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Interview with Mr Stuart Crane, Programme Management Officer at UN Environment

Mr Stuart Crane, has been program coordinator at the United Nations Environment Program and its Center for Water and Environment since 2017. Mr Crane has experience in international intergovernmental organizations since 2009 and dedicated large parts of his career to working on environmental issues such as energy, climate change and water. His professional background is in Environmental Quality and resource management, and he received his post graduate degree in International Development. On behalf of UNEP, he coordinates a global SDG 6 fresh water program that supports 193 countries with progressing towards SDG. 6 targets on improving the water governance, ecosystem management and reducing freshwater pollution.

Interview with Terefe Hanchiso Sodango, Assistant Professor at Wolkite University

Water scarcity and quality decline is a rapidly increasing challenges and becoming a top concern globally. To wisely manage water and achieve sustainable development, rapid and precise monitoring of water resources is crucial. Earth observation (EO) technologies play a key role in monitoring surface and underground water resources by providing rapid, continuous, high-quality, and low-cost EO data, products, and services. Currently, there are promising efforts in the use of EO technologies for water resource management but there are still huge gaps in the Africa region. The reason for the low utilization of EO technologies can be due to a lack of resources and funding including skilled and motivated human resources in the field and the lack of political commitment to foster EO products, data, and services. Therefore, the use of space technologies and their products to solve water-related problems needs collaborative efforts of all concerned stakeholders from global to local levels.

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. 

Aquaporins: Fighting the global water crisis using nature’s own filter

A new water-treatment technology used by astronauts aboard the International Space Station has the potential to provide clean water to millions of people worldwide. By using proteins called aquaporins, this system mimics the natural filtering abilities of human kidneys and plant roots to purify and recycle wastewater. With an increasing global water demand especially in remote locations where clean drinking water is not easily accessible, this technology has the potential to provide a more resource-efficient method of water purification not only in space, but here on Earth as well.

The impact of space-based internet communications constellations on water

Imagine a world where your internet is delivered not through cables or cell towers but a vast swarm of orbiting satellites. That world is a very different place. Political borders are no longer communication boundaries. Your phone works just as well in the US as it does in Nigeria and Australia and Cambodia. You can communicate with people on the other side of the planet near the physical limits of information transmission, unconstrained by slow cable networks.

How has space revolutionised subsidence?

Introduction

Land subsidence is a global phenomenon and is defined as:

“a gradual settling or sudden sinking of the Earth's surface due to removal or displacement of subsurface earth materials”  - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (2021)

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.

Progrès et Potentiel de l'Objectif de Développement Durable 6 et Contribution des Technologies Spatiales

Transition des Objectifs du Millénaire pour le Développement (OMD) aux Objectifs de Développement Durable (ODD) 

Le monde de l'eau, de l'assainissement et de l'hygiène (WASH) a parcouru un long chemin en 30 ans. Entre 1990 et 2015, 2,6 milliards de personnes ont pu observer une amélioration de l’accès à l'eau potable, et 2,1 milliards ont eu une amélioration des services d’assainissement (Unicef et Organisation mondiale de la santé 2015). Cela fait beaucoup de monde. Mais est-ce suffisant ?  

Space technologies for drought monitoring and management

The impacts of climate change are ever more apparent. The frequency and scale of devastation and destruction of weather hazards are on an increasing trend. According to the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Report (IPCC, 2021) climate change is intensifying the water cycle. This will cause more intense droughts in many regions. Moreover, water-related extremes impact the quality of life disproportionately strong. Drought accounts for 25% of all losses from weather-related disasters in the United States of America (Hayes et al., 2012).

Unlocking the secrets of river health: Using remote sensing to assess environmental flow (eflow)

The term environmental flow (eflow) has recently become increasingly popular as concerns about the destruction of freshwater ecosystems and the impacts of development activities (i.e., urban development and energy production) on river have intensified. Eflow is defined as "the quantity, timing, and quality of water flows required to sustain freshwater and estuarine ecosystems,  and the human livelihoods and well-being that depend on these ecosystems" (Brisbane Declaration 2007). Alternatively, eflow is described as the foundation of water security for achieving sustainable development. Managing eflow is relevant to meet the most targets of SDG 6, but especially SDG 6.4 on water use efficiency (6.4.2 level of water stress) and SDG target 6.6 on the protection of water-dependent ecosystems. 

Acuaporinas: la lucha contra la crisis mundial del agua utilizando el propio filtro de la naturaleza

A new water-treatment technology used by astronauts aboard the International Space Station has the potential to provide clean water to millions of people worldwide. By using proteins called aquaporins, this system mimics the natural filtering abilities of human kidneys and plant roots to purify and recycle wastewater. With an increasing global water demand especially in remote locations where clean drinking water is not easily accessible, this technology has the potential to provide a more resource-efficient method of water purification not only in space, but here on Earth as well.

Using space-based technologies to monitor marine oil pollution

Oil spills are a critical form of environmental pollution that have far-reaching negative impacts. They severely degrade marine ecosystems, introducing toxic chemicals into the oceans and harming sea life. They also have significant financial impacts through the diminishment of ecotourism as well as the killing of commercially viable species. Despite these negative impacts, oil spills are notoriously difficult to track and monitor given the general lack of surveillance over the vastness of the Earth’s oceans. Space-based technologies are evolving as a tool to aid in the detection of oil spills worldwide. Two primary technologies have been optimized for oil spill monitoring: optical satellite imagery and synthetic aperture radar (SAR). Optical satellite imagery functions somewhat like taking a photograph of the Earth’s surface and requires clear skies and daylight to produce imagery. SAR imagery, on the other hand, relies on microwaves to produce images, and therefore can function regardless of weather, as well as at night. The combination of these two technologies has allowed scientists an increased ability to monitor where and when oil pollution is happening, providing an eye-in-the-sky to survey marine activities. While these space-based technologies are aiding in the detection of a variety of oil spill incidents, they are particularly helpful to monitor the illegal dumping of oil and effluent from shipping vessels as ships are no longer able to dump oily bilgewater into the ocean under the veil of darkness. Unfortunately, the enforcement of environmental and marine law remains an issue and ships are rarely prosecuted. It will be important for space-based technologies to continue to evolve and provide evidence of marine pollution in the effort to provide protection for Earth’s marine ecosystems.

Comment l'espace a révolutionné les affaissements?

 Traduit de l'anglais par Mussa Kachunga Stanis

Introduction


L’affaissement de terrain est un phénomène mondial et se définit comme :

    "Un tassement progressif ou un affaissement soudain de la surface de la Terre dû à l'enlèvement ou au déplacement de matériaux terrestres souterrains" - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (2021)

Remote sensing techniques for observing snow and ice

Introduction 

Snow has a crucial contribution to Earth’s climate and helps to maintain the Earth’s temperature. When snow melts, it aids in providing water to people for their livelihood and affects the survival of animals and plants (National Snow and Ice Data Center). Approximately 1.2 billion people - constituting one-sixth of the global population - depend on snowmelt water for both agricultural activities and human consumption (Barnett et al., 2005).

