Remote Sensing

"The technology of acquiring data and information about an object or phenomena by a device that is not in physical contact with it. In other words, remote sensing refers to gathering information about the Earth and its environment from a distance, a critical capability of the Earth observing System. For example, spacecraft in low-Earth orbit pass through the outer thermosphere, enabling direct sampling of chemical species there. These samples have been used extensively to develop an understanding of thermospheric properties. Explorer-17, launched in 1963, was the first satellite to return quantitative measurements of gaseous stratification in the thermosphere. However, the mesosphere and lower layers cannot be probed directly in this way--global observations from space require remote sensing from a spacecraft at an altitude well above the mesopause. The formidable technological challenges of atmospheric remote sensing, many of which are now being overcome, have delayed detailed study of the stratosphere and mesosphere by comparison with thermospheric research advances. Some remote-sensing systems encountered in everyday life include the human eye and brain, and photographic and video cameras." (National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 2017)

Sources

"Glossary". Earth Observatory, National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Last modified August 4, 2017.
https://www.earthobservatory.nasa.gov/glossary/all.
Accessed February 14, 2019.

Could you describe your professional career and/or personal experiences related to space technology and water? Where does your interest in those sectors come from?

I started my research career in 2013, with research interests revolving around various environmental concerns that were deeply rooted in water related issues of Pakistan. Having an educational background in Space Science, it was quite intuitive to possess understanding of the very high potential of applicability of Geospatial technologies in the water sector.

Interview with Prof. Hesham El-Askary

Prof. Hesham El-Askary works at Chapman University in the Earth Systems Science Data Solutions (ESsDs) lab. Here, he supervises students on the use of satellite earth observations for topics including agriculture, water resources, air quality and climate action, and makes use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML). Prof. El-Askary is researching natural and anthropogenic pollution’s influence on the environment and is particularly interested in the concept of “glocal” impact—how what’s happening globally in terms of climate affects us locally. He believes that one of the biggest challenges in implementing sustainable water management is the lack of data to monitor progress, and advocates for space technologies to mitigates this shortage.  

Hydro-diplomacy: The role of space-derived data in advancing water security

Tarbela Dam, Pakistan – part of the Indus Basin Project that resulted from the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty between India and Pakistan. Source: NASA

Water scarcity is one of the greatest threats faced by humanity of our time – in 2019, more than two billion people experience high water stress (UN-Water 2019) and approximately four billion people suffer from severe water scarcity for at least one month per year (Mekonnen and Hoekstra 2016). This worsening problem increases the risk of international conflict over water resources breaking out, given that there are over 270 transboundary river basins, and three-quarters of UN Member States share at least one river or lake basin with a neighbour (UN News 2017).

The progress and potential of Sustainable Development Goal 6 and how Space Technologies contribute

Transitioning from the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The world of WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) has come a long way in 30 years. Between 1990 and 2015, 2.6 billion people gained access to improved drinking water, whilst 2.1 billion gained access to improved sanitation (Unicef and World Health Organisation 2015). That’s a lot of people. But is it enough?

The advantages of applying space-based technology in monitoring and controlling water hyacinth in aquatic ecosystems

Water hyacinth is a well-known plant that has invaded many aquatic ecosystems around the globe. The fast growing nature of the weed makes it challenging to contain. The weeds’ presence in aquatic bodies results in decreased oxygen and nutrient levels, which threatens aquatic life as well as the productivity and functionality of the whole aquatic ecosystem. This not only causes ecological disturbances but evidently socio-economic challenges arise as well as the weed can be detrimental to health as well as economic activities in many riparian communities worldwide. The use of space-based technology together with modern technologies is of great significance in capturing the weed and identifying its spatial and temporal distribution even in hard to reach places. This helps scientists better understand the weed and how infestation occurs which enables better management and control of the weed.

Remote sensing in managing, maintaining, and understanding coral reef ecosystems

Coral reefs provide integral services to social, economic, and ecological systems. They support more than 500 million livelihoods worldwide and account for 15% of gross domestic product in more than 20 countries. A quarter of all marine species on planet Earth, representing 28 of the 35 animal phyla, can be found in coral reefs, and novel compounds derived from these organisms provide numerous useful medicinal applications.

A hidden secret that becomes water: Monitoring Patagonian Glacier Retreat

15 km2 glacier retreat in the last 35 years visualized on map.

