Water Resources

In this insightful interview, Prof. Lakshmi shares how space technologies are transforming our understanding of Earth’s water systems. Using satellite sensors that detect visible, infrared, microwave, thermal, and gravity data, he studies key variables like soil moisture, precipitation, and vegetation to track water movement across the planet. As President of the American Geophysical Union’s Hydrology Section—home to nearly 10,000 global members—he helps coordinate scientific committees, awards, and one of the largest gatherings of Earth scientists at the AGU Annual Meeting. One of his many standout projects involves downscaling soil moisture data from NASA’s SMAP satellite. By integrating data from MODIS and VIIRS instruments, his team has refined soil moisture resolution from 9 km to as fine as 400 meters—which is critical for applications in agriculture, weather forecasting, and climate science. Looking ahead, he emphasizes the urgent need for efficient water use in agriculture, which consumes 70 per cent of global freshwater. He advocates for innovation and smarter water management, especially in the face of population growth and climate extremes. His advice to young professionals? Dive into water science—it’s at the heart of global challenges like droughts, floods, and wildfires. And when asked what drives innovation, his answer is simple: motivated young minds.

Christopher Ilori is a remote sensing scientist with over a decade of experience applying satellite data to water resources, coastal environments, and conservation challenges. His work sits at the intersection of physics-based remote sensing, geospatial analysis, and capacity building. Trained as a geographer with a PhD in Remote Sensing, his research focuses on understanding how light interacts with the atmosphere and water column to retrieve meaningful environmental information from space. Currently a Senior Remote Sensing Specialist at TCarta, Christopher leads and supports large-scale satellite-derived bathymetry (SDB) projects for navigation safety, environmental monitoring, and coastal management. His work combines radiative transfer theory, image preprocessing, and applied machine learning to derive water depth and water-column properties in optically complex environments. Beyond industry, he has contributed to international initiatives including the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), where he supports best practices for applying Earth observation data to water resources management. Christopher is passionate about teaching and capacity building. He has taught and mentored students at the post-secondary level and regularly trains professionals in satellite data preprocessing, atmospheric correction, and water-focused remote sensing workflows. He believes that understanding physical principles – rather than relying solely on black-box tools – is essential for the responsible use of space technologies. Through his involvement with Space4Water, Christopher advocates for accessible, practical guidance that helps practitioners and decision-makers use satellite data effectively, particularly in data-limited regions and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). He emphasizes that while satellite data availability has increased dramatically, gaps remain in awareness, training, and integration with local knowledge. Addressing these gaps, he argues, is key to ensuring space technologies genuinely support sustainable water management.

In this insightful interview, Prof. Lakshmi shares how space technologies are transforming our understanding of Earth’s water systems. Using satellite sensors that detect visible, infrared, microwave, thermal, and gravity data, he studies key variables like soil moisture, precipitation, and vegetation to track water movement across the planet. As President of the American Geophysical Union’s Hydrology Section—home to nearly 10,000 global members—he helps coordinate scientific committees, awards, and one of the largest gatherings of Earth scientists at the AGU Annual Meeting. One of his many standout projects involves downscaling soil moisture data from NASA’s SMAP satellite. By integrating data from MODIS and VIIRS instruments, his team has refined soil moisture resolution from 9 km to as fine as 400 meters—which is critical for applications in agriculture, weather forecasting, and climate science. Looking ahead, he emphasizes the urgent need for efficient water use in agriculture, which consumes 70 per cent of global freshwater. He advocates for innovation and smarter water management, especially in the face of population growth and climate extremes. His advice to young professionals? Dive into water science—it’s at the heart of global challenges like droughts, floods, and wildfires. And when asked what drives innovation, his answer is simple: motivated young minds.

Christopher Ilori is a remote sensing scientist with over a decade of experience applying satellite data to water resources, coastal environments, and conservation challenges. His work sits at the intersection of physics-based remote sensing, geospatial analysis, and capacity building. Trained as a geographer with a PhD in Remote Sensing, his research focuses on understanding how light interacts with the atmosphere and water column to retrieve meaningful environmental information from space. Currently a Senior Remote Sensing Specialist at TCarta, Christopher leads and supports large-scale satellite-derived bathymetry (SDB) projects for navigation safety, environmental monitoring, and coastal management. His work combines radiative transfer theory, image preprocessing, and applied machine learning to derive water depth and water-column properties in optically complex environments. Beyond industry, he has contributed to international initiatives including the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), where he supports best practices for applying Earth observation data to water resources management. Christopher is passionate about teaching and capacity building. He has taught and mentored students at the post-secondary level and regularly trains professionals in satellite data preprocessing, atmospheric correction, and water-focused remote sensing workflows. He believes that understanding physical principles – rather than relying solely on black-box tools – is essential for the responsible use of space technologies. Through his involvement with Space4Water, Christopher advocates for accessible, practical guidance that helps practitioners and decision-makers use satellite data effectively, particularly in data-limited regions and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). He emphasizes that while satellite data availability has increased dramatically, gaps remain in awareness, training, and integration with local knowledge. Addressing these gaps, he argues, is key to ensuring space technologies genuinely support sustainable water management.