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ESA picks next Earth Explorer mission: Harmony
Fri Mar 5 2021
The European Space Agency (ESA) wants to further develop the understanding of our planet. For this purpose, ESA chose three concepts in 2018 to compete for the next Earth Explorer mission. The decision was made last week to move on to the next development stage with Harmony, one of the three concepts. Harmony would provide new and important information on the Earth’s systems for scientific...
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SERVIR programme in Kenya provides EO data to help financial aid reach farmers more efficiently
Wed Mar 3 2021
A variety of environmental and man-made factors can have a detrimental effect on the yield of farmers worldwide. A programme launched in Kenya, funded by SERVIR in collaboration with NASA Harvest and the Swiss Re Foundation, uses Earth observation (EO) data to assess crop damage and prioritise the mobilisation of financial aid to farmers.
SERVIR is a joint initiative by the U.S. Agency for...
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ESA and CGI sign contract to improve wildfire risk management using EO and AI data
Fri Feb 26 2021
The European Space Agency (ESA) plans to improve its capabilities to track the effects of wildfires. For this purpose, ESA recently offered a contract to the IT and business consulting firm CGI in order to create a new mapping service for wildfires. This mapping service will blend Earth Observation (EO) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) data to improve wildfire risk management globally.
A wildfire...
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The State of Open Humanitarian Data 2021 report highlights the state of the humanitarian data ecosystem and identifies gaps in data availability
Wed Feb 24 2021
A new report outlines the availability of data in humanitarian settings around the world. The 2021 edition of “The State of Open Humanitarian Data”, recently published by the Centre for Humanitarian Data of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), explores the state of the humanitarian data ecosystem and identifies gaps in data availability.
Humanitarian data...
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Atlas of the Human Planet 2020 report highlights impact of GHSL data on disaster risk management
Thu Feb 18 2021
A new report outlines the impact of Global Human Settlement Layer (GHSL) data on various policy areas. The 2020 edition of the “Atlas of the Human Planet”, recently published and launched virtually by the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission as a deliverable to the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) Human Planet Initiative, explores the impact of GHSL data on various policy areas...
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Scientists are using radar data to decipher where and how well landscapes recover after major fires
Fri Feb 12 2021
In recent years, the world witnessed many devastating wildfires with disastrous impacts on the environment as well as on its population. In the past satellite- and airplane-based radar instruments have been used to detect wildfires and observe their temporal progression and the damage caused. A new scientific project supported by the Earth Applied Sciences Disasters programme at NASA uses radar...
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Adaptationcommunity.net releases overhauled website
Fri Feb 12 2021
A knowledge platform for adaptation action on climate change recently updated the information, layout and logo of their website. With this step, adaptationcommunity.net aims to improve the user experience of the online platform and consequently facilitate the access to a wide variety of resources on climate change adaptation action, including tools working with Earth observation data.
Adaptation...
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2020 ties for warmest year on record, new report shows
Wed Feb 3 2021
At 1.02 degrees Celsius higher than the 1951–1980 mean, Earth’s global average surface temperature in 2020 was – tied with that in 2016 – the warmest on record. This finding of a recent report by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) underlines the planet’s long-term warming trend as one of the most significant effects of climate change. “The last seven years have been the...
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Disasters programme at NASA partakes in Anticipation Hub
Tue Feb 2 2021
The Disasters programme unit at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) recently joined a newly launched online platform aimed at placing anticipatory action on the humanitarian agenda. NASA’s involvement in the Anticipation Hub and the subsequent incorporation of Earth observation (EO) tools, serves to improve the capabilities of anticipatory action globally and demonstrates the...
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WEF/DE Africa report highlights economic potential of Earth observation data for Africa
Mon Feb 1 2021
A new report outlines the economic potential of Earth observation (EO) data for the African continent. The report "Unlocking the potential of Earth observation to address Africa’s critical challenges”, published by the World Economic Forum (WEF) in collaboration with Digital Earth Africa (DE Africa) on January 15, explores the prospective financial impact of DE Africa on the African economy.
The...
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New Compendium highlights contributions of Earth observation to reaching the SDGs
Wed Jan 27 2021
A new publication highlights the contributions of Earth observation (EO) for reaching the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Compendium of EO contributions to the SDG Targets and Indicators was produced by the ESA-funded EO for SDGs project, in close cooperation with the GEO EO4SDG initiative and the CEOS Ad-Hoc Team on SDGs. It provides an in-depth overview on how satellite observations...
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UNOOSA and NASA sign landmark Memorandum of Understanding to advance peaceful uses of outer space
Mon Jan 11 2021
The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration of the United States Government (NASA) signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 17 December 2020 pledging cooperation in areas of science and technology to support the peaceful uses of outer space.
The MoU brings together NASA's wealth of open-source spacecraft data,...
