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City planners and urban designers are really interested in mapping how artificial structures spread within urban and suburban areas (built-up) since the equilibrium between permeable surfaces (vegetation or soil) and impermeable surfaces (buildings and pavement) is critical for flooding and related environmental disasters occurrence.

Soil sealing occurs as a result of the development of housing, industry, transport and other physical infrastructure, including utilities (e.g. waste disposal and water distribution) and military installations, i.e. as a result of the wider process of land consumption.

Since several years the European Commission has been promoting the monitoring of the built-up area spreading inside the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) program, expoliting remote sensing technologies. In 2008, the first pan-European dataset of built-up areas and the degree of soil sealing was delivered covering 5.8 million square kilometers spanning 38 countries. In 2009, the European Environment Agency (EEA) requested that the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7)-funded geoland2 (www.gmes-geoland.info/) project update the built-up and imperviousness layers. Requested output products include updated status maps and change maps of the built-up area, status and change maps of imperviousness in 20-meter resolution and an updated one-hectare “European layer” of built-up areas and degrees of imperviousness.

The 2010 update was performed by many of the same members of the European consortium that created the base map for 2006, including Planetek Italia (Italy). Planetek Italia has provided a service for sealed area extraction (including buildings, roads and infrastructure) over several European Countries: Italy, Malta, Cyprus, Albania, Greece, West Turkey and Macedonia. At the beginning of year 2012 the EEA awarded the contract to Planetek Italia to map high-resolution Forest and Impervious Area characteristics in Southern Europe (West and Central Mediterranean region) in the framework of the GMES Initial Operations (GIO) Land Monitoring Services.

Due to the very large extent of the european area to be investigated, the strategy was to develop highly automated update tools that can be applied minimizing the level of operator interaction required. The automated workflow was specifically designed to be easily shared, which was especially important in this case, since the same methodology were applied by all production partners throughout Europe. For this reasons, the built-up and sealing update layers were generated with models built specifically for the project using the Model Maker in ERDAS IMAGINE. The Model Maker is a smart tool that enables users to develop models as graphical flow charts. The graphical models are translated into and run via the ERDAS Spatial Modeler Language (SML), a script language specially designed for GIS modelling and image processing applications (www.uwf.edu/gis/manuals/SML.pdf). The high degree of automation and the uniform methodology applied by the consortium members ensured a spatially consistent update product.

For further information:
Download the full paper
ERDAS IMAGINE software suite web page
GMES project and Soil Sealing maps

At the beginning of year 2012 the EEA awarded the contract to Planetek Italia to map high-resolution Forest and Impervious Area characteristics in Southern Europe (West and Central Mediterranean region) in the framework of the GMES Initial Operations (GIO) Land Monitoring Services.


The GIO Land project answers to European Environment Agency’s call for tender “GMES Initial Operations 2011-2013 Land Monitoring Services: High Resolution land-cover characteristics of 5 main land cover types” (EEA/SES/11/004). Started in 1998, the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) will provide on a sustainable basis, operational services related to environment and security, aimed at supporting European Policies and international commitments and at stimulating market development. The implementation of GMES has started in 2008 with three Fast-Track Services: Land, Marine and Emergency Response, and with two additional pilot services: Atmosphere and Security.

The framework contract aims at providing high resolution land cover characteristics data complementary to the Corine land cover map 2012 that will be produced in parallel by the European environmental observation and information network (Eionet) and the EEA from the same satellite data. The 5 high resolution layers deal with artificial surfaces, forest areas, agriculture areas, wetlands, water bodies for the reference year 2012.

The consortium lead by Planetek Italia and formed with the partners Geoville and Planetek Hellas has started the activity for the production of 2 of the 5 High Resolution pan-European layers (Imperviousness and Forest).

This project is placed for “Lot 4: Imperviousness and forest in Southern Europe, partim West and Central Mediterranean region (1.202.046 km2)”. This lot includes the following countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Kosovo under the UN Security Council Resolution 1244/99, Montenegro, Malta, Portugal (including the Azores and Madeira), Spain (including Baleares and Canaries).

