EARSC and The Green Land investigated the benefits brought by the use of satellite imagery to monitor gas pipelines at affordable costs in the Netherlands. Between €15.2m and €18.3m of economic benefit could be made each year in the whole country thanks to this application.
Indeed, subsidence can cause gas and water pipelines to break right where they enter houses. Satellite images show hot spots where ground movement is taking place.
It thus allows a targeted replacement programme: the maintenance strategy has now become focused on areas of higher risk. Instead of replacing pipes and connections in a single district pipes serving individual houses or streets can be replaced. The result is better investment of resources by the pipeline operators and less risk to consumers from gas leaks or disruption from major water leaks.
This report is the last of a series of three cases in the frame of the study “Assessing the detailed economic benefits derived from Copernicus Earth Observation (EO) data within selected value chains”, undertaken by EARSC under an assignment from the European Space Agency (ESA).
Costa Rica aims to be climate-neutral by 2021 – an ambitious target. This Central American country has been focusing on environmentally friendly development and the sustainable use of natural resources for some years. Satellite observations of the Earth can document the development of land use and the condition of protected areas.
After clearance work stopped at the end of the 1980s, the tree cover in Costa Rica grew from 20% to more than 50% of the country. However, Costa Rica’s agricultural industry is also growing and currently covers around 40% of the country: between 2000 and 2012, for example, the area used to cultivate pineapples grew sixfold.
This information was obtained with the aid of the European Earth observation program Copernicus. Copernicus guarantees the long-term availability of satellite data, thus supporting politics, companies and administration in the long term by helping them create an objective information base for tax measures.
Topics in common include monitoring protected areas, which account for one quarter of Costa Rica’s land surface, calculating the country’s climate balance and evaluating the influence of agriculture on natural ecosystems. The beneficiaries are the environmental authorities in the region that are integrated into the ongoing development processes.
Biomass growth declined between 2008 and 2012
MONROSA uses time series of satellite sensors to calculate biomass production in Costa Rica. These calculations constitute the basis of the country’s carbon balance. The illustration shows the net primary production (NPP) of biomass for Costa Rica during the years from 2002 to 2012. The dark green areas show the high productivity of Costa Rica’s densely forested mountain regions. The dry and cloud forests in the north-east achieve similar NPP figures. Comparing the NPP figures for individual years with average production over several years facilitates the detection of trends or exceptions. Production sank to well below average between 2008 and 2012, for example, an effect associated with the El Niño phenomenon of 2009 followed by La Niña in 2010. Positive anomalies are evident between 2003 and 2008. If developments are observed over lengthy periods, it is possible to make assertions about the effect of climate change on the various natural ecosystems influenced by man and thus also on the development of biodiversity.
Other scientific fields benefit from Copernicus data
Several factors have to work together if Copernicus data is to be used successfully in Costa Rica and Central America: high-performance IT solutions, scientifically sound data processing and product development must be optimally attuned to the ecological, socioeconomic and political circumstances in Costa Rica and the region. To this end, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research is supporting cooperation between scientific institutions in Costa Rica and the German Aerospace Center (DLR).
Originally, MONROSA was to use observations of the Earth and site surveys to monitor tropical forests in Guanacaste’s protected area of Santa Rosa. After obtaining the first and very promising results, the project partners quickly identified other scientific areas that would benefit significantly from Copernicus.
The resulting project proposal MONEO (Monitoring the Neotropical Environment through Earth Observation) bundles geoscientific activities and developments in and with Costa Rica using the European space program Copernicus, lays the technical foundations for processing the enormous quantities of data supplied by Copernicus, and thus paves the way to establishing Earth observation services for Latin America and the Caribbean.
Added value of international cooperation
The most important Costa Rican partner is the National High Technology Center (CeNAT), funded by all the country’s universities. DLR and CeNAT intensified their close cooperation in the field of earth observation by concluding a cooperative agreement that was signed in February 2016 in Costa Rica in the presence of Federal Minister of Research Johanna Wanka. Along with scientific and technical cooperation, dialogue between scientists is also to be intensified. The project may come to a successful conclusion in August 2016 after a two-year period.