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.

Aquaporine: Combattre la Crise Globale d'Eau en Utilisant le Filtre de la Nature

Une nouvelle technologie de traitement de l'eau utilisée par les astronautes à bord de la Station spatiale internationale pourrait fournir de l'eau propre à des millions de personnes dans le monde. En utilisant des protéines appelées aquaporines, ce système imite les capacités naturelles de filtration des reins humains et des racines des plantes pour purifier et recycler les eaux usées. Face à la demande mondiale croissante en eau, en particulier dans les régions reculées où l'eau potable n'est pas facilement accessible, cette technologie pourrait constituer une méthode de purification de l'eau plus économe en ressources, non seulement dans l'espace, mais aussi sur Terre.

Why space gardening should come down to Earth

When you think about agriculture, you probably imagine a few basic things in your mind. Huge stretches of flat land, massive harvesting machines, the heat on your skin from sunlight and, perhaps most importantly, soil. This image in your mind is a common one. Humans have been tilling, seeding, and farming land since the dawn of civilization, and modern industrial farm techniques tend to dominate our conception of agriculture. 

Utilizando tecnologías espaciales para monitorear la contaminación marina por petróleo

Oil spills are a critical form of environmental pollution that have far-reaching negative impacts. They severely degrade marine ecosystems, introducing toxic chemicals into the oceans and harming sea life. They also have significant financial impacts through the diminishment of ecotourism as well as the killing of commercially viable species. Despite these negative impacts, oil spills are notoriously difficult to track and monitor given the general lack of surveillance over the vastness of the Earth’s oceans. Space-based technologies are evolving as a tool to aid in the detection of oil spills worldwide. Two primary technologies have been optimized for oil spill monitoring: optical satellite imagery and synthetic aperture radar (SAR). Optical satellite imagery functions somewhat like taking a photograph of the Earth’s surface and requires clear skies and daylight to produce imagery. SAR imagery, on the other hand, relies on microwaves to produce images, and therefore can function regardless of weather, as well as at night. The combination of these two technologies has allowed scientists an increased ability to monitor where and when oil pollution is happening, providing an eye-in-the-sky to survey marine activities. While these space-based technologies are aiding in the detection of a variety of oil spill incidents, they are particularly helpful to monitor the illegal dumping of oil and effluent from shipping vessels as ships are no longer able to dump oily bilgewater into the ocean under the veil of darkness. Unfortunately, the enforcement of environmental and marine law remains an issue and ships are rarely prosecuted. It will be important for space-based technologies to continue to evolve and provide evidence of marine pollution in the effort to provide protection for Earth’s marine ecosystems.

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.

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.

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.

Pourquoi Devrions-Nous Utiliser le Jardinage de l'Espace sur Terre

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

Les caractéristiques élémentaires de l´agriculture nous viennent tous assez facilement à l´esprit. De larges étendues de terrain, d'imposantes machines de récolte, la chaleur du soleil sur la peau et, peut-être le plus important, la terre. Cette image mentale est finalement assez logique. L´humanité laboure, ensemence et cultive la terre depuis la nuit des temps, et les techniques agricoles industrielles modernes ont tendance à s'accaparer notre imaginaire sur l'agriculture.

Space for Communities: Space-based evidence to support community rights to water

Satellite imagery can be used to identify and monitor environmental and social impacts, and help solve human problems around the world. Despite rapid advancements in space-based technologies, not enough people have access to satellite data and all the insights it offers. Satellite imagery provides an objective way of verifying or validating the testimony of communities who are being impacted by social or environmental harms.

Space-based observation helps improving climate modelling

Climate has become a subject of global concern, especially in recent decades. Climate models are practical tools that can simulate physical processes and predict future change. However, because of the complexity of atmospheric, ocean, and land processes, scientists are faced with significantly large uncertainties in climate models. As world leaders grapple with the urgency of climate action, the role of space-based technology and data has become increasingly critical. Various observed climatic variables (e.g.

Les Avantages de l'Application des Technologies Spatiales dans la Surveillance et le Contrôle de la Jacinthe d'Eau dans les écosystèmes aquatiques

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

La résilience d'un socio-écosystème est généralement testée par sa capacité à persister et à maintenir sa fonctionnalité tout en subissant des changements dus à des perturbations. Mais que se passe-t-il lorsque les perturbations sont trop rapides, trop préjudiciables et trop fortes pour qu'un socio-écosystème puisse maintenir sa fonctionnalité ?

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.

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? 

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

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 Terefe Hanchiso Sodango, Assistant Professor at Wolkite University

Water scarcity and quality decline is a rapidly increasing challenges and becoming a top concern globally. To wisely manage water and achieve sustainable development, rapid and precise monitoring of water resources is crucial. Earth observation (EO) technologies play a key role in monitoring surface and underground water resources by providing rapid, continuous, high-quality, and low-cost EO data, products, and services. Currently, there are promising efforts in the use of EO technologies for water resource management but there are still huge gaps in the Africa region. The reason for the low utilization of EO technologies can be due to a lack of resources and funding including skilled and motivated human resources in the field and the lack of political commitment to foster EO products, data, and services. Therefore, the use of space technologies and their products to solve water-related problems needs collaborative efforts of all concerned stakeholders from global to local levels.

Interview with Benjamin Wullobayi Dekongmen

Could you describe how your professional and/or personal experience relate to water? Where does your interest in water resources management come from? What influenced your decision to focus your work on the use of space technology for water management? 

My upbringing on a farm set out the foundation for my interest in water resources, as I used to collect water for domestic and agricultural purposes from the streams.

Interview with Mr Stuart Crane, Programme Management Officer at UN Environment

Mr Stuart Crane, has been program coordinator at the United Nations Environment Program and its Center for Water and Environment since 2017. Mr Crane has experience in international intergovernmental organizations since 2009 and dedicated large parts of his career to working on environmental issues such as energy, climate change and water. His professional background is in Environmental Quality and resource management, and he received his post graduate degree in International Development. On behalf of UNEP, he coordinates a global SDG 6 fresh water program that supports 193 countries with progressing towards SDG. 6 targets on improving the water governance, ecosystem management and reducing freshwater pollution.

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 Claudia Ruz Vargas, Researcher at IGRAC

Claudia Ruz Vargas is a civil engineer, graduated from the University of Santiago, Chile, with an international master’s degree in Groundwater and Global change. Her master thesis focused on groundwater modelling for recharge and saline intrusion risk assessment under climate change scenarios, in Cape Verde. Claudia has six years of work experience as a project engineer and researcher. She is currently a researcher at the International Groundwater Resources Assessment Centre (IGRAC), where she is involved in projects of high impact on the groundwater sector. In this interview, we talked to her about her career path, and how she has contributed to an improved and more sustainable management of groundwater resources, at a regional and global levels.