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EUMETSAT releases new pilot data services
Fri Jan 8 2021
Having access to precise geographical data and the ability to analyze them easily is essential for effective disaster and risk management. EUMETSAT delivers meteorological, climate and ocean data as well as analytical tools to all registered users worldwide. Recently they released three new data pilot services, which are highly valuable throughout the full disaster management cycle: EUMETSAT DATA...
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Copernicus releases 30m Digital Elevation Model
Wed Jan 6 2021
Three-dimensional (3D) representations of the Earth’s surface are essential for mapping and assessing disaster risks as well as for preparing, responding to, and preventing disasters. A Digital Elevation Model (DEM) is a pixel-based modeled representation of the Earth’s surface, where each pixel represents an elevation value. Computers or algorithms can use a DEM as input to model or analyze 3D...
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UN-SPIDER contributes to virtual training on the use of Google Earth Engine for forest fire management
Mon Jan 4 2021
In recent years, various regions of the world have been experiencing severe forest fires which, in some cases, are triggering major losses. The Mario Gulich Institute on High Level Studies on Outer Space, the Latin American Network on Remote Sensing of Forest Fires (RedLaTIF), the National Space Research Institute of Brazil (INPE), Mexico's National Biodiversity Commission (CONABIO), Argentina's...
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Mexico and Argentina align satellite networks to resolve regional challenges
Sun Dec 20 2020
In collaboration with the National Commission for Space Activities (CONAE) of Argentina, the Mexican Space Agency (AEM) recently launched a digital platform to improve the integration of satellite data for environmental monitoring in Latin America. The Comprehensive Regional Satellite Information System (SIRIS) provides access to satellite information in order to enhance decision-making and...
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ESA and Thales Alenia Space sign contract for a new addition to Europe's Copernicus programme: ROSE-L mission
Fri Dec 18 2020
The European Commission plans to rapidly expand its environmental monitoring programme Copernicus. For this purpose, the European Space Agency (ESA) recently pledged 2.55 billion Euros towards contracts to advance the production of six new Copernicus satellite missions. The final of the six contracts was signed last Thursday between ESA and Thales Alenia Space for a mission that will provide new...
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New NICFI programme provides high-resolution imagery to help combat climate change effects
Tue Dec 8 2020
A new programme aims to prevent and countermand the loss of tropical forests by facilitating the global availability of high-resolution satellite imagery. Launched by Norway’s Ministry of Climate and Environment in partnership with satellite imagery providers Kongsberg Satellite Services, Planetand Airbus, the Imagery Programme makes use of space-based information to combat the devastating...
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Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite ensures continuity of sea-surface height measurements
Mon Nov 30 2020
A new satellite that allows the most accurate measurements of sea level yet was successfully launched on 21 November. The Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite will map up to 95 per cent of the world’s oceans every 10 days, taking continuous measurements of sea surface and wave height as well as of wind speed. It thus will provide crucial data for disaster and emergency management, helping to...
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UNOOSA and UNDRR conduct conference on space-based technologies for disaster risk reduction
Thu Nov 26 2020
The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), through its United Nation Platform for Space-based Information for Disaster Management and Emergency Response (UN-SPIDER), organized the United Nations International Conference on Space-based Technologies for Disaster Risk Reduction - "Lessons learned during the unprecedented pandemic situation" on 24-25 November 2020. The Conference was...
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NASA integrates soil moisture data into Disasters Mapping Portal
Wed Nov 25 2020
Officially launched in 2015 by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the SMAP mission is an orbiting satellite that measures the amount of wetness in the top layer of soil incrementally every 2-3 days. These Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) measurements rely on radiation frequencies that point to different levels of moisture on the surface of earth’s soil and are useful...
The European Space Agency (ESA) wants to further develop the understanding of our planet. For this purpose, ESA chose three concepts in 2018 to compete for the next Earth Explorer mission. The decision was made last week to move on to the next development stage with Harmony, one of the three concepts. Harmony would provide new and important information on the Earth’s systems for scientific...
A variety of environmental and man-made factors can have a detrimental effect on the yield of farmers worldwide. A programme launched in Kenya, funded by SERVIR in collaboration with NASA Harvest and the Swiss Re Foundation, uses Earth observation (EO) data to assess crop damage and prioritise the mobilisation of financial aid to farmers. SERVIR is a joint initiative by the U.S. Agency for...
The European Space Agency (ESA) plans to improve its capabilities to track the effects of wildfires. For this purpose, ESA recently offered a contract to the IT and business consulting firm CGI in order to create a new mapping service for wildfires. This mapping service will blend Earth Observation (EO) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) data to improve wildfire risk management globally. A wildfire...
A new report outlines the availability of data in humanitarian settings around the world. The 2021 edition of “The State of Open Humanitarian Data”, recently published by the Centre for Humanitarian Data of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), explores the state of the humanitarian data ecosystem and identifies gaps in data availability. Humanitarian data...