All stakeholders will benefit from this international partnership. The DLR scientists in Germany will have the opportunity to adapt their processes to local conditions by drawing on the regional knowledge of their Latin American colleagues. This will make the processes more robust, making them suitable for use in global monitoring. In turn, Earth observation services will be provided for Costa Rica and Central America with the assistance of the Earth Observation Center (EOC); these will primarily be fed by the free data stream from Copernicus. International partnerships of this calibre testify to the DLR’s leading role in the Copernicus program. The exchange of up-and-coming researchers is strengthening Costa Rica’s pioneering role in the field of technology and deepening the close climate partnership between Germany and Costa Rica.
Contact
DLR Project Management Agency | International Bureau
Stephanie Splett-Rudolph
Tel.: +49 228 3821 1430
German Aerospace Center (DLR)
Andreas Müller
Tel.: +49 8153 28 1533
The Intelligence team of Airbus Defence and Space hosted their 2016 Channel Partner Conference (CPC) from 11-12 May 2016 in Toulouse, France. During the event, DHIGRAS was awarded the ‘Rising Star 2015’ award for the Northern Europe and Middle East region. This achievement is a continuation of our winning streak, having been awarded the ‘Best Newcomer’ category in 2014.
This award is the result of DHI GRAS’ commercial success and proactive attitude in our work, providing satellite-based products such as high-resolution satellite images and digital elevation models from the Airbus portfolio.
“I was delighted to award DHIGRAS with the Rising Star award for 2015 in recognition of their extensive groundwork with significant customers. I believe this would pave the way for a very successful 2016 and beyond. I have been involved with DHIGRAS since the signing of the original Channel Partner Agreement and have always been impressed by their enthusiasm and professionalism that spurs Airbus Defence and Space in our support for them. Here’s to a mutual success!” said Martin Holt, Regional Sales Director at Airbus Defence and Space.
‘At DHIGRAS, we are very delighted about this recognition given by Airbus Defence and Space and we are grateful for the dedicated and qualified support we are receiving from the entire Airbus team.’ Rasmus Borgstrøm, Managing Director, DHIGRAS
Do contact us for more information on specific Airbus products DHIGRAS can provide access to.
A section of the embankment of the River Arno in central Florence collapsed on May 26, sending part of the road and several parked cars into a newly formed ditch, fortunately without harming any people. The hole is about 200m in length and 7m across.
Following the incident, TREALTAMIRA was requested to provide a satellite analysis of the last 2 years to verify whether ground displacement had occurred in the area prior to the catastrophic event.
Satellite measurements were analysed by the Earth Science Department of the University of Florence, representing an expertise centre for the Italian Civil Protection Department. The analysis was then delivered to the Technical Committee that has been managing the emergency.
TREALTAMIRA has processed over 200 satellite images since the event, quickly providing results to Authorities. As the satellite analysis has not highlighted any significant ground motion over the area, they were able to discard some initial scenarios regarding the collapse.
Figure 1: SqueeSAR™ information over the River Arno area where the incident occurred, using middle-resolution satellite images.
Figure 2: A snapshot of SqueeSAR™ measurements points over the collapsed area, using high-resolution satellite images.
Dams and their associated elements are critical infrastructures due to the need of maintaining uninterrupted operation for ensuring business continuity. Security is a major concern that demands continuous supervision as a dam failure can cause catastrophic loss for the territory. Dam monitoring is therefore a key aspect during the design, construction and maintenance of dams.
Our methodology applies the interferometry technique (InSAR) to the terrestrial ground images obtained by a spaceborne SAR sensor. This technique can measure with milimetric accuracy ground movement with ranges from millimetric to metric over large surfaces (typically over tens of square kilometers), also in the past using historical images collected since the early 1990’s. The above image shows an example of InSAR results where motion was detected on the right slope nearby the dam.