Call for young professionals

The Meet a Young Professional feature of the Space4Water Portal is a unique opportunity for young professionals to be interviewed and share their views with a broad community of experts. Young Professionals ideally have both, a passion for space technologies and sustainable water resource management or hydrology.

Call for Articles and Stories

Task

We seek the support of online volunteers to write success stories and news articles on the use of space technologies for any field which is concerned with water, e.g. water management, water cycle management, water-related topics within the realms of climate-change or ecosystems, and all sub-fields (a more exhaustive list of topics can be taken from the Guidelines for Articles and Stories - linked below). The stories and articles are to be published at the Space4Water Portal.

Call for Young Professionals

The Meet a Young Professional feature of the Space4Water Portal is a unique opportunity for young professionals to be interviewed and share their views with a broad community of experts. Young Professionals ideally have both, a passion for space technologies and sustainable water resource management or hydrology.

Call for local perspectives: Groundwater challenges

Local perspectives and case studies

The aim of the local perspectives and case studies feature is to learn about gaps in water resource management from affected individuals, communities, civil society, professionals, researchers or organisations in the field to identify needs or potential solutions that space technologies could contribute to.

Call for Articles and Stories

Task

We seek the support of online volunteers to write success stories and news articles on the use of space technologies for any field which is concerned with water, e.g. water management, water cycle management, water-related topics within the realms of climate-change or ecosystems, and all sub-fields. The stories and articles are to be published at the Space4Water Portal. The main focus of the stories shall be the benefits space technologies bring to the respective water-related field, the insights gained, data used, etc. 

Call for Articles and Stories

Task

We seek the support of online volunteers to write success stories and news articles on the use of space technologies for any field which is concerned with water, e.g. water management, water cycle management, water-related topics within the realms of climate-change or ecosystems, and all sub-fields. The stories and articles are to be published at the Space4Water Portal. The main focus of the stories shall be the benefits space technologies bring to the respective water-related field, the insights gained, data used, etc. 

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).

Interview with Benjamin Wullobayi Dekongmen

Could you describe how your professional and/or personal experience relate to water? Where does your interest in water resources management come from? What influenced your decision to focus your work on the use of space technology for water management? 

My upbringing on a farm set out the foundation for my interest in water resources, as I used to collect water for domestic and agricultural purposes from the streams.

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 Claudia Ruz Vargas, Researcher at IGRAC

Claudia Ruz Vargas is a civil engineer, graduated from the University of Santiago, Chile, with an international master’s degree in Groundwater and Global change. Her master thesis focused on groundwater modelling for recharge and saline intrusion risk assessment under climate change scenarios, in Cape Verde. Claudia has six years of work experience as a project engineer and researcher. She is currently a researcher at the International Groundwater Resources Assessment Centre (IGRAC), where she is involved in projects of high impact on the groundwater sector. In this interview, we talked to her about her career path, and how she has contributed to an improved and more sustainable management of groundwater resources, at a regional and global levels.

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

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.

Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space: 2021

The Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space in its sixty-fourth session, which took place form 25 August-3 September 2021 in Vienna, adopted the below on its agenda item "Space and water": 
 

  1. The Committee considered the agenda item entitled “Space and water”, in accordance with General Assembly resolution 75/92.

Report of the United Nations/Costa Rica/PSIPW - Sixth conference on the use of space technology for water management (San José and online, 7–10 May 2024, with on-site training on 11 May 2024)

The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), the Government of Costa Rica, and the Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water (PSIPW) were jointly organizing a conference to promote the use of space technology in water management to the benefit of developing countries.

The Conference was heldin San José, Costa Rica, from 7-10 May 2024, hosted by and with the support of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) on behalf of the Government of Costa Rica.

Call for local perspectives: Groundwater challenges

Local perspectives and case studies

The aim of the local perspectives and case studies feature is to learn about gaps in water resource management from affected individuals, communities, civil society, professionals, researchers or organisations in the field to identify needs or potential solutions that space technologies could contribute to.

Capacity Building and Training Material

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 - 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 - 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.

Programming for Geospatial Hydrological Applications

Overview:

In this self-paced online course, the participants will be introduced to the Programming for Geospatial Hydrological Applications. Participants will learn an essential skill for researchers dealing with (spatial) data. With scripting participants will be able to better control analysis using command line tools. They can also automate their procedures by writing batch scripts. Furthermore, participants can process their data and make models using Python and its useful libraries

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:

Computational Hydraulics

Computational hydraulics is an applied science aiming at the simulation by computers of various physical processes involved in seas, estuaries, rivers, channels, lakes, etc. It is one of the many fields of science in which the application of computers gives rise to a new way of working, which is intermediate between purely theoretical and experimental. This discipline is not an independent development, but rather a synthesis of various disciplines like applied mathematics, fluid mechanics, numerical analysis and computational science.

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 - 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 - 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.

Data Sharing for Water Sector Organisations using Spatial Data Infrastructures

Overview

Integrated Water Resources Management requires exchange of data and information among sectors. Often data is stored in files on harddisks, CD-ROMs or DVDs. This makes it hard to find the data. In addition, metadata is often lacking, which makes it hard to evaluate the quality of the data and to reuse the data. A Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) can enable water sector organisations to improve the exchange of data within and among organisations.

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 - 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

Geospatial Applications for Disaster Risk Management

Learning objectives

During the challenging times of the COVID-19 outbreak, MOOCs are an effective way of reaching a large number of participants to share knowledge. The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs and the Centre for Space Science and Technology Education for Asia and the Pacific (Affiliated to the United Nations) launched a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on “Geospatial Applications for Disaster Risk Management” on 13th October, 2020 the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction.

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. 

Introduction to Modflow and Model Use

This course provides basic knowledge about MODFLOW and Model Muse, which can be used to develop, run, and post-process models. MODFLOW in Model Muse combines many of the capabilities found in MODFLOW 6, MODFLOW-2005, MODFLOW-NWT, MODFLOW-USG, and MODFLOW-LGR, and provides a platform for adding packages.

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.

QGIS et Applications en Hydrologie

Le cours comprend 7 leçons. Chaque leçon présente un cas d'application, suivi d'une partie théorique SIG illustrée avec des vidéos. Ceux-ci seront suivis par un tutoriel pratique présentant les nombreuses fonctionnalités offertes par QGIS. Les leçons se terminent par des recettes de style des cartes qui fournissent une base solide dans les capacités cartographiques robustes de QGIS. Des astuces telles que les remplissages suivant la forme de polygone inversé, les paramètres d'étiquette avancés et les modes de fusion sont abordées.

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.

Water: addressing the global crisis

Overview 

The SDG Academy and the Stockholm International Water Institute have come together to offer this MOOC on some of the most important water issues. They focus on the key role water plays in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, not least SDG 6, about sustainable water and sanitation for all. The course intends to explain the global water crisis through linkages between water, environment, and societal development, focusing on how to tackle issues such as growing water uncertainty and deteriorating water quality.