The High Resolution Layers (HR Layers) of 5 main land cover types and Corine Land Cover (CLC) are part of the Pan European GMES Land Monitoring Core Service Component and will provide comparable measures across Europe.

The proposed methodological approach is built on the long experience already consolidated by the consortium during previous GMES projects such as FTSP on Land Monitoring – Soil Sealing 2006, Geoland2 – Imperviousness Update 2009, where much effort was spent to develop and refine the production workflow in order to fit it to the varying characterization of the different ecoregions in Europe.

Further information at the following links:
GIO Land monitoring services contracts awarded
GMES website
CLC2006 project description website
Project description
An article about GMES and Geoland2

Water quality is one focus of monitoring agencies and the public, and it is subject of several European Directives: Water Framework Directive (WFD), Bathing Water Directive, Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), and regional conventions: OSPAR), HELCOM), etc. Yet in order to be effective, the implementation of such legislations needs to be rigorously monitored. In this respect, and in the context of GMES initiative, water quality services are paramount.

Thales Alenia Space France is coordinating 2 European projects (MarCoast and Aquamar) aiming to provide sustainable space based downstream services in support of this implementation. The goal is to foster the development of an European capacity to provide validated information products, in a standardized and harmonized way, and to support the wide range of Service providers involved since a long time in that development.

MarCoast funded by ESA-ESRIN, is delivering services for the operational monitoring of marine water quality. Services are based on satellite data, driven by users, designed to assist with the reporting requirements of EU and national policies.
Services are distributed yet harmonised, with a common requirement for input data common approach to validation, quality control and cost-effectiveness.

Aquamar as the R&D branch of MarCoast, and supported by EC FP7 funding, is developing 5 new service lines and improving products and validation processes.

  • Support to Water Framework Directive (WFD)
  • Detection of Harmful Algal Blooms (HAB)
  • Compliance monitoring for Large Infrastructure Projects
  • Bathing waters monitoring
  • Precision Farming Aquaculture

Aquamar is also developing a web based platform, specific tools and training materials to support Service providers and end-users activities.

Support to Water Framework Directive (WFD)

This activity is improving the quality of satellite data products near the coast (within 1 nautical mile) in order to provide better products to support monitoring requirements of the WFD. Work is focusing on cloud screening, shadow detection, flagging improvements and land-water mask improvement. The following figure shows improved detail in coastal land-water mask.
Figure 1 : Improved detail in coastal land-water mask (green areas), source Brockmann Consult

Detection of Harmful Algal blooms (HAB)

A number of institutions are involved and in general each are developing algorithms to identify certain species of algae that cause problems in their local area. There are some optical differences between species identified in the laboratory, but in general satellite imagery is only able to give results for high concentrations of certain species. Classification techniques are also being investigated as an alternative approach. With each method being studied there is a requirement for in situ measurements to support the detection and validate algorithms. As example, harmful algal bloom classification and the differences between using satellite products from the MODIS and MERIS instruments are investigated. Figure 2: (Harmful algal bloom classification with MODIS an MERIS, source PML)

Web based platform in support to the Service providers and end-users

The first version of the Aquamar Information system has been released. Based on open source solutions, this web platform comprises several functions and tools developed in Aquamar and available for Aquamar and MarCoast users


Figure 3: (Home page of the Aquamar/MarCoast Information system portal)
  • Service provider tools: technical tool allowing to directly fetch myOcean data for further processing
  • Service Validation tools: to assist the validation bureau in analysing the validation reports, uploaded by the service providers. It provides also the possibility for end users to send their own validation assessment
  • Metadata editor allowing service providers to define their service metadata in a standardized way
  • Service & Product Catalogue to retrieve products in an harmonized and standardized way

Time Series Tool

The Time Series Tool is a graphical extension to BEAM VISAT. Its purpose is to foster validation and quality improvement by making possible to investigate time series for specific EO variables. The Time Series Tool allows the user to load and display series of satellite data of different dates for analysing the behaviour of several EO variables (e.g. total suspended matter, chlorophyll_a) along a timeline. It also allows the user to import in situ data for comparing them with the satellite data for validation purposes.