It was not long ago, in 1916, that the explorer Padre De Agostini surveyed part of the topography of the Escondidos glaciers (“hidden glaciers”, in English) in Patagonia (De Agostini, 1949). Today, space technology such as NASA’s ICESat Missions and Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) data, allow to monitor changes in glaciers over time.

Space technologies in the detection, monitoring and management of groundwater

Global groundwater supplies

Groundwater accounts for 30% of Earth’s freshwater resources (Shiklomanov 1993) (Figure 1) and is estimated to globally provide 36% of potable water, 42% of irrigation water, and 24% of industrial water – indicating its significant value (Global Environment Facility 2021). Groundwater affords a host of benefits, from providing better protection against drought and microbiological contamination than surface waters, to being generally low cost and accessible to many users.

Towards new applications of spaceborne technology on flood protection

Recently, in July 2021, destructive and deadly floods occurred in Western Europe. The estimated insured losses only in Germany could approach 5 billion Euros (AIR Worldwide, 2021). However, the total amount of the damage is currently not foreseeable due to the variety and complexity of the damage patterns and the unbelievable extent of the disaster. It seems the socio-economic losses will dramatically increase and break a new record in the insurance industry after evaluating the complete record of damages’ reports (see Figure 1).

Monitoring hydrological changes from space in a sparse gauged basin

Africa is endowed with abundant freshwater resources. It has sufficient rainfall and relatively low levels of water withdrawals for three major uses: domestic, agricultural and industrial uses. Changes in Africa’s water resources has been noticed transpiring in changes in water flow and variability, falling groundwater levels, changes in rainfall levels and timing, strongly influenced under climate change. The continent has a huge potential for energy production through hydropower.

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.

Can space technologies help improve WASH provision in camps and informal settlements?

The Human Right to water and sanitation

What does your morning routine look like? For most readers I’d assume you use the toilet, wash your hands, and maybe take a shower. However, do you ever stop to consider the water you use to shower, or the soap you use to wash your hands? Often, especially in developed countries, these things are taken for granted, rightly considering access to adequate water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) as basic Human Rights (Figure 1).

Crowdsourcing and Citizen Science data for water resources management

The provision of water resources is one of the most fundamental ecosystem services . An acute scarcity of water data in both, the spatial and temporal domains in many regions prompts the urgency to assess risks related to water such as water quality decline, floods and droughts. Remote sensing does provide us with relevant data for water resources monitoring, but this data still needs to be validated with in-situ observations and measurements.

Floods in Sudan - Space-based Flood Monitoring to Support Disaster Risk Management

In 2019, floods caused 43.5% of all deaths due to natural disasters and thereby represent the deadliest type of disaster with an increasing number of events compared to previous years (CRED, 2019). Floods furthermore lead to the highest number of people affected compared to other disasters as they affect human activities and the economy (CRED, 2019; Elagib et al. 2019).

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.

Global Precipitation Mission: Improved, accurate and timely global precipitation information

Continuous and reliable global precipitation information is crucial for myriad of weather, climate and hydrological applications. The importance of precipitation in the form of rain, hail, sleet, snow etc. is known to science and clear to a layman. However, it’s quite tricky to measure past precipitation trends or predicting accurate future forecasts. There are three main categories of precipitation data sets available: ground based, satellite-based and blended products of ground and space data (Climate Data Guide, 2014).

Exploring the exciting potential of hyperspectral imaging for water quality monitoring

Photo of The HICO and RAIDS Experiment Payload orbiting Earth (Image courtesy of NASA)

Harmful Algal Blooms occur when toxin-producing algae experience excessive growth within bodies of water. These blooms have the potential to cause detrimental effects on both aquatic and human health and can sometimes even cause death, depending on the type of algae involved (NIEHS, 2021). Thanks to the use of space-based remote sensing technology to monitor water quality conditions in coastal areas and drinking water reservoirs, nations are becoming more aware of the quality of their 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 Victor Pellet, CNES PostDoc, Paris Observatory

Describe experience relating to water and space technologies

I grew up in a country (France) where water is freely available. The drought in 2003 was considered a one-time event. I had no single lesson on climate change at school. Despite this background, I was raised aware of the links between social and environmental inequality on a global scale.