A new report outlines the impact of Global Human Settlement Layer (GHSL) data on various policy areas. The 2020 edition of the “Atlas of the Human Planet”, recently published and launched virtually by the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission as a deliverable to the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) Human Planet Initiative, explores the impact of GHSL data on various policy areas...
In recent years, the world witnessed many devastating wildfires with disastrous impacts on the environment as well as on its population. In the past satellite- and airplane-based radar instruments have been used to detect wildfires and observe their temporal progression and the damage caused. A new scientific project supported by the Earth Applied Sciences Disasters programme at NASA uses radar...
A knowledge platform for adaptation action on climate change recently updated the information, layout and logo of their website. With this step, adaptationcommunity.net aims to improve the user experience of the online platform and consequently facilitate the access to a wide variety of resources on climate change adaptation action, including tools working with Earth observation data. Adaptation...
At 1.02 degrees Celsius higher than the 1951–1980 mean, Earth’s global average surface temperature in 2020 was – tied with that in 2016 – the warmest on record. This finding of a recent report by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) underlines the planet’s long-term warming trend as one of the most significant effects of climate change. “The last seven years have been the...
The Disasters programme unit at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) recently joined a newly launched online platform aimed at placing anticipatory action on the humanitarian agenda. NASA’s involvement in the Anticipation Hub and the subsequent incorporation of Earth observation (EO) tools, serves to improve the capabilities of anticipatory action globally and demonstrates the...
A new report outlines the economic potential of Earth observation (EO) data for the African continent. The report "Unlocking the potential of Earth observation to address Africa’s critical challenges”, published by the World Economic Forum (WEF) in collaboration with Digital Earth Africa (DE Africa) on January 15, explores the prospective financial impact of DE Africa on the African economy. The...
A new publication highlights the contributions of Earth observation (EO) for reaching the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Compendium of EO contributions to the SDG Targets and Indicators was produced by the ESA-funded EO for SDGs project, in close cooperation with the GEO EO4SDG initiative and the CEOS Ad-Hoc Team on SDGs. It provides an in-depth overview on how satellite observations...
The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration of the United States Government (NASA) signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 17 December 2020 pledging cooperation in areas of science and technology to support the peaceful uses of outer space. The MoU brings together NASA's wealth of open-source spacecraft data,...
Having access to precise geographical data and the ability to analyze them easily is essential for effective disaster and risk management. EUMETSAT delivers meteorological, climate and ocean data as well as analytical tools to all registered users worldwide. Recently they released three new data pilot services, which are highly valuable throughout the full disaster management cycle: EUMETSAT DATA...
Three-dimensional (3D) representations of the Earth’s surface are essential for mapping and assessing disaster risks as well as for preparing, responding to, and preventing disasters. A Digital Elevation Model (DEM) is a pixel-based modeled representation of the Earth’s surface, where each pixel represents an elevation value. Computers or algorithms can use a DEM as input to model or analyze 3D...
In recent years, various regions of the world have been experiencing severe forest fires which, in some cases, are triggering major losses. The Mario Gulich Institute on High Level Studies on Outer Space, the Latin American Network on Remote Sensing of Forest Fires (RedLaTIF), the National Space Research Institute of Brazil (INPE), Mexico's National Biodiversity Commission (CONABIO), Argentina's...
In collaboration with the National Commission for Space Activities (CONAE) of Argentina, the Mexican Space Agency (AEM) recently launched a digital platform to improve the integration of satellite data for environmental monitoring in Latin America. The Comprehensive Regional Satellite Information System (SIRIS) provides access to satellite information in order to enhance decision-making and...
The European Commission plans to rapidly expand its environmental monitoring programme Copernicus. For this purpose, the European Space Agency (ESA) recently pledged 2.55 billion Euros towards contracts to advance the production of six new Copernicus satellite missions. The final of the six contracts was signed last Thursday between ESA and Thales Alenia Space for a mission that will provide new...
A new programme aims to prevent and countermand the loss of tropical forests by facilitating the global availability of high-resolution satellite imagery. Launched by Norway’s Ministry of Climate and Environment in partnership with satellite imagery providers Kongsberg Satellite Services, Planetand Airbus, the Imagery Programme makes use of space-based information to combat the devastating...
A new satellite that allows the most accurate measurements of sea level yet was successfully launched on 21 November. The Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite will map up to 95 per cent of the world’s oceans every 10 days, taking continuous measurements of sea surface and wave height as well as of wind speed. It thus will provide crucial data for disaster and emergency management, helping to...
The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), through its United Nation Platform for Space-based Information for Disaster Management and Emergency Response (UN-SPIDER), organized the United Nations International Conference on Space-based Technologies for Disaster Risk Reduction - "Lessons learned during the unprecedented pandemic situation" on 24-25 November 2020. The Conference was...
Officially launched in 2015 by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the SMAP mission is an orbiting satellite that measures the amount of wetness in the top layer of soil incrementally every 2-3 days. These Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) measurements rely on radiation frequencies that point to different levels of moisture on the surface of earth’s soil and are useful...
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