Improving the Service Validation process

To support the Service Validation process, initially defined within the MarCoast project, the validation methodology has been improved and implemented in the Aquamar Information system. Service providers validate their services by comparison with insitu data and finally compile a validation report. Users and a dedicated Validation Bureau, review and assess the services based on these reports as well as on users’ experiences during service delivery.

Finally, a comprehensive validation report is compiled comprising the following content:
1. Service provider validation reports,
2. User assessments,
3. Validation Bureau reviews and
4. Summary and conclusions compiled by the Validation Bureau.

The overall process is implemented on a web based tool, using a workflow application to facilitate the reports circulation and assessment during the different validation steps.

User training materials

Aquamar will propose training materials :

  • The product guides: these will provide a general overview of AquaMar and general remote sensing principles, as well as more detailed information for each of the individual product services.
  • Worksheets: a downloadable set of HTML worksheets and sample data will allow Users to get “hands on” with the data and train them in general data analysis techniques. The example worksheets will also make use of the bespoke tools developed within the AquaMar project.
  • Forum: an online web forum is available for Users to interact with the scientific community, as well as the service providers.
  • User Workshop 2013: The workshop will allow a review of the User requirements for each service and address any issues or queries they have.

More about MarCoast & Aquamar

How we talk about our industry and the words we use to describe the products and services we offer has a profound importance. Several initiatives have recently highlighted the needs of our industry to speak a common language and to define some common standards. I believe that this reflects a maturing of the EO services sector, moving from R&D orientation to operational services.

The first instance came under the initiative with the Oil & Gas industries, OGEO, where representatives of the OGP (The International Oil and Gas Producers Association) are asking that certain products become industry recognised. For example, oil spill monitoring where, following the high profile Deepwater Horizon / Macondo disaster, several cross-industry projects are under way to assess how the O&G sector need to be able to react quickly when an emergency arises. The persons responsible for taking action need to quickly identify what services to call upon and have the confidence that these are qualified to respond to the crisis. EO service companies that are prepared with pre-qualified and recognised services will have an edge.

Secondly, when I was visiting recently with the World Bank, I learned that officers there have spent several days searching for companies that could supply certain product. The particular case was also in response to an emergency situation where time and effort was lost in searching rather than responding. The officers concerned needed a fast and reliable way to identify potential suppliers. This mandates a common language to define what products meet the customer requirements and a qualification process that gives the customer confidence that he will get what he expects.

The third example lies with the insurance industry sector. In a recent workshop that we organised with ESA, several companies were expressing their wish to have a single interface to help them find appropriate service providers. Here again companies want to be able to go straight to recognised and qualified suppliers of services. Whilst not necessarily an emergency, the time to respond is important in order that insurance companies can understand the situation and plan their actions.

All three examples are pointing to the need for the industry to express itself clearly using a common language and standard definitions. Once customers start asking for this then we should be ready to respond.

As a first step, we have produced a taxonomy for our market. We first felt the need for such a structured approach as we went to take eopages live. I have talked about eopages before and am excited about this tool to help potential customers find competent suppliers. We started to design eopages using lists of products and services coming from earlier studies. But we found that the market definitions coming from these earlier studies did not adequately represent the market as we know it. We therefore spent some time studying how other organisations and companies describe the EO Service market and generating a new breakdown and structure.

Since this must reflect both a client view and a supplier view we have generated both market and thematic structures and have linked them through the eo service. For example, an eo service to provide maps of floods would meet a number of client needs and therefore fits into several market sectors (insurance, emergency responders, etc). In a thematic view we include it under geohazards. This is not easy to describe in words and if you are interested to know more, please contact us for a copy of the document.