Interview with Padmi Ranasinghe, Doctoral student in Urban Planning and Public Policy at the University of Texas (UT) - Arlington

Padmi Ranasinghe doing field work at Sinharaja Evergreen rain forest

Padmi is currently reading for her Ph.D. focusing on Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for climate change risk reduction and resilience cities. She believes NbS can reduce hydro-meteorological hazards such as floods, droughts, and landslides in the long run. It is a strategy to minimize the gaps in decarbonizing and reducing greenhouse gases and a path to Net-zero cities. NbS, are actions to protect, sustainably manage, and restore natural and modified ecosystems that address societal challenges effectively and adaptively, benefiting people and nature (IUCN & World Bank, 2022). Ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA), ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction (Eco-DRR), ecosystem-based mitigation (EbM), and green infrastructure are some branches under the umbrella of NbS. NbS include conserving forests, mangroves, and wetland ecosystems, halting deforestation, increasing reforestation, climate-smart agriculture, and opening green spaces. According to her, space technology is integral to planning, monitoring, and analysis. Space technology today is so advanced that it can capture and predict changes in the water cycle, climate change variables and so forth. Remote sensing data and satellite-derived information are essential in obtaining accurate data on a specific site anywhere on the Earth's surface. Most recently, she has been involved in projects utilizing urban NbS such as the conservation of Ramsar-Colombo to mitigate urban floods and adapt to climate change. To conduct wetland inventories, space-based data and GIS techniques can be utilized to detect the presence of wetlands and/or water in wetlands. Though there can be some challenges encountered such as limited coverage of specific areas within the wetland, clouds often hiding images, and the low resolution of data making it difficult to differentiate floral species. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (drones) can provide enhanced accuracy and consistency in measuring wetlands, as well as the presence of water in wetlands, using space technologies. Data and technologies from space contribute to watershed management, sediment measurements and many other environmental aspects.

Interview with Dr Khalid Mahmood, Assistant Professor at the University of the Punjab

Could you describe your professional career and/or personal experiences related to space technology and water? Where does your interest in those sectors come from?

Interview with Lukas Graf

Lukas Graf used to take clean drinking water for granted. As he grew up, and conversations around climate change and environmental destruction became increasingly intense, he started to become more aware of the importance and scarcity of water resources. Around a similar time, he became increasingly enthusiastic about space, realising that space technologies could be used to explore many of the pressing topics that he was interested in. He has participated in research projects that used remote sensing methods to study the effects of global change on ecosystems and especially on water availability. Lukas is interested in a range of topics from virtual water and water quality to irrigation and agriculture. He believes that interdisciplinary approaches and mutual dialog with societies and stakeholders need to be deepened for sustained resource management.

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 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 Prof. Hesham El-Askary

Call for applications: Pan-African Planetary and Space Science Network (PAPSSN) – Intra-Africa Academic Mobility Programme

Applications are invited from African nationals for scholarships in the fields of Astronomy, Astrophysics, Space and Planetary Science, Planetary Geology and Remote Sensing.

The 3rd PAPSSN Call offers the following scholarships:

Interview with Padmi Ranasinghe, Doctoral student in Urban Planning and Public Policy at the University of Texas (UT) - Arlington

Interview with Lukas Graf

Interview with Joshua Ubah, Geospatial Environmental Engineer

Interview with Mina Konaka, Satellite engineer at JAXA

Interview with Sarhan Zerouali

Interview with Victor Pellet, CNES PostDoc, Paris Observatory

Describe experience relating to water and space technologies

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.

Call for applications: Pan-African Planetary and Space Science Network (PAPSSN) – Intra-Africa Academic Mobility Programme

Applications are invited from African nationals for scholarships in the fields of Astronomy, Astrophysics, Space and Planetary Science, Planetary Geology and Remote Sensing.

The 2nd PAPSSN Call offers the following scholarships:

ARSET - Processing Satellite Imagery for Monitoring Water Quality

Overview:

Polluted water influences all aspects of life, including people, animals, and the environment. NASA satellite observations provide near real-time information about water quality. This freely available data can help decision-makers in their work. Satellite data can have applications for managing drinking water, public health, and fisheries.

Online Course on Remote Sensing for Agricultural Water Management

Develop skills to use remote sensing for land cover classification, estimating evapotranspiration, water productivity, irrigation performance assessment & irrigation water accounting.

