanced Training Course on Land Remote Sensing with a focus on Hydrology and Hazards in collaboration with the Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences. This course is dedicated to train the next generation of Earth Observation (EO) scientists and experts, working in the domains of hydrology or related hazards, in using data from Copernicus Sentinels and other satellite missions for science and applications development. The course is part of the EO Science for Society element of ESA’s Future EO programme.

EODC Forum 2024

EODC Forum 2024 – June 10 - 11

The EODC Forum 2024 will take place as an in-person event on Monday, June 10th (Start: 13:00 CEST) and Tuesday, June 11th, 2024 (Start: 09:00 CEST) at Kuppelsaal of TU Wien in Vienna.

Join us to reflect on 10 years of EODC and then celebrate with us at the networking dinner at Juwel Wien.

Face to Face course on Cloud Computing and Algorithms for EO Analyses

The third F2F course of the EO AFRICA R&D Facility will take place in Rabat in close cooperation with CRASTE-LF. African Regional Centre for Space Science and Technology in French Language.

ESA-NASA International Workshop on AI Foundation Model for EO

ESA-NASA International workshop on AI Foundation Model for Earth Observation takes place on 5-7 May 2025 in Frascati, Italy. It is in-person only, but it will be streamed. The workshop is co-organised by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

43rd International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium 2023

The International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium (IGARSS) is the world’s premier symposium on geoscience, remote sensing and related topics. The 43rd annual IGARSS is going be to held in person with the theme of “Reconnecting” with our peers and community. This is an ideal forum for obtaining up-to-date information about the latest developments, exchanging ideas, identifying future trends and making networking with the international geoscience and remote sensing community.

2nd Climate Observation Conference

Climate observations are of fundamental importance for reconstructing, monitoring, understanding, attributing, predicting, projecting, mitigating, and adapting to climate change. They are instrumental for assessments and policy implementations, such as the IPCC and the 2015 Paris Agreement. The need for systematic climate observations is increasing with the growing urgency for adaptation and mitigation measures that can require high resolution information.

ESA Earth Explorer 11 User Consultation Meeting

ESA's Earth Explorer satellite missions are scientific satellite missions that aim to improve our understanding of Earth system processes and dynamics. These missions focus on specific aspects of Earth's environment and climate system.

There are two candidates currently competing to become the ESA’s EE11 mission: CAIRT and WIVERN.

The EE11 UCM event, which will be held on 9 July 2025 in Prague, Czech Republic, is planned to support the final selection of one of these two missions to enter development as Earth Explorer 11.

EODC Forum 2022

This year’s EODC Forum 2022 will be carried out as a hybrid conference on Wednesday, June 15th 2022 in Vienna.

Gain insight with special lectures and hands-on presentations and learn more about EODC’s dedicated Earth Observation infrastructure and our updated service offerings for the scientific, private, and public sectors.

Take advantage of getting to know other EODC partners and business opportunities during a subsequent networking dinner at a restaurant in Vienna.

More information and registration link coming soon!

AI4Copernicus 2023

Following the success of the first two editions in 2019 and 2022, the Copernicus Relays of Luxembourg and Belgium (i.e. LIST, Skywin, ISSeP, Spacebel and VITO) organise the 3rd edition of the AI4Copernicus event, focussing this time on:

“Earth Observation & Artificial Intelligence solutions for climate change challenges”

which will take place on 25 May 2023 in Mondorf-les-Bains, Luxembourg or online.

BiDS | Big Data from Space 2025

The Big Data from Space 2025 (BiDS) event convenes key stakeholders from industry, academia, EU institutions and governmental entities to explore the evolving landscape of space, big data and related emerging technologies.

United Nations/Islamic Republic of Iran Workshop on the Space Technology Applications for Drought, Flood and Water Resource Management

Event Organisers:

Online event organized jointly by:

The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs through the United Nations Platform for Space-based Information for Disaster Management and Emergency Response (UN-SPIDER) and the Islamic Republic of Iran

Hosted by:

Ministry of I.C.T. (The Iranian Space Agency)

Unlocking the potential of geospatial data for mining operations

The digital transformation of the mining industry has revolutionized the way organizations conduct mining operations, with a focus on enhancing productivity, efficiency, and safety. One of the critical components driving mining innovation is geospatial data and intelligence.