The taxonomy will not just be used for Eopages where eo service companies will present themselves, EARSC will shortly be starting to conduct a detailed survey into the geo-information services industry. In the next few months, we shall be contacting as many companies as we can identify to find out aspects of their business; revenues, employees, business model etc. One aspect will be to look at the business sectors they work in and the types of products they have to offer. We shall be using the taxonomy to structure these discussions and to present our findings.

In another project, EARSC has a working group looking at the problem of describing common products through a set of standards. A first step is to identify what already exists and much work has been done under the auspices of the ESA Value Adding element programme and the EC GMES programme. Various products and services have been developed and we seek to assemble the documents describing each of them into a single source. The basis for organising this is the taxonomy where we can take each of the services identified and place them into the market and thematic structures. We have designed and put in place the database. Now the group is working to assemble the documents.

Once we have this completed we can start to understand, with guidance from the customer in market segments, what needs to be done to ensure a common understanding that meets their needs.
This work will take some time. If you are interested, contact us. It is fundamental work, not in itself generating new business.

Nevertheless, it should provide a sound platform for the eo services sector by responding to our clients requests for recognised products and providing reassurance of an industry that is moving to meet operational needs.

Best wishes,
Geoff Sawyer,
EARSC Secretary General

Eomag_Editorial, Issue29_Spring-2012.pdf
Eomag!_Issue 29_Spring 2012.pdf

During the past winter period, EUROSENSE has been very active in helping cities and municipalities in The Netherlands, GD of Luxembourg, Belgium and Germany setting up sensitization instruments to increase their energy efficiency and therefore reducing CO2-emissions.

Thermographic maps: excellent communication tools… when correctly used!

Over the past years, an increasing demand is noticed from cities and municipalities for suitable tools to communicate energy efficiency measures towards their inhabitants. EUROSENSE has been executing several thermography projects in France and Belgium during which heat losses from all buildings within the project area were measured by a thermal camera installed in an airplane which flew over the project area at a cold winter night. Main focus of these projects is the analysis of heat losses through roofs and subsequently an indication on the roof insulation quality. However, thermographic maps do need a correct use in order to communicate to inhabitants the correct message about their roof insulation quality.

EUROSENSE has developed an interesting methodology based upon volunteer measurements during the night of the flight. This methodology allows the inclusion of different parameters of the building causing differences in the measured heat radiation during the flight. Such parameters can be the roof material, the heating pattern of the room under the roof, the slope of the roof and so on. Next to a calibrated and homogenous thermographic map covering the entire city or municipality, an interpretation key and legends are provided as end result. By means of some simple questions in the interpretation key, inhabitants can deduct the legend to be used for their specific building and interpret the colours on the thermographic map in a correct way.

A first draft colour result from the thermographic map of an area in Luxembourg city

Furthermore, EUROSENSE provides training to dedicated personnel of the city or municipality who can help inhabitants with the interpretation and subsequently communicate all messages with respect to subventions for investments in a good roof insulation. This approach has proven to be very successful in Antwerp and neighbouring municipalities (see: http://zoominopuwdak.antwerpen.be) and Ghent (see: http://warmtefoto.gent.be) with several ten thousands of unique visitors in the first months after the launch of the online application with the results.

More and more cities and municipalities see the benefits of this approach and ask EUROSENSE to work out such a thermographic map with a correct interpretation thereof for their territory. Recently, EUROSENSE has been executing projects for Luxembourg City (GD of Luxembourg), but also for the city of Enschede in The Netherlands and the city of Rheinbach in Germany. The results of these projects will become available for their inhabitants in the summer of 2012.

Public Lighting: a huge energy waster!

Street lights consume enormous amounts of energy. A city or municipality therefore can benefit from an efficient use and placement of public lighting. At the other hand, it is interesting for cities to know where public places are badly lit which could result in a higher number of crime facts or dangerous traffic situations at this spot.