ARSET - Introduction to Using the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC)Hydrologic Model with NASA Earth Observations

Overview:

Hydrologic modeling is useful for flood, drought, and water resources management. The Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) Model uses inputs to better understand hydrological processes in near real-time. Many of the inputs are available from NASA remote sensing and Earth system models, allowing the model to provide soil moisture, evapotranspiration, and runoff as outputs. Together with precipitation data, these outputs provide quantitative assessment of a regional water budget.

ARSET - Remote Sensing of Coastal Ecosystems

Overview:

Coastal and marine ecosystems serve key roles for carbon storage, nutrients and materials cycling, as well as reservoirs of biodiversity. They also provide ecosystems services such as sustenance for millions of people, coastal protection against wave action, and recreational activities. Remote sensing of coastal and marine ecosystems is particularly challenging. Up to 90% of the signal received by the sensors in orbit comes from the atmosphere.

ARSET - Integrating Remote Sensing into a Water Quality Monitoring Program

Overview:

These training webinars will focus on integrating NASA Earth observations into water quality monitoring decision making processes. This will include a brief overview of data products used for water quality monitoring, an overview of aquatic remote sensing-specific criteria, methods and best practices, obtaining NASA Earth observation data for water quality monitoring, and practical skill building in image processing for water quality monitoring of coastal and larger inland water bodies.

Water Productivity and Water Accounting using WaPOR

Water Productivity and Water Accounting using WaPOR (the portal to monitor Water Productivity through Open-access of Remotely sensed derived data) is an open online course targeting practitioners and academicians who are working in water resources management and related fields and have interest in applying open access remote sensing data and other open data to assess the water resources situation and water productivity and the extent to which water productivity increases have an effect on different water users in a river basin context.

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

Rivers are a major source of freshwater. They support aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, provide transportation, and generate hydropower. Managing river basin watersheds is critical for developing policies for sustainable water allocation and development. Over the online course of four sessions, this introductory webinar series will address using satellite data and Earth system modelling data sources to estimate surface water budgets

ARSET - Mapping and Monitoring Lakes and Reservoirs with Satellite Observations

Overview:

Natural lakes and man-made reservoirs are a part of Earth’s surface water. Freshwater lakes and reservoirs are used for drinking water, fishing, and recreational activities. Aside from the aesthetic and scenic value added by their presence, lakes support surrounding plant and aquatic ecosystems and wildlife. A variety of factors affect lakes and reservoirs, including climate variability and change, land use, and other watershed activities influencing surface runoff and groundwater.

ARSET - Applications of GPM IMERG Reanalysis for Assessing Extreme Dry and Wet Periods

Overview:

It is well recognized that long-term precipitation measurements are necessary for understanding and monitoring regional precipitation characteristics. This includes characteristics crucial for monitoring water resources and hazards, like floods and droughts. TRMM was the first NASA mission dedicated to observing precipitation. It operated from November 1997 to April 2015. The Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Mission launched in February 2014 as a follow-on to TRMM.

ARSET - Water Resource Management Using NASA Earth Science Data

Overview:

This online course covers precipitation (rainfall and snow fraction), soil moisture, evapotranspiration, runoff and streamflow, groundwater, and lake level heights. Participants are introduced to a number of NASA data products.

Objective:

Participants will be able to use NASA remote sensing observations and land-atmosphere models to:

ARSET - Fundamentals of Remote Sensing

Description

These webinars are available for viewing at any time. They provide basic information about the fundamentals of remote sensing, and are often a prerequisite for other ARSET trainings.

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.

ARSET - Applications of Remote Sensing to Soil Moisture and Evapotranspiration

Overview:

NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) Satellite Mission is providing new soil moisture data, and modelling frameworks are providing new evapotranspiration data. This webinar series is intended to help participants learn about NASA soil moisture and evapotranspiration products and how to access and apply them for water resource management. Throughout the sessions, participants will learn how to monitor and manage water resources with techniques learned in training. The series begins with an introduction to satellite missions and useful data sets.

FAO CB4WA: Use of FAO WaPOR Portal

Overview

Welcome to the open access course Use of FAO WaPOR Portal from IHE Delft Institute for Water Education and the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO). WaPOR is the portal to monitor Water Productivity through Open-access of Remotely sensed derived data and has been developed by FAO. The FAO’s WaPOR programme assists countries in monitoring water productivity, identifying water productivity gaps, proposing solutions to reduce these gaps, and contributing to a sustainable increase in agricultural production.