Join for the first in a new series of interactive events that will dig deep into this transformation and how mining organizations can use geospatial data to its fullest potential.

Project / Mission / Initiative / Community Portal

WMO Hydrological Observing System Portal

Currently, WHOS makes available three data portals allowing users to easily leverage common WHOS functionalities such as data discovery and data access, on the web by means of common web browsers. For more information on WHOS data and available tools, please refer to the Section WHOS web services and supported tools.

WHOS-Global Portal provides all hydrometeorological data shared through WHOS. WHOS-Global Portal is implemented using the Water Data Explorer application.

Space-Enabled Modeling of the Niger River to Enhance Regional Water Resources Management

River and floodplain landscapes are constantly undergoing change due to natural and manmade processes putting pressure on fluvial systems, such as reservoirs, intensive agriculture, high-impact repetitive droughts and floods and the overall effects of climate change. All these bring about considerable changes, some of which irreversibly degrade ecosystem services, local economies and impact lives, particularly in sensitive transitional zones such as the Sahel region in Africa and its Niger River Basin (NRB).

Sinergise

Sinergise is a SME with extensive expertise in developing advanced geospatial information systems based on web technology. It has experts in the field of user needs and system design, software development, database administration and system infrastructure.

Sinergise has successfully completed several projects involving spatial data capture and spatial data analysis for customers in Europe and Africa. Their products can be grouped in agriculture, real estate and cloud GIS.

Laboratoire d’Etudes du Rayonnement et de la Matière en Astrophysique et Atmosphères

The LERMA (Laboratoire d’Etudes du Rayonnement et de la Matière en Astrophysique et Atmosphères) is a joint research unit. Research teams conduct programs in the fields of astrophysics, instrumentation and remote sensing.. The 'Remote Sensing group focuses on satellite-based characterization of the atmosphere and surfaces. Different aspects are covered, including the analysis of satellite observations, the modeling of radiative transfer and the development of inversion methods for a better monitoring of the Earth's processes providing geophysical variables (e.g.

University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna

Founded in 1872, the Universität für Bodenkultur Wien / University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, also known by its acronym "BOKU" is an education and research institution for renewable resources in Vienna, Austria. Today, BOKU comprises of 15 departments located at two sites in Vienna and one in Lower Austria, as well as several external research and teaching facilities in Austria. There are currently approximately 11000 students enrolled at BOKU in study courses at the bachelor, master, and doctoral levels.

European Association of Remote Sensing Companies

The European Association of Remote Sensing Companies (EARSC) is the European organization which –on a non-profit basis– promotes the use of Earth Observation (EO) technology and especially the companies in Europe which offer EO-related products and services. We are a membership based organisation with the mission to foster the development of the European EO geo-information services industry. With more than 125 members, we do represent the European EO services sector in more than 24 countries

University of Twente - Faculty ITC

The Faculty ITC of the University of Twente is among the world's top ten institutes for academic education, scientific research and technology development in Earth Observation and Geo-information. ITC staff is engaged in building capacity in the fields of food/water security & agriculture, energy transition, geo-health, climate change adaptation, urban development and smart cities, disaster risk reduction, and land administration.

Egyptian Space Agency

Egyptian Space Agency is a Governmental Organization that's aiming at acquiring Space Technology and Satellite Launching capabilities towards the accomplishment of The National Sustainable Development Strategy "Egypt-SDS 2030" objectives.

Mozaika

Mozaika, The Humanizing Technologies Lab, provides research and development in the field of data science, natural interfaces (human-computer interaction), knowledge management and human insight. At Mozaika we are trying to leverage data science with natural interfaces to provide solutions tailored to human behavior, attitudes and comprehension. The company specializes in building information infrastructures that serve a variety of applications in data as a service or intelligence as a service modes. Our solutions are either human user facing or modules of larger systems.