In the design phase it is important to collect all ground related data that can help to obtain the range of geotechnical key parameters to minimize risk during constructions. Previous ground movement obtained by the use of historical image stacks can provide high value data in this phase.
In the construction phase, InSAR can help to measure motion over those slopes that are excavated or slopes that have a load transfer from the water or the wall.
During operation and maintenance, InSAR offers an entire picture of the dam wall, slopes and other related infrastructures complementing standard and discreet monitoring points.
Astrosat is a leading space services and management company which specialises in earth observation, using data from an impressive array of orbiting satellites to provide services of vital value to countries on several continents.
Established only in 2012, its innovative space technology merges satellite and ground-based data to provide valuable information to a wide range of sectors. It has also made its mark in the space business with satellite communications and technology transfer.
The multi-award winning company has created solutions for space beacons which would allow distressed satellite tracking. It also works on spacecraft systems – the systems and instruments a spacecraft must carry depending upon the data it will gather and the functions it will carry out.
At the core of Astrosat’s success is the dedication, scientific knowledge and enthusiasm of its 24 staff, who come from a wide range of disciplines, including astrophysics, astronautics, robotics, engineering, oceanography, hydrography, urban planning, building engineering and geoscience.
The company has become a successful exporter and it now delivers 80% of its products and services to countries as far apart as Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, India, Nepal. It also intends to establish a presence in South America and Africa.
The company, which under the leadership of Steve Lee and Alan McLarney has built a multi-million pound turnover, has consistently been in the vanguard of those who have grasped the limitless potential of the vast amounts of data gathered by the world’s satellite arrays.
It has looked at the data with a critical and analytical eye and established a product stream which can provide vital information and alerts, in comprehensible formats, particularly for countries in which satellite coverage has been intermittent.
These products include:
Coastal Sentry, which uses satellite data to monitor changes in the coastal environment, particularly in relation to coastal erosion;
Expedite, which can track people from orbit no matter where they are on Earth;
Field Aware, which is designed to receive and access the information from Astrosat’s award-winning RAPID (Recovery and Protection in Disaster) system;
The Powerless Space Beacon, a technology that could be carried by any spacecraft and would transmit a signal which would let ground stations identify its position and track it even if its electrical system has failed;
Geo-Secure, a unique and innovative combination of GPS technology and satellite communications which enhances currently available encryption technology;
Transport DataHub, which installs sensors which can help enhance satellite data.
The innovative techniques which the company has put, and continues to put, in place have been regularly recognised by a steady flow of awards from major international space bodies and agencies.
The most recent was the 2015 Copernicus Masters Smart Cities and Intelligent Transport Challenge, sponsored by technology company Satellite Applications Catapult, for its eXude flood monitoring application.
It is the sixth major award that Astrosat has won in the four years since it was established and it has been a consistent winner in the Copernicus Masters. This year, for the first time, Astrosat has been asked to use its expertise to set the challenge for entrants in the prestigious competition.
Astrosat is calling on entrants to design an innovative earth observation suite of sensors which can be deployed on Teledyne’s Multi-User System for Earth Sensing (MUSES) platform aboard the International Space Station.
The data from these sensors will be analysed on earth to create a commercially viable application, with special focus placed on developing nations and disaster relief, or increasing their economic resilience.
Astrosat, an innovative space services and management company based in Scotland, is in a space race of its own as it powers into place among the leading UK contenders in the commercialisation of the near cosmos. This video will introduce you to the excellent work Astrosat is doing and will give you an insight into what solutions we can deliver for you.
For further information, contact Astrosat via email: info@astrosat.biz or website: www.astrosat.biz
Issued by Michael Crawford at Blueprint Media, 0141 353 1515.
Date: July 2016
According to Bulelwa Semoli – the 1st Afrigeoss Symposium was a success with a good turnout from 32 African countries. She further notes that “the Afrigeoss supports the implementation of the African Union 2063 Agenda. It provides a platform to implement the Societal Benefits Areas (SBAs) in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It is also important that national and regional GEO initiatives are linked to the AU’s policies in order to make a meaningful impact.”