ARSET - Remote Sensing of Drought

Overview:

Prolonged drought can result in economic, environmental, and health-related impacts. In these training webinars, participants will learn how to monitor drought conditions and assess impacts on the ecosystem using precipitation, soil moisture, and vegetation data. The training will provide an overview of drought classification, as well as an introduction to web-based tools for drought monitoring and visualization.

Objective:

By the end of the training, participants will be able to:

ARSET - Introduction to Remote Sensing of Harmful Algal Blooms

Obvious:

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) can have a negative impact on the ecosystem and human health. Satellite remote sensing is able to collect data frequently and over a large area to identify impaired water quality from HABs. This data can inform decision-makers on where best to put their resources for taking water samples, determine what toxins are in the water, whether they need to change or move drinking water intakes, and whether a fishery needs to be closed. Remote sensing data enables individuals and organizations to have more flexible plans for water sampling.

ARSET - Introduction to Remote Sensing for Coastal and Ocean Applications

Overview:

In this introductory webinar, participants will be provided with an overview of remote sensing for coastal and ocean applications. This will include a background in aquatic remote sensing, data access and tools for processing and analysing imagery, and examples and live demonstrations of applied science tools that have been developed for NASA and partner organizations. This course will review data products from MODIS, VIIRS, HICO, and other sensors commonly used for ocean applications.

UN-SPIDER Best Practice: Disaster Preparedness Using Free Software Extensions

Overview:

Remote sensing technologies can support all stages of the disaster management cycle. In the prevention and preparedness phases, they often find their application in risk assessments, scenario modelling and early warning. This UN-SPIDER Recommended Practice explains how remote sensing data about recurring floods, information about infrastructure and socio-economic data can be integrated using free and open source software to support prevention and preparedness efforts.

In situ calibration and validation of satellite products of water quality and hydrology

Water-ForCE is organising a community virtual workshop of experts in calibration and validation of Remote Sensing Products. This workshop is invitation-only and requires registration. The precise timing of the session slots (2-3 hours each) will be communicated once we have filled all programme slots. Each session will nevertheless take place in the early afternoon (no earlier than 1pm Central European Time) to allow speakers across the globe to join.

On the use of remote sensing for monitoring and modelling the water cycle

This workshop has brought together an international expert group of remote sensing (RS) specialists, water resources experts and water quantity modelers. This workshop has focused on:

Irrigation Estimates from Remote Sensing and Land Surface Modelling

Irrigation is the most impacting anthropogenic activity on the hydrological cycle.
Despite this, the knowledge of irrigated areas and the amounts of water used for such purpose is limited.

Models and remote sensing technologies proved to be useful tools for monitoring irrigation dynamics.

This presentation provides a comparison between two different approaches (one satellite-based and one model-based) aimed at estimating irrigation quantities developed within the European Space Agency (ESA) Irrigation+ project.

ARSET - Groundwater Monitoring using Observations from NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) Missions

Overview:

Groundwater makes up roughly 30% of global freshwater. It also provides drinking water for the world’s population, and irrigation for close to 1/3rd of global agricultural land. Because of this level of reliance, monitoring groundwater is crucial for water resources and land management. The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) and GRACE-Follow On (GRACE-FO) missions from NASA and the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) provide large-scale terrestrial water storage estimation from mid-2000 to present.

International Symposium on Outfall Systems (ISOS 2023)

The International Symposium on Underwater Pipelines System (ISOS) 2023 is hosted by
the IAHR/IWA Underwater Pipeline Systems Joint Committee under the auspices of the
International Association for Hydro-Environment Engineering and Research (IAHR) and
the International Water Association (IWA), the Federal Council of Sanitation Services
Entities (COFES) and Argentine Water and Sanitation (AySA).

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)

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.

Workshop:Shallow water and floating matter remote sensing

The aim of the workshop is to bring together specialists with relevant expertise and to discuss:

14th International Conference on Hydroinformatics HIC 2022 − Water INFLUENCE

About

Hydroinformatics focuses on the application of information and communications technologies, to address problems in the water industry, water resources management, and other fields connected to the aquatic environment. New trends, like the digital transformation of urban water systems, smart water networks and smart cities demand multi-disciplinarity and interoperability, to ensure a sustainable management of water resources.