DHI GRAS

With more than 50 years of existence and continued growth, DHI is an independent, private and not-for-profit organization based in Denmark, with 30 offices and about 1,100 full-time employees worldwide. We have helped clients in more than 140 countries solving their most difficult challenges in water environments.

Deltares

Deltares is an independent institute for applied research in the field of water, subsurface and infrastructure. Throughout the world, we work on smart solutions, innovations and applications for people, environment and society.

United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs

The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) works to promote international cooperation in the peaceful use and exploration of space, and in the utilisation of space science and technology for sustainable economic and social development. The Office assists any United Nations Member States to establish legal and regulatory frameworks to govern space activities and strengthens the capacity of developing countries to use space science technology and applications for development by helping to integrate space capabilities into national development programmes.

Remote Sensing, GIS and Climatic Research Lab, University of the Punjab

The emerging demand of GIS and Space Applications for Climate Change studies for the socio-economic development of Pakistan along with Government of Pakistan Vision 2025, Space Vision 2047 of National Space Agency of Pakistan, and achievement of UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) impelled the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan (HEC) to establish Remote Sensing, GIS and Climatic Research Lab (RSGCRL) at University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan.

H2O Geomatics Inc.

H2O Geomatics is a research spin-off from the University of Waterloo. The company uses state-of-the-art remote sensing technologies to turn Earth Observation (EO) data into products and information tailored to meet end-user needs in various domains of application. H2O Geomatics is also conducting R & D activities on machine learning algorithms to handle big EO datasets as well as the development of environmental risk assessment tools for climate-dependent sectors such as agriculture and water resources management.

Services offered by the company include:

GLOBHE

Drone data collection has never been easier. From anywhere. Globhe is the global platform for drone data, with more than 7600 local drone operators in 132 countries. We are fortunate to have an LTA with the United Nations and support many different UN agencies' operations throughout the world, working on water risks reduction, drone mapping, disaster management, and search and rescue, among other topics.

Globhe offers earth observation data by drones in an industry-wide revolutionizing business model, offered either by subscription or on-demand for proof of concept purposes.

Omanos Analytics

We founded Omanos with the mission of using space data analysis to empower communities around the world, and to bring the benefits of satellite data insights to a wider audience. Much of our work has used satellite data analysis to reveal the social and environmental impacts of, e.g., mining, agriculture, and the hydrocarbon industry across four continents for range of clients – international NGOs, governments, supra-national bodies including the European Space Agency and the UK Space Agency.

RSS-Hydro

Diverse and dynamic R&D company operating across geospatial fields for a more sustainable future - Earth Observation, remote sensing, drones, and modelling of water risks. We are determined to make the world a more sustainable and resilient place, including the SDG targets 1, 2, 6, 13, 15, and 17 in our mission and daily activities. We offer:

eoVision

eoVision GmbH comprises the two business areas eoVision Media and eoVision Consulting. While eoVision Media can be described as a start-up company, the company has been active in the geoinformatics and remote sensing business for many years.

constellr GmbH

ConstellR is a German deep-tech start-up from Freiburg that operates at the interface of Earth Observation and agriculture. A spin-off of the Fraunhofer, Europe’s largest organization for applied science, ConstellR is dedicated to supporting global food security in times of climate change. Based on a proprietary space infrastructure with unique sensing capabilites, ConstellR offers precise and plot-level water monitoring for the agricultural sector worldwide.

University of Stirling

The University of Stirling (www.stir.ac.uk) was founded by Royal Charter in 1967 as the first genuinely new university in Scotland for over 400 years and embraces its role as an innovative, intellectual and cultural institution. A research-led university with an international reputation for high-quality research directly relevant to society’s needs, Stirling aims to be at the forefront of research and learning that helps to improve lives.

Kenya Space Agency

The Kenya Space Agency (KSA) was established under the Ministry of Defence, as the successor to the National Space Secretariat (NSS), by Executive Order through Legal Notice No. 22 of 7th March 2017 with the mandate to promote, coordinate and regulate space related activities in the country.
Vision: The vision of the Agency is to be the premier Space Agency in promotion of access and effective utilization of Space Economy for national sustainable development.

