Biodiversity, Ecosystems, and Natural Capital

Species and Habitat Monitoring: EO technologies can map and monitor habitats, assess biodiversity richness, and track the health of ecosystems over time. This is crucial for conservation efforts, enabling the identification of endangered species and the impacts of human activities on natural habitats.

Ecosystems monitoring: Includes coastal, snow and ice, terrestrial and water ecosystems.

• For coastal ecosystems monitoring, EO provides information on multiple parameters, such as coastal wetland loss, land-use cover and change, wetland mapping, coastal geomorphology, water optical properties, waterbody nutrients (chlorophyll-a), littoral and subtidal habitat, erosion and sedimentation mapping, long time series of ocean colour products including uncertainties estimates or health issues such as algal bloom detection.

• For snow and ice ecosystems monitoring, EO provides data on snow and ice cover (multispectral and thermal, and to a lesser extent microwave), mapping the structural glaciology of big and small glaciers, mapping glacier change, conducting glacier inventories, mapping glacier thinning, measuring thinning ice shelves, glacier velocity, mapping glacier landforms and measuring the ice-sheet bed.

• For terrestrial ecosystems monitoring, EO data provides information on plant species which respond differently to light emitted by the sun or by various artificial energy sources, with specific reflection characteristics in the electromagnetic spectrum. This makes EO data of adequate spectral and spatial resolution and a useful tool to distinguish different species. Other relevant data derived from EO relate to air/water quality completing the information for the status/forecasting of the ecosystem.

• For water ecosystems monitoring, EO provides information on multiple parameters needed to assess the conditions and the equilibrium in water ecosystems, such as: bio-geochemical analyses and forecasts for global and regional seas, topography, bathymetry, ocean colour, sea-surface temperature, ocean currents, fish quantification, and others.

Ecosystem Services Valuation: By providing data on ecosystem changes, EO helps in evaluating the economic value of ecosystem services such as carbon storage, water purification, and pollination. This supports policy-making and conservation strategies aimed at preserving natural capital.

Integration by NGOs: Biodiversity and environmental NGOs are increasingly leveraging EO in their operations. For example, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) developed the GLOBIL initiative, an online ArcGIS toolkit that consolidates geospatial data for ecosystem conservation, highlighting the growing importance of EO for biodiversity conservation.

Climate Services

Adaptation and Mitigation Strategies: Satellite data aids in the development and monitoring of climate adaptation and mitigation strategies. For example, it can help identify the most effective areas for reforestation or monitor the success of carbon sequestration projects.

Climate change mitigation and adaptation: Various types of EO data can be used to aid the formation of short and long-term climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies.

Climate monitoring and forecasting: Many types of EO data can be used in climate monitoring and forecasting. Air quality, land temperature, cloud cover and several other parameters relevant to the climate can all be understood with EO data, which in turn can be built into relevant models and contribute to climate forecasting. This information is vital for understanding climate change trends, modelling future scenarios, and informing global climate policy.

EO-based climate modelling: Many types of EO data, despite being unavailable for a long period, are used as an input into climate modelling. This results in computer-simulated dynamic projections of the Earth’s systems behaviour used for various purposes.

Environmental Monitoring

Environmental auditing: EO data aids in the assessment of the impact of human activity across four different environments: atmosphere, coasts, land, and water and oceans.

• For the atmosphere, multiple EO satellites and sensors are dedicated to monitoring atmospheric conditions, including air quality and the presence of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, enabling the provision of short- and long-term forecasting.

• For the coastal environment, relevant EO data can be acquired relating to wetland loss, land-use cover and change, wetland mapping, coastal geomorphology, water optical properties, waterbody nutrients (chlorophyll-a), and littoral and subtidal habitat.

• With regards to land, relevant parameters range from land-use cover and change, vegetation, biomass, and soil monitoring, to the monitoring of human impacts, such as waste, constructions, and other infrastructure.

• The relevant parameters for water and ocean environment which can be acquired through EO include temperature, transparency/turbidity, water depth, tides, currents, and to an extent, flora and fauna. The data also supports the monitoring of infrastructure and other traces of human activities, including waste.

Environmental impact assessment and ESG:  EO plays a vital role in conducting impact studies and implementing ESG policies across four distinct environments.

• For the atmosphere, EO satellites and sensors are deployed to monitor atmospheric conditions, encompassing air quality and greenhouse gas emissions, facilitating both short- and long-term forecasting.

• Along coastlines, EO data provides insights into wetland loss, land-use changes, wetland mapping, coastal geomorphology, and water properties, including chlorophyll-a levels and littoral and subtidal habitats.

• On land, EO applications extend to land-use changes, vegetation, biomass, soil monitoring, and the assessment of human impacts like waste disposal,  construction, and infrastructure development.

• In water and ocean environments, EO data captures parameters such as temperature, transparency, water depth, tides, and currents, while also offering insights into flora, fauna, and human activities, including the monitoring of infrastructure and waste.

Air Quality and Pollution: Satellites equipped with EO sensors monitor air quality indicators and track pollution sources worldwide. This data is essential for assessing health risks, enforcing environmental regulations, and developing strategies to reduce emissions.

Water Quality and Resources: EO technologies assess water quality in rivers, lakes, and oceans, including parameters like temperature, chlorophyll levels, and pollutants. They also monitor water resources, supporting sustainable water management practices in the face of climate change and population growth.

Disaster Response and Management: EO satellites provide critical information before, during, and after natural disasters, such as floods, hurricanes, and wildfires. This enables more effective emergency response, damage assessment, and recovery planning.

Ecosystem Conservation and Restoration: EO data’s increasing significance in ecosystem conservation and restoration projects is emphasized. This includes coral reef monitoring, where EO data offers insights into ocean acidification, 3D reef modelling, and health assessment, showcasing the critical role of EO in supporting large-scale environmental efforts.