GEOBON contributes to the development of a new toolset and portal using satellite technology to monitor and safeguard wetlands
Mobilising the power of satellite data to safeguard wetlands and halt degradation is precisely what the Satellite-based Wetland Observation Service (SWOS) will deliver. But what type of data do we need to collect? And how does it translate into real information that can be used to influence policy?
GEOBON contributes to the development of a new toolset and portal using satellite technology to monitor and safeguard wetlands.
Developing such a toolset and portal that utilises Earth Observation data and other wetland data to track the conditions of wetland ecosystems and detect on-going changes, requires input from some of the brightest minds in the business. At a recent workshop in the Netherlands, 47 stakeholders* from 15 countries, jointly developed the user requirements for this toolset to improve wetland monitoring and conservation needs.
As a result, SWOS is collecting and processing satellite data to deliver information on the status and trends of wetland water quality, ecosystem services, land use and land cover changes, surface temperature, soil moisture, water surface dynamics and more. This data, filtered through a portal, will supply users with harmonized wetland data to drive management and policy.
SWOS is a EC Horizon 2020 project to develop a monitoring and information service for wetland ecosystems that supports the consideration of wetlands in the implementation of key policy areas. The project has developed several preliminary results derived from satellite imagery for sites in Europe, Asia, and Africa. For more information, please visit Website: https://www.remote-sensing-solutions.com/satellite-based_wetland_observation/.
Interested in being a user?
Fill out the questionnaire: https://www.dropbox.com/s/dkfzrrc3pg8hbv8/SWOS_URQ_v1.2.docx?dl=0
More information:
Kathrin Weise – Project Manager
Jena-Optronik GmbH
Kathrin.Weise@jena-optronik.de
*Stakeholders range from policymakers, wetland managers, and the scientific community (including the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, EC MAES Working Group, GEO BON, European Space Agency, and representatives from national, regional, and local bodies).