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 - 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.

Water Quality Assessment

Module

This module consists of four Courses with mainly theoretical background and one Course with a final assignment. Following the DPSIR structure (Driving forces, Pressures, State, Impact and Response), we will look first at some causes and consequences of water pollution and then learn how to measure and evaluate water pollution.

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.

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.

UN SPIDER Recommended Best Practice: Flood Hazard Assessment

Overview:

Flood hazard assessments are critical to identifying areas at risk and taking relevant preparation and mitigation measures to address the hazard. Using the HEC-RAS 2D model for preparing flood hazard maps, this Recommended Practice explains how to identify flood-prone areas and exposed infrastructure. Through its focus on the prevention and mitigation stages of the disaster management cycle, it complements the Recommended Practice on Flood Mapping and Damage Assessment with Sentinel-2, also developed by SUPARCO.

OGC Best Practice for using Web Map Services (WMS) with Ensembles of Forecast Data

This document proposes a set of best practices and guidelines for implementing and using the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) Web Map Service (WMS) to serve maps which are members of an ensemble of maps, each of which is a valid possible alternative for the same time and location. In the meteorological and oceanographic communities, it is Best Practice to produce a large number of simultaneous forecasts, whether for a short range of hours, a few days, seasonal or climatological predictions. These ensembles of forecasts indicate the probability distributions of specific outcomes.

UN SPIDER Recommended Practice: Use of Digital Elevation Data for Storm Surge Coastal Flood Modelling

Overview:

Storm surges and tidal waves are global phenomena that considerably affect human populations in coastal and island regions. According to the Guide to Storm Surge Forecasting published by the World Meteorological Organization in 2011, storm surges can be defined as “oscillations of the water level in a coastal or inland body of water in the time range of a few minutes to a few days, resulting from forcing from atmospheric weather systems. According to this definition, the so-called wind waves, which have durations on the order of several seconds, are excluded”.

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.

UN SPIDER Recommended Best Practice: Exposure Mapping

Overview:

Mapping the extent of a natural hazard (e.g., assessing areas with a high risk) or disaster is a first step in disaster risk management and emergency response. Subsequently, exposure mapping enables the estimation of the impact of hazards or disasters, for example, regarding the number of affected inhabitants or infrastructure. The following practice shows the use of Quantum GIS to analyze a disaster extent map in combination with auxiliary data such as population or land cover data.

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.

Water Accounting + Online Training

Water accounting is the process of communicating water resources related information and the services generated from consumptive use in a geographical domain, such as a river basin, a country or a land use class; to users such as policy makers, water authorities, managers, etc.

The training platform includes links to freely available online training and exercises on water accounting, as well as a webinar series by ADB, IHE Delft, and recordings of relevant presentations in various languages.

EUMeTrain

EUMeTrain is an international project, founded and financially sponsored by EUMETSAT, and dedicated to the development of satellite meteorology training resources and training methods.

GEOGloWS Training Platform

The GEOGloWS initiative consolidates elements of freshwater activities in GEO. It ensures that strong coordination and commitment are in place for links among data, information, knowledge, applications, and policy. From research to implementation, GEOGloWS provides the demonstration grounds for user-driven solutions to address water issues.

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.

Water-ForCE Webinar: SDG 6 clean water and sanitation

Water-ForCE Webinar: SDG 6 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.

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

Speakers:

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.

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:

Water-ForCE Webinar: Water and Agriculture

Water-ForCE Webinar: Water and Agriculture

During this webinar, we will be discussing water quality (run-off from agriculture, pollution of surface water for irrigation) and quantity of water (drought, extreme rainfall, groundwater level, soil moisture) to tackle the water and agriculture domains for the Copernicus Roadmap.

Speakers:

Webinar: Space Data Gateway - The Future of Space Connectivity and Data Delivery

Discover the fast track for on-demand, cloud-based space data provided to the private space sector, academia, and science community at a fraction of the current cost.

What to expect:

13:50 – 14:00  Online Check-in

14:00 – 14:10  Introduction

14:10 – 14:20  What is the Space Data Gateway service? - Presentation of the SDG context, purpose, and its Early Adopters’ Programme

14:30 – 14:50  Technical framework and advantages for Early Adopters (EnduroSat)

14:50 – 15:10 Q&A

The Potentials of Space Data

  • Objective: The last webinar introduces the audience into the space-world of data. Questions will be answered:
    • What is Space Data actually?
    • Can Space Data be linked with the satellite industry?
    • What is the impact of Space Data nowadays and what will it mean for in the future?
    • Would Space Data be the new gold?

                   Examples or case-studies will strengthen this presentation even more.

Imagery Basemaps Educational Webinars

Knowing how to choose the right foundational imagery basemap, the best way to incorporate it into your app or workflow and when to update it depends on what you’re ultimately trying to accomplish.

Objectives

Imagery Basemaps That Reflect Reality
Whether your primary use is viewing Earth to gain situational awareness, a layer for visual simulation or a foundation for advanced mapping, this webinar will help you determine:

ARSET - River Basin Delineation Based on NASA Digital Elevation Data

Overview:

River basins (known as watersheds in North America) are areas of land that drain precipitation, surface water, and underlying groundwater into a river and its tributaries, eventually reaching a common outlet such as a lake, reservoir, river, or estuary. The drainage pattern is from smaller sub-basin to larger sub-basin, and from higher elevation to lower elevation. Land surface processes, precipitation, storm water, and wastewater runoff within basins have substantial impact on quantity and quality of the water draining into tributaries.

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.
 

GBDX YouTube Channel

GBDX is DigitalGlobe's Geospatial Big Data Platform which combines data access to satellite imagery with access to innovative algorithms to develop new solutions to tackle new market segments

The GBDX YouTube Channel contains useful videos for customers using the GBDX user interface, such as "How to create a workspace", "How to search for images", and "How to select materials"


 

Event

Participatory workshop for indigenous women on their roles and responsibilities related to water

Event Banner

register here until 21 August 2022 - if you would like to be considered for funding

In many places around the world women are responsible for water collection, a responsibility that globally takes them 200 million hours annually. It often leaves them with little to no time for school, work or to spend time with their family. Furthermore, indigenous communities' cultural heritage and knowledge about natural resources, including water, urgently needs to be considered and protected.

The Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water (PSIPW) 9th Awards Ceremony

PSIPW 9th Award (2020)

The Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water (PSIPW) is an international award focusing on water-related scientific innovation and judged by leading scientists from around the world. Five prizes are bestowed every two years.

This event is being held virtually in conjunction with the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on the “Implementation of the Water-Related Goals and Targets of the 2030 Agenda.”

Map

Click on any of the highlighted countries to retrieve further information.