Advances in Earth Observation Systems and Applications of Satellite Data

Webinar

Recent advances in space-based remote sensing and satellite data collection are advancing our ability to collect meaningful geospatial data for a broad variety of applications. Technologies that enable data collection – such as small satellites, miniaturization of processors, and advances in transmission and analysis technology – have allowed for more plentiful and quicker data collection. In addition, new sensor technologies (hyper spectral sensors, lidar, and more) have broadened the usefulness of the data that is collected.

2023 The Sixth International Workshop on Environment and Geoscience

2023 The Sixth International Workshop on Environment and Geoscience (IWEG 2023) will be held during July 15-17, 2023 in Kunming, China.
Since its inception in 2018, IWEG conferences were successfully held for last five years, Hangzhou (2018, 2019), online (2020), Hangzhou (2021), and online (2022), attracted delegates from more than 10 countries and regions including China, the United States, UK, Portugal, Poland, Kuwait, Russia, and Malaysia etc.

Introduction to Geospatial Technologies for Achieving SDGs – Demographic Considerations - Summer School

Overview:

With the latest call by UN Secretary General for a “revolution” in the use of data for sustainable development, geospatial technologies have tremendous potential to boost the movement towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and to improve monitoring of relevant SDGs’ targets and indicators.

Geospatial technologies and remote sensing offer a crucial location element to the monitoring of SDGs . The unprecedented “power of where” allows for unbiased observation and analysis across borders, administrative boundaries, and nations.

6th International Hybrid Conference: Water resources and wetlands

The Romanian Limnogeographical Association (RLA) in collaboration with the Polish Limnological Society (PLS), German Limnological Society (GLS), Iberian Association of Limnology (AIL) and Danube Delta National Institute Tulcea (DDNI) would like to invite you to take part in the 6th International Hybrid Conference set to take place between 13-17 September 2023 in the “Delta” Hotel in Tulcea, Romania.

The main theme is

ISPRS Geospatial Week 2023

The ISPRS will host the first Geospatial Week in Africa and Middle East in Egypt, 2023; with the the "Remote Sensing for Better Future". The ISPRS Geospatial Week (GSW) is a combination of workshops organised by about 30 ISPRS Working Groups active in areas of interest of ISPRS.The GSW will provide a platform for international scholars, graduate students, future scientists and industrial sectors to learn exchange knowledge and experiences of applying geospatial technologies for sustainable development for better quality of life for people around the world.

Locate21

Each year, the Locate conference attracts national and international delegates from within and outside the spatial & surveying industry. As Australia’s premier spatial & surveying conference, Locate provides guests with a unique opportunity to learn about the latest trends and applications in geospatial technologies and encourages them to harness the power of location like never before.

Virtually and in person, we will share how geospatial and location technologies and practices are being used, highlighting the fundamental role they play in enabling our digital economy

39th International Sympsonium on Remote Sensing of Environment

In this inspiring time for the space sector and its important contribution towards helping to realise the timely delivery of the SDG’s, ISRSE-39 offers a unique opportunity for in-depth, cross-disciplinary exchanges between key public and private sectors organizations and leading actors in the field of satellite observing systems, remote sensing applications and information services. A global event, the symposium places strong emphasis on practical applications and societal outcomes - at local, national and regional levels.

Workshop: Geospatial Technologies for Achieving SDGs – Building Resilience

Geospatial technologies and remote sensing are valuable resources to monitor the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their corresponding targets and indicators. They allow for unbiased observation and analysis across borders, administrative boundaries, and nations. Furthermore, geospatial information and technologies are particularly critical to strengthening urban and rural resilience, where economic, agricultural, and various social sectors intersect.

SDG6 clean water and sanitation

While substantial progress has been made in increasing access to clean drinking water and sanitation, billions of people—mostly in rural areas—still lack these basic services.

This webinar will be focusing on the targets of the Sustainable Development Goal no 6 (SDG6) on clean water and sanitation:

Speakers:

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.

GEO Week 2023

Geo Week is the intersection of geospatial and the built world. The next step in the evolution of the International Lidar Mapping Forum (ILMF), SPAR 3D Expo & Conference and AEC Next.

United Nations/Ghana/PSIPW - 5th International conference on the use of space technology for water resources management

Rationale and context

The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and the Government of Ghana are jointly organizing a Conference with the support of the Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water (PSIPW) to promote the use of space technology in water management to the benefit of developing countries.

The Conference will be held in Accra, Ghana, from 10- 13 May 2022, hosted by the University of Energy and Natural Resources on behalf of the Government of Ghana.