Light maps showing the amount of light therefore are an important policy tool for cities and municipalities. During the same night flight on which thermal images were acquired over the city of Enschede (see above), EUROSENSE acquired aerial imagery with a light sensitive camera. These “night images” were processed in the same accurate photogrammetric production chain resulting in a detailed “night orthophoto” of the city.


Example of the draft lightmap result in grey scale. It represents the lighting luminance during the night within the city of Enschede. Locations with too much light can be detected for energy savings , and locations with not enough light can be indicated for security reasons.

In the frame of this project, EUROSENSE will not only provide the city of Enschede with this “night orthophoto” or light map, but also with derived maps clearly indicating the under- or over-lit locations which can be used as a policy instrument at the city, not only for energy efficiency, but also for security matters.

Contact us for more information
EUROSENSE

The 2013 draft edition of the FP7 Work Programme (Theme 9: Space) is hereby made public at an early stage in the adoption of process.

The draft paper is available below and also on the Participants’ Portal in order to provide potential applicant with the currently expected main lines to prepare their proposals. This also ensures that “smaller players” are not left behind.

The work programme 2013 aligns with the objectives of Europe2020 and the Innovation Union Flagship in the way it fosters new ideas, supports world-class teams tackling significant societal challenges. The WP provides also for smooth transition to towards Horizon 2020 thus bridging to the new Research and Innovation Programme for 2014-2020.

This working document has not yet been endorsed by the European Commission. Indicative budgetary information have been removed and the content does not in any way prejudge further modifications, the subsequent formal opinion of the Programme Committee (Member States) nor the Commission’s future decision.

More info at

Utilizing opportunities Maximising the benefits
14 Sept. 2012, Perth – Australia


After two successful workshops at ESA in Frascati, please join us in Sept. 2012 in Perth, Australia for the 3rd workshop on Earth Observation for the Oil & Gas industry. Themes for the 1 day event will include but are not limited to: Environment / MetOcean / Geomatics / Infrastructure and will highlight the potential and best practise of using Earth Observation data and derived products for the Oil & Gas industry

This event will provide an opportunity to network and discuss with colleagues the challenges and benefits Earth Observation technology can provide to the Oil & Gas industry.

The workshop is open to members of the oil and gas industry, service providers and researchers involved in Earth Observation and related geo-information technologies.

With ever more Earth Observation systems (satellite and airborne) available, novel and advanced methods of working with the EO data are required. Extracting the maximum value from the derived products and integrating the results with other geo-information has become an opportunity for the O&G industry to improve business procedures and add value to existing approaches. Industry wide applied practises and commonly accepted procedures will help to standardize the EO methods and support their business value.

Venue: Woodside Energy – Auditorium
240 St. Georges Tce., Perth, Western Australia
Time: 8:30–17:00; Morning / Afternoon Tea and Lunch included

For more information
Registration Info will be announced soon – Please express your interest already to: secretariat@earsc.org

Numbers are limited and final participation list will be decided by the OGEO steering committee

The initiative “Tech All Stars” was one idea proposed at Digital Agenda Assembly 2011 by the participants and it is now a reality.

Tech All Stars connects twelve of the best web entrepreneurs from accelerators and web camp competitions across Europe with top EU funding sources, successful entrepreneurs, and hot networking opportunities. Tech All Stars is THE event for Europe’s best and brightest startups.

Tech All Stars is organized by the European Commission Information Society and Media and will be held in June 20th – 21st 2012 in London. The winner will also be invited to the Digital Agenda Assembly plenary on June 22nd in Brussels.

Startups must apply for a spot at Tech All Stars. 12 of the best startups will be selected to participate.

We are looking for tech startups that are registered within the EU and are ready to change the world! There are a few criteria that you must meet to participate:
Your startup is:
•registered within the EU
•less than 3 years old
•has raised less than 1,000,000 Euros in external capital

Tech All Stars is reserved for accelerator graduates and web camp winners. However, we’re also taking ‘wildcards’. Wildcards are hot tech startups that may not have gone through an accelerator or web camp, but have a FANTASTIC startup anyway. We want to give everyone a chance at glory!