Project / Mission / Initiative / Community Portal

OneAtlas

OneAtlas is a unique collaborative environment to easily access premium imagery, perform large-scale image processing, extract industry specific insights and benefit from Airbus assets to develop your solutions.

Thematic focus is on the usage of satellite derived geo information.

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.

Healthy Rivers for All Initiative

This website includes tools and resources for developing basin report cards. It includes reports that incorporate satellite imagery to measure environmental indicators and change over time.

With the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES), we are developing, packaging, and sharing a process that helps stakeholders create science-based report cards in their own basins with the right buy-in on-the-ground and credibility globally, so they can better manage resources for the protection of fresh water they depend upon.

Water Accounting +

Water problems around the world are increasing; however, information useful for decision makers within the water sector and related to the water sector seems to be decreasing. Solving water problems requires information from many disciplines, and the physical accounts (describing sources and uses of water) are the most important foundation. The information has to be coherent and harmonized in order to provide an integrated picture useful for the assessment of the problems.

Global Gravity-based Groundwater Product

Groundwater is an essential factor for ecosystems and humanity alike. It ensures ecosystem stability, energy and food security, and promotes human health. Groundwater is the largest component of global liquid freshwater resources in the water cycle, providing about 30% of the total freshwater. Groundwater accounts for 33% of the global water withdrawals by mankind, with more than two billion people depending on groundwater as primary water resource. However, despite its importance, groundwater is often not included in sustainable water management actions and plans.

MarineAware

MarineAware is a modelling and visualisation platform for identifying and responding to oil spills at sea. It was developed by Riskaware for the Earth and Sea Observation System (EASOS) project as part of the UK Space’s Agency’s International Partnership Programme (IPP). Since it's initial development for the EASOS project, MarineAware and its modelling output have been used by the UK, US and Malaysian governments, as well as by commercial response and salvage companies in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

Water scenarios For Copernicus Exploitation

The Water-ForCE project will co-create a Roadmap for the development of the next phase of Copernicus Inland Water Services with the space sector, research community, policy, industry and third sector. The Roadmap will be benchmarked against community requirements, recommending services that should be delivered centrally by Copernicus and innovation opportunities that are better suited for business and research development.

Socio-groundwater toolbox

To date, hydrological issues are playing a key role in the implementation of the goals in which water has a crosscutting role linked to many other Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) set in the 2030 Agenda. According to SDG 6, there is a need to monitor eight different interrelated targets globally. At present, several global tools and initiatives for water monitoring exist. A prerequisite for their implementation is to have a thorough knowledge of the system and a consistent database, usually collected at a country and global scale worldwide.

GPM/DPR : Global Precipitation Measurement/Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar

The 21st century is often called "the century of water." Water is an essential element of the Earth's environment and is indispensable for our life and economic activities. Many places in the world now face water problems, such as water shortages and floods, which can cause food shortages, epidemic diseases, and so on. In addition to these problems, global warming and climate change affect the global water cycle and result in abnormal weather, such as frequent heavy rains and droughts.

Hydrography90m: A new high-resolution global hydrographic dataset

In tandem with the monumental increase in geo-data availability from remote sensors, field sensors and various publicly available environmental datasets, state-of-the-art geoinformatics algorithms have evolved to harness earth science data as never before. In the field of computational hydrology, these processes have yielded global information in fine detail, and of exceptional precision.

Stakeholder

Water, Peace and Security Partnership

WPS is a partnership of research and civil society organizations that work together towards identifying water-related risks of human insecurity, fragility and conflict, and towards developing analytical and dialogue tools for preventing and mitigating such conflicts. WPS is a collaboration between the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a consortium of six partners: IHE Delft (lead partner), World Resources Institute (WRI), Deltares, The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies (HCSS), Wetlands International and International Alert.

Groundwater Relief

Groundwater Relief is a charity that provides specialist groundwater support to the humanitarian and development sectors. The support is delivered through staff and a global membership of groundwater experts.

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:

Turkish Space Agency

Turkish Space Agency (TUA) is a state institution which is responsible for the preparation of the strategic plans governing the medium and long term goals on aeronautics and space technologies, basic principles and approaches, objectives and priorities, performance indicators as well as the methods to achieve these goals and the distribution of resources. 

TUA is the face of Turkiye in space. Its mission is to be a leading and pioneering institution that carries out activities serving to the best interests of humanity in accordance with the requirements of the “New Space Age”.

mWater

mWater is a woman-owned small business with a non-profit arm for projects with international organizations and foundations, and a for-profit arm for US Government and private sector clients. Our staff includes senior experts with advanced degrees in environmental engineering, public health, and technology, allowing mWater to create innovative, data-driven management approaches for our partners and all users of the free mWater technology platform.

International Water Management Institute

IWMI is a research-for-development (R4D) organization, with offices in 13 countries and a global network of scientists operating in more than 30 countries. For over three decades, our research results have led to changes in water management that have contributed to social and economic development. IWMI’s Vision reflected in its Strategy 2019-2023, is ‘a water-secure world’.

Centre for Water and Landscape Dynamics, Australian National University

The ANU Centre for Water and Landscape Dynamics (WALD) is a world leader in observation technology for real time environmental information. WALD develops new methods to measure, monitor and forecast climate, water availability and landscape conditions. Our solutions frequently combine Big Data from satellite observation and sensor networks, with field research, biophysical modelling and machine learning.

Global Water Partnership

The Global Water Partnership (GWP) is a global action network with over 3,000 Partner organisations in 179 countries. The network has 69 accredited Country Water Partnerships and 13 Regional Water Partnerships.

The network is open to all organisations involved in water resources management: developed and developing country government institutions, agencies of the United Nations, bi- and multi-lateral development banks, professional associations, research institutions, non-governmental organisations, and the private sector.

International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals

With the aim of addressing global challenges in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, CBAS is committed to harnessing big data to support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by reducing technological barriers and filling in data gaps. Since its inauguration, CBAS identified key areas of interest and has made significant progress. 

Agencia Bolivariana para Actividades Espaciales / Bolivarian Agency for Space Activities

The Bolivarian Agency for Space Activities (Agencia Bolivariana para Actividades Espaciales, ABAE) is the Venezuelan Space Agency, which was established on 25 October 2007 by the Venezuelan government. According to the rules and regulations set forth by the Ministry of Popular Power for Science and Technology, the acronym ABAE refers to the national entity in charge of managing space programs, projects, and activities. The ABAE is in five different locations in the country:

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.

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.

EUMETSAT Satellite Application Facility on Ocean and Sea Ice

The OSI SAF develops, processes and distributes, in near real-time, products related to key parameters of the ocean-atmosphere interface. Products are accessible on local FTP servers with flexible extraction interface, EUMETCast, and EUMETSAT Data Center (EDC). The OSI SAF also offers climatological data records.