IWA Digital World Water Congress

The IWA Digital World Water Congress is a major virtual event which aims to bring together global stakeholders from across the industry. Attendees of the event will include scientists, academics, water professionals, utilities, regulators and engineers.

1st IAHR and 4th CAE International Conference on Global Water Security and Sustainable Development

The 1st IAHR and 4th CAE International Conference on Global Water Security and Sustainable Development will be held by the Yangtze Institute for Conservation and Development, Hohai University and Nanjing Hydraulic Research Institute in Nanjing (China) from October 30th to November 3rd, 2023.

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:

Snow mass remote sensing: current capabilities and future opportunities

"Snow mass remote sensing: current capabilities and future opportunities" is part of The Topical Webinar Series hosted by the Core Modelling and Forecasting Team of the Global Water Futures program is a weekly event from May to August. In contrast to thematic webinars, this series highlights science advances from across the globe and aims to spur critical discussions that will improve our understanding and capability in modelling and managing cold-region hydrology.

To register, please email prabin.rokaya@usask.ca.

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 IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium - IGARSS 2022

The International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium (IGARSS) is the flagship conference of the IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society (GRSS). It is aimed at providing a platform for sharing knowledge and experience on recent developments and advancements in geoscience and remote sensing technologies, particularly in the context of earth observation, disaster monitoring and risk assessment.

International Conference on Groundwater Investigations and Remote Sensing Techniques

ICGIRST 2021: 15. International Conference on Groundwater Investigations and Remote Sensing Techniques aims to bring together leading academic scientists, researchers and research scholars to exchange and share their experiences and research results on all aspects of Groundwater Investigations and Remote Sensing Techniques.

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.

Project / Mission / Initiative / Community Portal

In-Service ICT Training for Environmental Professionals

Decision-makers are faced with the constant challenge of maintaining access to and understanding new technologies and data, as information and communication technologies (ICTs) are constantly evolving and as more and more data is becoming available. Despite continually improving technologies, informed decision-making is being hindered by inadequate attention to enabling conditions, e.g. a lack of in-service education and professional training for decision-makers.

Open Society University Network Research and Training Hub on Geospatial Technologies

Founded by Central European University (CEU), American University of Central Asia (AUCA), and Bard College, GeoHub is an open platform project developing the capacity of the members of the Open Society University Network (OSUN) for using the latest geospatial methods and technologies in their core research and teaching disciplines.

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.

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.

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.

Deepwaters.ai

DeepWaters AI uses satellite data and AI to find underground drinking water and pipe leaks. It has created a map of the Earth’s underground water, with up to 98% accuracy. It was awarded a European Space Agency AI Kickstart contract in 2018. DeepWaters AI is supported by Esri, Amazon and Nvidia startup programs. It is a UK based social impact startup, that donates 51% of profits to water philanthropy. DeepWaters AI combines neural networks with ESA Sentinel 1 & 2 satellite data.

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.

GEO - Global Water Sustainability

Established in 2017 by the Group on Earth Observations - Water Community, GEOGloWS is a voluntary mechanism created by informal agreement among multiple partners from inside and outside the UN system. This mechanism allows for engagement and greater integration with trans-national organizations and agencies with water responsibilities at the National and Local levels.

National Mission for Clean Ganga, Ministry of Jal Shakti

National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) is a comprehensive one with high priority for research and evidence-based decision making and has a special place for use of new technology including Geospatial technology. NMCG Authority order of Oct’ 2016 states that the pollution in River Ganga and its tributaries shall be monitored by the use of satellite imagery and other remote sensing technologies.

University of Salzburg Department of Geoinformatics Z_GIS

The Department of Geoinformatics – Z_GIS at the University of Salzburg is a well established centre of competence in GIScience, active in research and education in collaboration with academic and industry partners from the geospatial sector. At the same time, our team of Geoinformatics specialists contribute their skills and expertise to study programmes and research at Salzburg University as well as a range of international partner organisations.

The department is divided into the following divisions:

Satsense Solutions Limited

Satsense Solutions Limited is a start-up company that uses satellite earth observation to develop business and governance solutions addressing the challenges of resource management, climate change and sustainable development. It has developed and deployed several applications in the Water Resources, Hydropower, Mining and Infrastructure sectors. These include assessments of eutrophication levels in lakes and reservoirs and sedimentation rates at hydropower plants. Identification of pollution in rivers, acid mine drainage and tailings at mining sites.