Why are we doing this?

We want to foster an environment of growth for startups in the EU. Tech All Stars increases visibility for startups in the European market and provides a forum for presenting startup ideas to angel investors, top executives, mentors, and VCs. We’re looking for tomorrow’s startup superstars within the EU tech community. Tech All Stars is a good opportunity to engage with new startups that are working on innovative technologies.

Check it out at

Starting in February 2011 an information center has been functioning within the “Transparent World” structure. It is intended for provision of operational information and resource GIS/RS support on current nature protection issues of public importance.

Requests, received from different concerned parties (stakeholders), are being processed: citizens, representatives of environmental NGOs, strictly protected nature reserves, public nature protection agencies and commercial companies.

Information center objectives:

  • Accumulation of received requests and related information on current nature protection issues, for which solution the application of GIS\RS technologies is a challenge;
  • Real-time requests processing;
  • Distribution of results obtained using GIS and RS technologies;
  • Wide application of server products as a basis for integration, analysis and visualization of spatial data;
  • Fine-tuning of possibility to introduce approaches using space imagery and GIS into the system of public control;
  • Organization of two-way data exchange with stakeholders to the benefit of the Society (with regular presentation of activity results on public resources);

*Interaction with stakeholders for the purpose of development and promotion of the Information Center.

Salmon fishery monitoring on Sakhalin Island

The Information Center started to operate in February 2011. Full support is lent by ScanEx RDC traditionally paying much attention to social projects.

Within the first year of operations the specialists of the information center processed over 70 requests: from consultations on GIS-software and space images to information support about the situation on sites.

GIS-tasks arising before the organizations may now be resolved by the specialists of the Environmental Watch of the Sakhalin (Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk), Gebler Ecological Society (Barnaul), and Astrakhan State Natural Biosphere Reserve (Astrakhan).

For example, an employee of the regional public organization “Environmental Watch of Sakhalin” completed the training at the Information Center for skills enhancement and getting new knowledge on working with GIS-RS data. As a result, the borders of the Sakhalin Region protected natural area of regional significance were mapped, schemes of Sakhalin Region forestry procedures were created; data of Landsat 5/7 satellites and Terralook Aster products for 2009-2011 were received from open sources and prepared for usage; Sakhalin island fishery areas borders were mapped. 2010 archived SPOT 4/5 data, provided by ScanEx RDC, was analyzed for Pacific Salmon fishing gear installations. Out of 59 fish traps identified on space images, 24 were installed with violations of rules: the length exceeded the max limit, “the rule of perpendicular” was not observed, fish trap were installed closer to the river estuary than allowed. Demo report about the application of the satellite monitoring of fish traps, prepared based on 2010 space images, was submitted in early 2011 to the Sakhalin Region Fishery Agency, Sakhalin-Kurils Fisheries Department, Sakahlin Interregional Nature Protection Prosecutor’s Office and became the item of a serious talk with representatives of companies, whose fish traps in 2010 exceeded the specified length or had other violations of the fishing rules. During the 2011 salmon fishing season the satellite-based monitoring of the Pacific Salmon offshore fishery was conducted for the first time in the world practice by ScanEx RDC and the Sakhalin Environmental Watch.

The purpose of the project is the search and fine-tuning of an operational and efficient method of monitoring of abidance by the fishing rules for the Far Eastern fishery basin when installing fishing traps. The satellite monitoring is carried out based on analysis of optical high and middle resolution images from EROS B satellites (resolution – 0.7 m), SPOT 5 (2.5 m, 10 m) and SPOT 4 (10 m), as well as Landsat 5/7 and Terralook Aster images received from the archive of the US Geological Survey (http://glovis.usgs.gov/).

Application of highly detailed EROS B and SPOT 5 images became possible thanks to operational multiple imagery of the areas in July-September 2011 carried out by ScanEx RDC company. With respect to 55 dragnets and 59 fish traps of 36 legal entities with detected violations based on satellite data the authorities initiated inspections and revisions.