International Groundwater Resources Assessment Centre

The International Groundwater Resources Assessment Centre (IGRAC) facilitates and promotes international sharing of information and knowledge required for sustainable groundwater resources development and management worldwide. Since 2003, IGRAC provides an independent content and process support, focusing particularly on trans-boundary aquifer assessment and groundwater monitoring.

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.

b.geos GmbH

b.geos offers Earth Observation services using state-of-the-art remote sensing technologies. We develop value-added products, conduct basic research, provide consultancy in remote sensing technologies and applications, as well as training.

Czech Hydrometeorological Institute

The CHMI is a central state institute of the Czech Republic with long-term extensive expertise and competence in weather forecasting, meteorology, climatology (including climate change research), air quality (monitoring and research of pollution in the ground layer of the atmosphere), hydrology (drought and flood forecasting, evaluation and research) and water quality.

Group on Earth Observations

GEO Community

GEO is a partnership of more than 100 national governments and in excess of 100 Participating Organizations that envisions a future where decisions and actions for the benefit of humankind are informed by coordinated, comprehensive and sustained Earth observations.

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.

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.  

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.

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:

Margosa Environmental Solutions

Margosa develops pioneering geodata solutions using advanced open source technologies and machine learning frameworks, which enables the integration of massive environmental and GIS datasets. We offer cost-effective, scalable, and secure global data analytics platforms for government, multilateral, corporate, educational, and not-for-profit institutions. Our mission is to transform complex natural resource information into practical knowledge for decision-makers and stakeholders alike.

International Centre for Water Resources and Global Change

The International Centre for Water Resources and Global Change, founded by the German Federal Government under the auspices of UNESCO in Koblenz, has commenced work in July 2014. Specialised UNESCO Water Centres pool competencies in single countries or regions, acting as international reference platforms for the exchange of knowledge and methods. The Centre is located at the Federal Institute of Hydrology (BfG).

Eumetsat Satellite Application Facility on Land Surface Analysis

The LSA SAF is part of the distributed EUMETSAT (European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites) Application Ground Segment. It is focused on the development and processing of satellite products that characterize the continental surfaces, such as radiation products, vegetation, evapotranspiration and wild fires.

The LSA SAF, hosted by the Portuguese Institute for the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) is a joint venture of the following NMHSs and Universities together with EUMETSAT
.

Airbus Defence and Space

Airbus Defence and Space is a division of Airbus responsible for defence and aerospace products and services. ADS is a member of the UN Global Compact, implementing the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.

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.

DigitalGlobe

DigitalGlobe is the world’s leading provider of high-resolution Earth imagery, data and analysis. With the most sophisticated commercial satellite constellation in orbit, we create the world’s smartest images – giving partners the confidence to make the decisions that matter most. DigitalGlobe’s global development program encompasses work across food security, global health, environmental sustainability, human rights, crisis response and much more.

World Meteorological Organisation

As a specialized agency of the United Nations, WMO is dedicated to international cooperation and coordination on the state and behaviour of the Earth’s atmosphere, its interaction with the land and oceans, the weather and climate it produces, and the resulting distribution of water resources.

CREA Hydro&Energy

CREA Hydro & Energy is a cluster operating in the field of technologies for water management works, water and waste management and renewable energy sources. The members of the cluster jointly participate in research, development and innovation of products, promotion of the latest know-how, or presentations within the framework of international cooperation.

United Nations Environment Grid Geneva

GRID-Geneva is part of the Science Division of the UN Environment's global group of environmental information centres, known as the Global Resource Information Database (GRID) network. GRIDs-Geneva and Nairobi were the first centres to be launched in mid-1985.
GRID centres not only facilitate access to but directly provide environmental data and information for decision-making and policy setting; underpin UN Environment's ongoing review of environmental state and trends; and provide early warnings about emerging environmental problems and threats.

World Wildlife Fund

As the world’s leading conservation organization, World Wildlife Fund works in nearly 100 countries to tackle the most pressing issues at the intersection of nature, people, and climate. We collaborate with local communities to conserve the natural resources we all depend on and build a future in which people and nature thrive. Together with partners at all levels, we transform markets and policies toward sustainability, tackle the threats driving the climate crisis, and protect and restore wildlife and their habitats.

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.

United Nations World Food Programme

The World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

Hydrosat Inc.

Hydrosat is a climate tech company that was founded to help Earth manage its most valuable resource: water. Hydrosat leverages the unique capabilities of thermal imagery from space to measure water stress in agriculture and enhance food security, public safety and the environment.

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) was born through the merger of three institutions, namely the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), the National Aerospace Laboratory of Japan (NAL) and the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) in 2003.

JAXA was designated as a core performance agency to support the Japanese government's overall aerospace development and utilization. JAXA conducts integrated operations from basic research and development, to utilization.

Rural Water Supply Network

The Rural Water Supply Network (RWSN) is the global network for rural water supply professionals, with 11,000 members in more than 150 countries. RWSN is a strategic global platform for knowledge sharing and collaboration in the water sector with a central focus on the achievement of universal access to safe, affordable water supplies.

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:

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.

GeoVille GmbH

GeoVille is a private sector enterprise, founded by Dr. Christian Hoffmann in 1998, with the vision to remap the unknowns of human activities around the world. The company is registered as a limited liability company (GmbH) under Austrian law. During its operational period, GeoVille has established a broad international client base and successfully participated in more than 440 national and international projects. GeoVille is dedicated to providing a wide range of value-added services for Earth observation data and GIS applications.

Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology

The Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, LIST covers with its 630 employees the domains of materials, environment and IT. As an RTO (Research and Technology Organisation) and with its interdisciplinary impact-driven approach, LIST contributes to the development of Luxembourg’s economy and society. LIST's Environmental Research and Innovation (ERIN) research department comprises more than 180 life, environmental and IT scientists and engineers across four research units.

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.

Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water

The Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water (PSIPW) is a scientific prize with a focus on innovation. Established in 2002 by HRH Crown Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz, it rewards the efforts made by scientists, inventors and research organizations around the world which contribute to the sustainable availability of potable water and the alleviation of the escalating global problem of water scarcity.

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.

Zimbabwe National Geospatial and Space Agency

The Zimbabwe National Geospatial and Space Agency (ZINGSA) is a wholly owned Government of Zimbabwe entity, established under the Research act [Chapter 10:20]. It is responsible for designing, promoting, coordinating and conducting research and development initiatives that promote advances in Geospatial Sciences and Earth Observations, Space Engineering, Space Science, Aeronautical Engineering, Mechatronics, Satellite Communication Systems, Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), Land Positioning Systems, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) and Launch of Satellites.

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.

European Space Agency - Space Solutions

ESA Space Solutions is the go-to place for great business ideas involving space in all sectors. ESA Space Solutions provides funding for teams to run Feasibility Studies and Pilot Projects. It supports teams to develop commercial services using satellite data and space technologies. Successful applicants receive:

  • Zero-equity funding (from €60k to €2M+ per activity).
  • A personalised ESA consultant.
  • Technical & commercial guidance.
  • Access to our network of partners. 
  • Credibility of the ESA brand. 
     