Mukununugwa

Victor Mukununugwa

Senior Scientist Zimbabwe National Geospatial and Space Agency

Victor Mukungunugwa is a graduate Aerospace Engineer from the National Aerospace University of Ukraine. Upon completion, he acquired a cum-laude Honors BSc degree in Aircraft and Rocket Engineering in 2012. His first job was as an assistant lecturer and a lab technician at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa where he was doing his MSc in Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Designing. In 2013 he joined Terracam Professional UAVs Pvt Ltd where he acquired his drone pilot and worked as a senior project manager for aerial surveys.

Akande

Samuel Akande

Lecturer and Researcher at the Federal University of Technology Akure

I am a Senior Scientific Officer with both teaching and research experience in industries, organizations and research-based institutions. Over the years, I have acquired various skills which include image processing, time series analysis, spatial analysis, cartography, database management/maintenance, among several others. I use ArcGIS, QGIS, SWAT, ENVI, SNAP, IDL, Python, NCL, Ferret & R for ocean and climate models, analyses etc., with particular emphasis on open source libraries and extensions.

Bayazid

Anam Bayazid

Intern United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs

Anam Bayazid is an engineer with a passion for earth observation and space exploration technologies. Her academic journey involves pursuing a Master of Engineering in Systems Engineering with a concentration in Space Systems at Stevens Institute of Technology in United States. Her specialization is in systems modeling and simulation, as well as designing missions and systems for space exploration.

Sodango

Terefe Hanchiso Sodango

Assistant Professor at Wokite University

Terefe Hanchiso Sodango holds PhD in GIS and Cartography, Masters Degree in Geoinformatics, BSc in Computer Science. He is currently serving as Asst. Professor at Wolkite University, Department of Natural Resource Management, Ethiopia. He has experience of teaching, conducting research and delivering community services for more than 18 years at Haramaya and Wolkite Universities. He taught many courses in GIS & Remote Sensing, Computing & Informatics, and Agricultural streams for more than 12 years (2002-2014) at Haramaya University.

Muhungi

Claire Muhungi

Ag Deputy Director Kenya Space Agency

Fashina

Lukman Fashina

Tabular Database Specialist at the Land and Resources (I&IT) Cluster, Ministry of Natural Resources, Ontario Public Service.

Lukman Fashina works in the Land and Resources (I&IT) Cluster, Ministry of Natural Resources, Ontario Public Service (OPS), Canada, as a Tabular Database Specialist.

Giuliani

Gregory Giuliani

Senior Lecturer & Head of Unit at the University of Geneva and Head of the Digital Earth Unit United Nations Environment Grid Geneva

Gregory Giuliani is the Head of the Digital Earth Unit and Swiss Data Cube Project Leader at GRID-Geneva of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and a Senior Lecturer at the University of Geneva’s Institute for Environmental Sciences.

Abbas

Sawaid Abbas

Assistant Professor Smart Sensing for Climate and Development, GIS Centre, University of the Punjab Centre for Geographical Information, University of the Punjab

Sawaid is a spatial data scientist who works at the nexus of earth science, ecology and climate change through leveraging remote sensing, machine learning, and strong domain knowledge. His key work involves forest succession, drought, and rangelands which were accomplished through collaboration with institutions like WWF, ICIMOD, ICRAF, AFCD, and KFBG.

Tumampos

Stephanie Tumampos

PhD researcher at Technical University of Munich

Stephanie has always been fascinated about space science and its applications. After finishing her bachelor's degree in applied physics, she worked for Regulus Spacetech Inc which was founded and headed by one of the few astrophysicists in the country. In this work, she spearheaded many projects including outreach and education in astronomy and space science in the country, and reached out to hundreds of children in her home country.