One of the outstanding presentations was the Australian Geoscience Data Cube and its result in unlocking the Landsat Archive spanning forty years of data. It’s a tool to be explored and was developed using open source software and standards.
(See http://www.datacube.org.au/ for more information)
The broad outcomes of the symposium are:
Strengthening AfriGEOSS governance structure to improve information flow between national, regional and global structures. The members of the steering committee shall be increased to 2 per region, and the steering committee should undertake the regional promotion and participation in AfriGEOSS.
Establishing national GEO coordination mechanisms through the establishment of national GEO structures in all member states, with the aim of improving the use of earth observation for policy formulation and decision making.
To continuing the demonstration of the relevance of EO by showcasing applications, information products and services that respond to societal challenges, particularly in the proposed priority areas of forest management, food security, urban planning and water resource management.
Investigating the implementation of a continental level body on Food Security and Agriculture (AfriGAM) for the harmonization of on-going projects and initiatives.
Developing a community of practice for forest management in Africa and bringing together all existing projects and initiatives.
Dr. Sias Mostert foresees AfriGEOSS “as a platform for effective consensus building with regards to the needs and priorities of Africa and to unlock the potential of Africa when it comes to environmental and city management.”
Dr. Jane Bemigisha places the emphasis on the private sector: “Strengthening engagement of the private sector with Governments and the AfriGEOSS community will enhance access and use of the vast Earth Observation products, knowledge and expertise within the private business communities. However, the capacities of SMEs needs to be enhanced for them to deliver at required scales.”
AARSE is looking forward to participate in the activities of AfriGEOSS and invite all AfriGEOSS participants to attend the upcoming AARSE conference which is being held this October in Uganda
Three concrete cases have been analysed in the frame of the study “Assessing the detailed economic benefits derived from Copernicus Earth Observation (EO) data within selected value chains”, undertaken by EARSC under an assignment from the European Space Agency (ESA).
In studies looking at public sector investments (eg in Copernicus), socio-economic studies analyse the economic benefits which will be generated. For EO programmes, this approach is very top down looking at broad brush benefits. In a study funded by ESA, EARSC, in collaboration with the Green Land BV ,has been developing an alternative approach which is very focused and bottom-up.
The goal of the study was to gather quantitative evidence that the usage of Copernicus Sentinel data provides an effective and convenient support to various market applications. As part of it, we defined and applied a new methodology to assess the full benefits (direct and indirect) stemming from the use of EO-derived geospatial information, in a way which has not been tackled before.
We examined how the benefits of using these data either do or can affect a full value chain by starting from the primary usage and then following the related impact down various identified tiers in the value chain. The new methodology was applied to three use cases, which have been selected considering the maturity of the application as well as the feasibility for the sake of the study.
For each case, we identified a defined product which is being used operationally to support a process within an organization, identified the value chain linking the various users and investigated the cascaded effects and the benefits brought by the use of satellite imagery for each tier down to value chain.
We’ve published 3 reports which you can find below.
GEO-CRADLE brings together key players representing the whole (Balkans, N. Africa and M. East) region with the overarching objective of establishing a multi-regional coordination network (the GEO-CRADLE network) that will support the effective integration of existing EO capacities, and contributes to the improved implementation of GEO, GEOSS, and Copernicus in response to the regional needs.
In this context, GEO-CRADLE lays out an action plan for the definition of region specific (G)EO Maturity Indicators and common priority needs. Through showcasing pilot studies, in the four thematic priority areas of the project which are Climate Change, Raw Materials, Food Security, and Energy, the project attempts to demonstrate how the regional priorities can be tackled by the GEO-CRADLE Network. As outcome of this, the project seek to define the roadmap for the future implementation of GEOSS and Copernicus in the region.
To maximise the impact of the GEO-CRADLE activities, welldefined Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are used for the quantified assessment of the impact, identifying potential enabling or constraining factors, while pursuing realistic but also ambitious exploitation scenarios. For efficient project coordination, the project management is assisted by a regional coordination structure, and active liaison with EC, GEO and UN initiatives.