European Organisation for Meteorological Satellites

EUMETSAT is an intergovernmental organisation and was founded in 1986. Our purpose is to supply weather and climate-related satellite data, images and products – 24 hours a day, 365 days a year – to the National Meteorological Services of our Member States in Europe, and other users worldwide.

GEO AquaWatch

AquaWatch is an Initiative within the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) that aims to develop and build the global capacity and utility of Earth Observation-derived water quality data, products and information to support water resources management and decision making.

Goal

The goal of the AquaWatch Initiative is to develop and build the global capacity and utility of Earth Observation-derived water quality data, products and information to support effective monitoring, management and decision making.

Objectives

The objectives to achieve this goal are:

Open Geospatial Consortium

The OGC® is an international consortium of more than 500 companies, government agencies, research organizations, and universities participating in a consensus process to develop publicly available geospatial standards. OGC Standards support interoperable solutions that "geo-enable" the Web, wireless and location-based services, and mainstream IT. OGC Standards empower technology developers to make geospatial information and services accessible and useful with any application that needs to be geospatially enabled.

The United Nations University Institute on Comparative Regional Integration Studies (UNU-CRIS)

The United Nations University Institute on Comparative Regional Integration Studies (UNU-CRIS) is a research and training institute of the United Nations University. UNU is a global network of institutes and programs engaged in research and capacity development to support the universal goals of the UN. It brings together leading scholars from around the world with a view to generate strong and innovative knowledge on how to tackle pressing global problems. UNU-CRIS focuses on the study of processes of global cooperation and regional integration and their implications.

Université Chouaib Doukkali

The Chouaib Doukkali University (CDU) [www.ucd.ac.ma] in El Jadida, Morocco was founded in 1985. It is a public institution of higher education and scientific research. At present, in the Chouaib Doukkali there are 6 faculties, and has more than 507 teachers, 255 administrators, and more than 25 000 students. Training is provided for bachelor degree and master degree. In terms of research, the University has established two centers for doctoral studies, with 25 laboratories involving 82 research teams.

Riskaware

Riskaware are experts in incident modelling solutions. Our dedicated team of software engineers, scientists and developers work closely with government and organisations globally to provide actionable intelligence and incident modelling.

Our work spans urban, cyber, marine and bio environments and is built on more than 20 years’ experience working with UK and US government departments within defence, intelligence and environmental.
 

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.

IHE Delft Institute for Water Education

IHE Delft Institute for Water Education is the largest international graduate water education facility in the world and is based in Delft, the Netherlands. Since 1957 the Institute has provided water education and training to 23.000 professionals from over 190 countries, the vast majority from Africa, Asia and Latin America. Also, numerous research and institutional strengthening projects are carried out in partnership to strengthen capacity in the water sector worldwide.

Flemish Institute for Technological Research-Remote Sensing

VITO is an independent, research, technology & service leader in cleantech and sustainable development. Our goal? To accelerate the transition to a sustainable world, consulting & supporting public organizations, researchers & industry. VITO Remote Sensing has a long-term expertise in the development of Earth observation (EO) instruments, technologies and services. VITO plays a primary role in collecting and processing Earth observation data into objective and useful information and insights, that are actively made available and promoted.

Person

Photo

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.

Photo of Stuart Crane

Stuart Crane

Programme Management Officer UN Environment

Mr Stuart Crane, has been a Programme Management Officer at the United Nations Environment Program and its Center for Water and Environment since 2017. Mr Crane has experience in international intergovernmental organizations since 2009 and dedicated large parts of his career to working on environmental issues such as energy, climate change and water. His professional background is in Environmental Quality and resource management, and he received his post graduate degree in International Development.

Photo of Claudia Ruz Vargas

Claudia Ruz Vargas

Researcher International Groundwater Resources Assessment Centre

Claudia Ruz Vargas is a researcher at the International Groundwater Resources Assessment Centre (IGRAC), in Delft, the Netherlands. Through her work at IGRAC, she became a steward for the Essential Climate Variable (ECV) Groundwater at the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS), a programme co-sponsored by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC-UNESCO), UN Environment, and the International Science Council (ISC).

Photo of Arjen 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.

Software/Tool/(Web-)App

EO Browser

EO Browser is an open-source web-based tool for browsing, visualization and analysis of satellite imagery available at various platforms:

EarthWatch

An EarthWatch™ subscription gives you instant access to the best of DigitalGlobe satellite imagery and geospatial data. And you don’t have to be an imagery expert or have in-house tools; EarthWatch is designed to make imagery accessible to anyone who needs it, whether you’re concerned with a specific area or the entire globe. With EarthWatch, stream and download industry-leading geospatial information in a single, powerful solution. Across a variety of industries, including location-based services, civil governments, and energy, EarthWatch is a key component of geospatial workflows.

Global Surface Water Explorer

This new water dataset maps the location and temporal distribution of water surfaces at the global scale over the past 32 years and provides statistics on the extent and change of those water surfaces. The dataset, produced from Landsat imagery, will support applications including water resource management, climate modelling, biodiversity conservation and food security.

The thematic focus of this software is

Database for Hydrological Time Series of Inland Waters

The Database for Hydrological Time Series of Inland Waters (DAHITI) was developed by the Deutsches Geodätisches Forschungsinstitut der Technischen Universität München (DGFI-TUM) in 2013 to provide water level time series of inland waters. Today, DAHITI provides a variety of hydrologial information such as water levels, surface areas and volume variations on lakes, reservoirs, rivers, and wetlands derived from satellite data, i.e. from multi-mission satellite altimetry and optical remote sensing imagery.

Geospatial Big Data

GBDX is a cloud-based computing platform that provides access to DigitalGlobe's best-in-class 19-year archive of very high resolution satellite imagery. This platform allows you to create and run algorithms created by you, your company, or publicly-released algorithms on a single image or on imagery over an entire continent/the globe. GBDX enables a community of geospatial users to work together on some of the world's most challenging problems and focus on how machine learning and AI can help solve them.

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.

JAXA Climate Rainfall Watch

A need to monitor precipitation extremes from space is widely recognized, especially for regions where ground-based observations are limited or unavailable. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has developed the Global Satellite Mapping of Precipitation (GSMaP) in the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission. The JAXA participated in the Space-based Weather and Climate Extremes Monitoring (SWCEM) of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) by providing the GSMaP Near-real-time Rainfall Product.

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:

Blue Dot Water Observatory

BlueDot Water Observatory is an initiative providing up-to-date information about extent of several thousands surface water reservoirs in high-risk areas, based on satellite imagery. Most of us - having the privilege to live in the developed world - treat water as an unlimited resource. We usually don’t think about where water is coming from and how much of it is available. But even if we did, we may encounter several challenges accessing detailed water level information.