Gumindoga

Webster Gumindoga

Lecturer University of Zimbabwe: Department of Construction and Civil Engineering

Webster is a PhD student at the University of Twente’s Faculty of Geoinformation Science and Earth Observation. His PhD thesis is entitled: Observing Zambezi Basin from Space: Satellite based bias correction for hydrological modelling: Webster is also lecturer and researcher at the University of Zimbabwe’s Construction and Civil Engineering Department. He is the coordinator of the regional master’s degree programme in Integrated Water Resources Management, a capacity building programme for the water sector in Southern and Eastern Africa.

Bruscolini

Margherita Bruscolini

Geospatial & Earth Scientist, Drone Pilot at GLOBHE

Interdisciplinary Earth Scientist with a background in geologic/environmental sciences and international experience working with Earth Observation, remote sensing, drones, and hydrological/flood modeling to study water risks, extreme events, and climate change impacts. Passionate about sustainability, environmental protection, and innovations that can make a real impact, I'm participating in the activities of the humanitarian sector, working on development aid projects, participating to the WFP Drones Technical Working Group, and assisting the work of NGOs during Mapathons.

Pellet

Victor Pellet

Postdoctoral fellow

Victor's research focuses on geosciences with an emphasis on the use of applied mathematics and statistics. His thesis was part of the European project WACMOS-MED, supported by ESA, and contributed to the international project HyMeX. In the context of climate change, characterizing the water cycle is a key issue of the scientific community. The aim was to develop satellite products integration methods to optimize the water cycle monitoring (atmosphere, land and ocean) over the Mediterranean basin.

Engdaw

Mastawesha Engdaw

PH.D. candidate and member of research project Climate Change –Uncertainties, Thresholds and Coping Strategies at Wegener Center for Climate and Global Change.

Mastawesha Misganaw Engdaw is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Graz since November 2018. Prior to joining the University of Graz, he had been a Researcher and Lecturer at Jimma University, where he started his academic career, in Ethiopia. He also contributed to coordinating research projects. Mastawesha’s academic background covers Geo-information Science and Earth Observation, Water Resources Management and Hydrology, and multiple aspects of Climate Change.

Haag

Arjen Haag

Researcher / Consultant Hydrology and Water Management Deltares

Arjen is interested in the physical processes that shape our surroundings, especially the flow of water, and the proper management of our natural resources. He is a hydrologist and remote sensing analyst with a special interest in understanding high river discharges and floods. He combines hydrological knowledge with modelling, data-driven approaches and satellite observations, on topics ranging from water resource management to flood forecasting.

Lopez-Maldonado

Yolanda Lopez-Maldonado

Indigenous Scholar

Dr. Lopez-Maldonado is an Indigenous Mayan scholar from Mexico working on understanding complex systems undergoing global change but applying an indigenous perspective. She possesses experience on the social aspects of nature conservation and a robust knowledge in the defense of the ideas, knowledge, values, and forms of self-expression of Indigenous Peoples.

Software/Tool/(Web-)App

ISME-HYDRO

ISME-HYDRO is a platform that helps monitor water resources of dams, thus enabling water resources managers to better execute their duties. It employs linked data infrastructure integrating in-situ measurements, satellite data, GIS data, domain knowledge, deep learning, and provides capabilities of forecasting of water volumes, of alerting for hazardous situations, of interaction with the data through four kinds of search and GIS interactivity. The platform is easily extendable and customizable.

Aqua Monitor

Aqua Monitor shows how the Earth's surface water has changed during the last 30 years. It uses freely available satellite data and Google Earth Engine, a platform for the planetary-scale scientific analysis of geospatial datasets.

For more information check the following pages:

Aqua Monitor

For more information check the following pages:

Earth Observation Data Analysis Library

Imagery from Earth observing (EO) satellites combined with environmental data about climate, topography and soils holds great potential to advance our knowledge about the dynamics of our planet. Still, the handling and analysis of these data sources is cumbersome and presents a high barrier to entry leaving the potential of EO data underexploited.

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Pourquoi les Normes Géospatiales sont-elles Importantes : Avantages et Challenges de la Normalisation des Données d’Observation de la Terre