Space imagery for protected natural areas of Altai-Sayansky eco-region

In May 2011, the workshop-training was held for the employees of the Altai-Sayansky eco-region in the town of Abakan, dedicated to the remote sensing data application for monitoring changes in ecosystems of protected territories. The workshop organizers addressed to the NGO “Transparent World” for help in supplying space images. The Information Center employees selected the images, prepared narrations and recorded data to disks. As a result, each of the 12 protected natural areas of the region received archived multi-temporal optical space images at the workshop (Azas, Altai, Katun, Kuznetsky Alatau, Sayano-Shushensk, Khakassk, Tigereksk, Ubsunursk basin and Stolby nature reserves, Shorsky and Shushensky pine forest national parks, “Ergaki” nature park).

Monitoring water diversion in Dauriya

Water diversion of Hailar river into Dalai lake in trans-border Dauriya (Internal Mongolia, China) is not enough open to the public. Exchange of required data between Russian and Chinese parties is complicated. In this situation space images are one of the most unbiased and operational data sources about the condition within the water diversion area. In June 2011 the Information Center specialists prepared schematic maps based on SPOT 4 and Landsat 7 images for April-May 2011 covering the canal construction region for water diversion to Imin River. The information was given to the “Dauriya” International nature reserve employee and then used by the Russian delegation headed by the Deputy Head of the Water Resources Federal Agency V. Nikanorov during the official visit on June 13-15, 2011 to the town of Manjouli (China) to review the system of run-off flow diversion from Hailar river to Dalai lake.

Territorial disputes of the “Utrish” nature reserve

Starting June 2011 the Decree of the RF Ministry of Natural Resources from April 4, 2011 №196 came into effect. According to this decree the Provision on “Utrish” State Nature Reserve is amended in the part of its boundaries description. The Information Center specialists analyzed the introduced changes and created the schematic maps of the nature reserve. It turned out that according to the boundaries description the territory of the nature reserve is not in form of a single block – the reserve is split into 4 plots and a number of territories is excluded (the unique juniper-pistachio forest; 150 m wide corridors of approach roads to planned recreation activity sites, including the so-called “fire-protection forestry road”; riverside strip east of the Maly Utrish village). It was detected that part of roads, including this “fire-protection forestry road”, runs outside the limits of the specified corridors thus passing through the territory of the nature reserve (fig.1). The official conclusion of the NGO “Transparent World” specialists with illustrating the situation schematic maps of the nature reserve based on detailed SPOT 5 image, was handed in to the Greenpeace Russia and after that used in claim documents of the organization on contestation of the Ministerial Decree through the RF Supreme Court.


Fig. 1. Territory of the “Utrish” nature reserve, according to Attachment 1 to the Provision on State Nature Reserve “Utrish” (as amended as per RF Ministry of Natural Resources Decree from April 4, 2011, №196)

RS and GIS data as a source of unbiased information

Over 40 of other received and processed by the Information Center requests were FYIs: determination of the situation on the sites based on space images, change detection analysis of events and phenomena followed by handing in the results to interested parties to further use.

Very often it was about remote and hard-to-reach areas. For example, analysis of fire in “Ukok Rest Place” natural park, which is included in the UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites as “Golden Mountains of Altai”, was performed (fig. 2); assessment of gold mining legality on the territory of the World Heritage Site “Virgin forests of Komi” was made (fig. 3), preparation and participation in inspections of Greenpeace of Russia on the sites of oil spills in the Republic of Komi and in Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area was carried out, etc.


Fig. 2. “Ukok Rest Place” natural park. Area passed by fire and planned route of the “Altai” gas pipeline


Fig. 3. “Yugyd va” national park, Republic of Komi. Borders of the cadastral sites and main mining facilities

In some cases the use of RS and GIS data was required for analysis of the situation near large settlements, for example, Moscow (public monitoring of toll roads construction in Moscow and Moscow Region; analysis of reclaimed lands construction in Moscow Region; analysis of nature protection value of forests between Nikolsko-Arkhangelsky and Dzhershunsky micro-districts , conducted upon the request of local inhabitants due to multi-storey quarter construction planning project on the territory of the forest, etc.).