GEOSS Platform

The Global Earth Observation System of Systems’ Platform proactively links existing and planned observing systems around the world and supports the development of new systems where there are gaps. The GEOSS Platform promotes the use of common technical standards so that data from thousands of different instruments can be combined into coherent data sets. GEOSS Platform Schematic The GEOSS Portal offers a single Internet access point to Earth observation data, information and knowledge from all over the world for users with different backgrounds and from different disciplines.

LandMonitoring.Earth

At the occasion of the ‘European Land Monitoring at its crossroads’ conference held in Innsbruck, Austria, in October 2018, GeoVille has released an update of the LandMonitoring.Earth public portal.

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:

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.

Space-based Solution

Addressed challenge(s)

Droughts and Floods over the same region

Small-holder farmers in northern Madagascar are disproportionately impacted by drought

Samburu tribe lacks access to safe drinking water - Dry spells due to water scarcity

Collaborating actors (stakeholders, professionals, young professionals or Indigenous voices)
Suggested solution

Pakistan and other regions facing alternation of droughts and floods (as described in this challenge) are usually arid and semi-arid that are mainly dependent on rain-fed agriculture and are facing water scarcity issues, rainwater harvesting is critically important for these areas.

Outline steps for solution

For determining optimum sites for rainwater harvesting and the potential of rainwater harvesting structures, data on land cover/land use, elevation and topography, geo-chemical formation of soils, stream runoff, and various hydro-meteorological variables are required. High-quality data on land cover/land use, elevation, stream identification, water potential of individual watersheds, and slope with fine spatial resolution can be derived from space-based satellite imagery. Although stream runoff and hydro-meteorological variable statistics with sufficient accuracy can only be obtained through ground-based in-situ sensors, these measurements also need space-based location services to make them input in the spatial analysis along with the satellite-derived products.

In many cases, however, satellite remote sensing represents a critical source of information, especially in regions with limited sensor networks and where information on hydrologic conditions is inaccessible. Remote sensing and geographical information technologies can play a compelling role in addressing major challenges since spatial patterns of aridity, climatic uncertainty or rapid climatic variability are not vividly understood or considered by local farmers or municipal authorities while planning for agriculture or domestic water use. Robust modeling is possible when space technologies are applied to identify suitable locations and harvesting potentials for ponds and pans, check dams, terracing, percolation tanks, and Nala-bunds; with a very small amount of time, effort, and overhead assessment cost.

1. Identify satellite data sources for

  1. Elevation/ Digital Elevation Model (DEM)  
  2. Soil data  
  3. Meteorological data  
  4. Sentinel satellite data: Slope, elevation, drainage density, annual rainfall, NDWI, NDVI, LULC, curve number  
  5. Landcover/land-use (LULC) 
  6. Stream identification 
  7. Slope (with fine spatial resolution)  
  8. Water potential of individual watersheds (kPA) 

All these datasets are available as open-source datasets, which are used to derive parameters such as slope elevation, drainage density, annual rainfall, land use/land cover, curve number, and distance from streams. Further, a model that suggests the suitability of sites for rainwater harvesting will be developed.  

2. Modeling

The model includes four fundamental parameters that are readily accessible globally (DEM, soil, rainfall and satellite data, Fig.1). It addresses the simplicity of running the model but highlights the longer process involved in calculating drainage density and suggests its development as an open-source tool. Similarly, it mentions the complexity of the SCS-CN method and proposes its development as a single-click tool. The need for developing reclassification tools for influencing factors in open-source GIS software is also emphasized. The presentation contrasts the affordability and accessibility of ArcGIS with open-source alternatives like QGIS for tasks such as slope calculation. It acknowledges the availability of tools for slope calculation but emphasizes the lack of readily available tools for drainage density, indicating a gap in open-source resources. 

Model
Figure 1: A draft model for rainwater harvesting

 

Rainwater harvesting suitability model development  

To develop the model the datasets are run in ArcGIS. Slope, elevation profile, NDVI, NDWI, and distance from stream datasets are run by a single step. However, drainage density, annual rainfall, curve number, and the LULC data need to be run by various complicated steps.  

  1. Drainage density 

After calculating the slope and elevation data the drainage density needs to be developed. To calculate this there is a multi-step process (10 steps) involved. This calculation includes stream generation, stream links, grid indexing, clipping, the intersection between stream links and clipped grid index, dissolution, attribute assignment, conversion of polygon features into points features, and finally interpolation. This currently requires expertise to navigate.  

  1. Annual rainfall  

NetCDF format data for annual rainfall needs to be converted into geographical raster layers for implementation in a geographical scenario. This calculation is done in six steps, which include the conversion of NetCDF to raster, the exportation of raster to the destination folder, the calculation of annual rainfall of a certain year, the calculation of cell statistics to sum all band values and interpolation of data. 

  1. Curve Number (CN) 

The curve number (CN) for rainwater harvesting has three major steps involved. Firstly, the land use/land cover data (LULC) needs to be prepared, which involves transforming categorical data into numerical scores. Secondly, the soil data with LULC data needs to be merged, highlighting the necessity of transforming soil nomenclature into a usable format and assigning scores based on research papers. Lastly, the classification of reclassified raster data into polygons can be simplified and optimized. 

  1. Merging soil and LULC data  

Further, merging soil and land use/land cover data needs to automatically generate tables that assign scores based on specific combinations of soil types and land use categories.  Merging soil and LULC data undergoes the process of reclassification and weight assignment, highlighting the simplicity of linear equations in ArcGIS. This proposes the integration of pairwise comparison methods for assigning weights. Additionally, online tools for pairwise comparison and analytical hierarchy process (AHP) are available online, which can streamline the weight assignment process. Finally, after the weights for each layer have been assigned and all raster layers have been reclassified, the site suitability analysis can be done. This analysis suggests the optimum sites where rainwater can be harvested (Fig.2). 

Model output
Figure 2: Output of the model indicating the suitability of sites for rainwater harvesting.

3. Future steps

There are 55 individual tools in this model slated for separate development, to consolidate these into one tool capable of integrating all five steps. This consolidation represents the primary objective to facilitate the model's transition to open-source status, enabling users to access the comprehensive solution through a single menu interface. The following processes need a single-click tool to simplify the process for users without specialized knowledge.  

  • Drainage density: This 10-step process needs to be streamlined into a single tool for ease of use, particularly in open-source software like QGIS.  
  • Annual rainfall: A separate open-source tool needs to be developed for the conversion process of annual rainfall data into a geographical raster, outlining steps such as raster calculation expressions to combine multiple years of data into a single value. 
  • Curve number: Automation of the transformation process of LULC data into numerical score is needed. 
  • Merge of soil data and LULC data: A dedicated tool for CN grid calculation in open-source software like QGIS is needed.  
Relevant publications
Related space-based solutions
Keywords (for the solution)
Climate Zone (addressed by the solution)
Habitat (addressed by the solution)
Region/Country (the solution was designed for, if any)
Relevant SDGs