Drury

Stephen A. Drury

Retired Senior Lecturer at the Open University, UK

During the catastrophic 1984-5 drought in the Horn of Africa I was a member of a team of geologists at the UK’s Open University (Seife Berhe, myself, Paul Gibson, Dave Rothery, John Taylor and Matthew Willis ) who assessed groundwater potential in the affected area, using whatever remotely sensed data were available. That experience spurred me to write a book to help spread geological remote-sensing skills.

Farhat

Farid Farhat

Hydrological Modeling Specialist

As a hydro-climatologist, I am driven by an unwavering passion to explore the intricate nexus between hydrology and climate change. Through implementing state-of-the-art numerical models, data science and AI techniques, I completed several projects and scientific research that are centered on the pressing challenges of hydrological extremes.

El-Askary

Hesham El-Askary

Prof. of Remote Sensing and Earth Systems Science and Director Computational & Data Sciences Graduate Programs at the Center of Excellence in Earth Systems Modeling & Observations Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, USA

Prof. El-Askary received his Ph.D. in Computational Sciences and Informatics from George Mason University in 2004 along with his two MS degrees in Computational sciences and Earth Systems Sciences. He is also a Professor of Environmental Physics on leave with the Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Egypt. Prof. El-Askary was also affiliated with the National Authority of Remote Sensing and Space Sciences (NARSS), Cairo.

Wagner

Wolfgang Wagner

Univ.-Prof. for remote sensing, Dean of Faculty of Mathematics and Geoinformation, Co-Founder of EODC

Wolfgang Wagner received the Dipl.-Ing. degree in physics and the Dr.techn. degree in remote sensing from TU Wien. In support of his master and PhD studies he received fellowships to carry out research at the University of Bern (1993), Atmospheric Environment Service Canada (1994), NASA Goddard Space Flight Centre (1995), European Space Agency (1996), and the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission (1996-1998).

Mahmood

Khalid Mahmood

Assistant Professor in the Department of Space Science at University of the Punjab

Dr. Khalid Mahmood has been serving at University of the Punjab since April 2009. Apart from teaching responsibilities, he has developed himself as a researcher in the field of Earth observation sciences and Geographic Information System (GIS) development.

Mahmood

Khalid Mahmood

Assistant Professor in the Department of Space Science at University of the Punjab

Graf

Lukas Graf

PhD student at Crop Science Group at ETH Zurich

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.

Kitambo

Benjamin Kitambo

PhD student at Laboratory for space geophysics and oceanography (LEGOS)

I am Mr Benjamin M. Kitambo, a citizen of the Democratic Republic of Congo. I hold a BSc degree in Geology, majoring in Hydrogeology and Geotechnical from the University of Lubumbashi, DRC, 2014. I further pursued my Master studies from the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, where I obtained an MSc degree in Integrated Water Resources Management, Majoring in Water Resources Management, year 2017.

Msiya

Naledi Msiya

Naledi Msiya is a young South African scientist who is highly invested in Science, Technology and the Water Resource Management industry. Due to her passion in the sciences, she pursued studies in the Science field and currently holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Water Management, which was obtained in 2021 and a BSc Degree in Hydrology and Geography, which was obtained in 2019.

Ubah

Joshua Ubah

Geospatial Environmental Engineer at AgriWatch

Gustine

Rebecca Gustine

PhD Student at Washington State University and Intern at Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology

Rebecca is a PhD student in Civil Engineering at Washington State University specializing in water resources engineering. She is also an intern at NASA Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL). Her research includes a wide spectrum of topics related to water resources and climate change. She has expertise in both remote sensing and modeling and incorporates a variety of tools in her research.

Roman-Gonzalez

Avid Roman-Gonzalez

Coordinator of the Image Processing Research Laboratory (INTI-Lab) at Universidad de Ciencias y Humanidades (UCH) and full professor at Universidad Nacional Tecnológica de Lima Sur (UNTELS) IEEE Senior Member.

Avid is an electronic engineer who graduated from the Universidad Nacional San Antonio Abad del Cusco, and a systems engineer from the Universidad Andina del Cusco. He received his Master's Degree in Industrial and Human Automatic from the Université Paul Verlaine de Metz - France, and he received his Ph.D. Degree in Image and Signal Processing from TELECOM ParisTech. He was a Postdoctoral fellow at Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia.

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Objective:

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Objective:

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