In most cases the need to use RS and GIS data was caused by the fact that construction projects were not duly coordinated and discussed with citizens and public organizations and no full presentation of project activities was made officially, or there were cases with no or incorrect information delivered, restriction of access for citizens to up-to-date data. Space images gave impartial and modern information about the construction status, helping to understand the “big picture” of a project.

The mission of the NGO “Transparent World” Information Center is to increase the transparency in the activities of the nature resources users and in support of nature protection organizations applying GIS and RS tools.

More information about the projects, implemented by the Information Center, is available by studying the materials, represented on the thematic map: http://maps.kosmosnimki.ru/api/index.html?EDW8L. Requests from citizens and organizations are accepted to the following e-mail address: info@transparentworld.ru (attn of: “Information Center”).

by Е.Tsybikova1
1 Specialist, NGO “Transparent World”, www.transparentworld.ru, e-mail: tsybikova@biodiversity.ru

(27 March 2012) Astrium’s teams have successfully completed the in-orbit delivery of the SSOT satellite system, which launched from the European spaceport in French Guiana on 16 December 2011.

In accepting delivery, the Chilean Air Force (FACh) confirmed that the conditions for the handover of the satellite, FASat Charlie, have been met in full within three months of its launch, thanks to its exceptional performance.

“Astrium is proud to have developed and delivered Latin America’s most powerful Earth observation satellite to the Chilean authorities and to have done so in optimum conditions, with performance matching perfectly the requirements and even exceeding the customers’ expectations” said Astrium CEO François Auque, who is in Chile for the FIDAE International Air and Space Fair. “This is a defining moment in Astrium’s long collaboration with Chile, which began in 2000. Far from marking its culmination, it is a stage in what we hope will become a wider and more intense partnership.”

The SSOT programme comprises a satellite and an operational ground segment based in Santiago, Chile. The satellite has a panchromatic resolution of 1.45 meters, representing unprecedented performance for a satellite weighing only 117 kg.

The 20 Chilean engineers operating it were trained at the Astrium site in Toulouse, where the system and satellite were developed and built.

SSOT is the latest satellite system to be exported by Astrium, the world’s leading exporter of Earth observation satellite systems.

“Astrium is the world’s third-largest space company and the number one in Europe. Our expertise encompasses all space activities, from launchers to satellite systems, the manufacture of the most sophisticated Earth observation, scientific and telecommunications satellites, as well as related telecommunications and image-processing services and applications designed to benefit our customers” added François Auque.

“We are delighted to have had the opportunity to demonstrate our capabilities and consolidate our position as world leader in the Earth observation market. We are keen to continue working with the Chilean authorities and, beyond that, with the authorities of other countries in the region to help them identify the space solutions that are best suited to their needs.”

Astrium is playing an active role at FIDAE 2012, which is currently taking place in Santiago, participating in conferences on space that have brought together, under the auspices of the Chilean Air Force, representatives from space agencies across Latin America.

About Astrium

Astrium is the number one company in Europe for space technologies and the third in the world. In 2011, Astrium had a turnover close to €5 billion and 18,000 employees worldwide, mainly in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain and the Netherlands.

Astrium is the sole European company that covers the whole range of civil and defence space systems and services.

Its three business units are: Astrium Space Transportation for launchers and orbital infrastructure; Astrium Satellites for spacecraft and ground segment; Astrium Services for comprehensive fixed and mobile end-to-end solutions covering secure and commercial satcoms and networks, high security and broadcast satellite communications equipment and systems, and bespoke geo-information services, worldwide.

Astrium is a wholly owned subsidiary of EADS, a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. In 2011, the Group – comprising Airbus, Astrium, Cassidian and Eurocopter – generated revenues of € 49.1 billion and employed a workforce of over 133,000.

(source: Astrium)