FUTURE BRIEF:Earth Observation’sPotential for the EU Environment

February 2013Issue 6

Environment

Science for Environment Policy

ImagesPage 3. Source: European Space Agency/J. Huart; Page 5, Figure 1. Source: European Environment Agency; Page 6, Figures 2-4, Source: Geoland2/Geoville; Page 7, Figure 5. Source: Joint Research Centre/European Union; Page 8, Figure 6. Source: ObsAIRve/European Commission.

The contents and views included in Science for Environment Policy are based on independent research and do not necessarily reflect the position of the European Commission.

This Future Brief is written and edited by the Science Communication Unit, University of the West of England (UWE), BristolEmail: sfep.editorial@uwe.ac.uk

To cite this publication:Science Communication Unit, University of the West of England, Bristol (2012). Science for Environment Policy Future Brief: Earth Observation’s Potential for the EU Environment. Report produced for the European Commission DG Environment, February 2013. Available at: http://ec.europa.eu/science-environment-policy

Introduction Earth observation in EuropeEarth observation of the landEarth observation of the oceansEarth observation of the atmosphereResource efficiencySummary and closing remarks

Contents

Science for Environment PolicyEarth Observation’s Potential for the EU Environment

About Science for Environment Policy

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Environmental policymaking depends on timely, accurate information about the state of our planet and predictions about its future. In combination with ground-level observations, earth observation from space by satellites can provide a wealth of data relating to the land, oceans and atmosphere. The resulting environmental information offers greater detail at larger scales than ground-level observation alone, and a unique opportunity to evaluate changes and impact of environment policies with consistent time-series across geographical boundaries, for instance, in assessing air quality, mapping the habitats of marine species or forecasting urban growth in European cities.

Many countries now have earth observation programmes. Europe’s earth observation programme, known as Copernicus (previously Global Monitoring for Environment and Security – GMES), is an EU-led initiative in partnership with the European Space Agency (ESA).

Currently in the early stages of implementation, Copernicus will produce data to inform EU, national and local level environmental policymaking and to support environmental monitoring, policy evaluation, modelling, forecasting and reporting. It is intended that the programme will make key contributions to EU flagship initiatives, including Resource-Efficient Europe, which focuses on securing Europe’s needs in terms of natural resources, such as food, soil, water, biomass, ecosystems, fuels and raw materials.

Building up the knowledge base is defined as a priority in both the Communication on a resource-efficient Europe1 and the new EU Environment Action

Programme to 20202. Copernicus can be considered as a building block together with other EU initiatives, such as SEIS (Shared Environmental Information System) and INSPIRE (Infrastructure for Spatial Information in the European Union).

As a member of the Group on Earth Observations (GEO), the European Commission is also collaborating with 88 participating governments to build a worldwide network of EO systems – a Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS).

The aim is to inform environmental decision-making in a world facing increasing environmental pressures and to realise societal benefits such as improved management of energy resources and sustainable agriculture.

1. COM(2011)21 A resource-efficient Europe – Flagship initiative under the Europe 2020 Strategy

2. http://ec.europa.eu/environment/newprg/pdf/7EAP_Proposal/en.pdf

“Understanding the earth system - its weather, climate, oceans, land, geology, natural resources, ecosystems, and natural and human-induced hazards - is crucial to enhancing human health, safety and welfare… protecting the global environment, and achieving sustainable development. Data collected and information created from earth observations constitute critical input for advancing this understanding.”

GEOSS Framework for a 10-Year Implementation Plan (2004)

The Sentinel-3 satellite is being developed by ESA for the Copernicus programme.

Earth Observation’s potential for the EU environment

Introduction

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1.0 Earth observation in Europe The origins of the Copernicus programme can be traced back to a series of meetings involving the European Commission and European space industry representatives in Baveno, Italy, in 1998. The result was the Baveno Manifesto, which called for a ‘long-term commitment to the development of space-based environmental monitoring services’ in Europe (Brachet, 2004).

In 2007, the Space Council – ESA and members of the European Commission – adopted the Resolution on the European Space Policy, inviting proposals from the Commission for financing and operating what was then GMES (EU 4th Space Council, 2007).

Prior to the Baveno Manifesto, it was recognised that real value would not emerge from satellite observations alone; space-based monitoring would need to be combined with data collected on the ground (‘in situ data’). In the same way that meteorologists combine satellite and in situ observations to make predictions about the weather, Copernicus integrates satellite and in situ observations to yield useful analysis of a wide range of environmental data.

Public and private sector partners are involved in data processing and the conversion of raw data from space into useful maps and applications-focused information, provided as GMES ‘services’. Access to data is a real challenge for Copernicus as it relies on a number of scientific networks funded by research projects, entailing risks for long-term sustainability. Another challenge is the consistency of in situ data, which are often collected at national and local level, closely linked to the work on the INSPIRE Directive and SEIS

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By definition, the land service addresses a broad range of environment policies including soil, forests, ecosystems, biodiversity, water and waste. The land monitoring component of Copernicus became operational under GMES Initial Operation (GIO) Land services, building on precursor activities, in particular, the Geoland2 Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) project). Based on user consultation, a stepwise approach was defined starting with common 'multi-purpose' information at Global, Pan-EU and 'local' level. The Pan-European and local land services are coordinated by the European Environment Agency (EEA) in cooperation with DG Environment.

GIO Land will ensure the continuity of CORINE (Coordination of information on the environment) Land Cover3 data series. It will also provide five new Pan-European land cover products with better resolution than CORINE for five different land characteristics: artificial surfaces, forests, grasslands, wetlands and small bodies of water.

The new services will provide a higher resolution of data as compared

to CORINE Land Cover. The local component aims to provide more detailed land cover information on specific areas of interest ('hot spots'), starting with the Urban Atlas product (see Section 2.1) and a biodiversity component (subject to the approval of GIO Work Programme 2013) in support of the Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystem and their Services, under the Biodiversity strategy. One of the most important applications of the land component is in providing land cover change information to use as a basis for monitoring, reporting and planning activities, and in simulations to predict future changes to land use and land cover.

A global extension of the land service is coordinated by the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission and will provide basic terrestrial parameters relating to bio-geophysical factors, radiation and water, at global scale in near real-time. These will be relevant for crop monitoring, carbon budget, biodiversity and climate change monitoring at a worldwide level.

3. http://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/COR0-landcover

2.0 Earth observation of the land

A history of Earth Observation in Europe

TIMELINE

1986 – First European earth observation satellite (SPOT-1) launched1998 – Initial idea for GMES at Baveno meeting1999 – Resolution on shaping the future of Europe in space, supported by ESA1999 – Resolution on developing a coherent European space strategy2000 – GMES conference, Lille, France2001 – Implementation strategy outlined in joint EC-ESA document2002 – Launch of ENVISAT2002 – 2006 Funding under 6th Framework programme (€230 million)2004 – ESA releases funds for socioeconomic assessment (€80 million)2005 – GMES established flagship programme within European Space Policy2006 – Graz dialogue addressed marketing of GMES services2007 – 2013 Funding under Seventh Framework programme (€1.4 billion)2008 – Launch of pre-operational phase2009 – EC proposal for initial operations2011-2013 – Initial operations2012 – ENVISAT finally stopped transmitting2012 – GMES renamed Copernicus2013 – Planned launch of first Sentinel satellite by ESA2014 – Full operations

initiative, as well as with the development of sectoral knowledge bases (for example, the Water Information System for Europe – ‘WISE’; ‘BISE’ on biodiversity, and others on soils).

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Figure 1: Example of Urban Atlas product on the urban zone of Brussels.

3.0 Earth observation of the oceansAccess to real-time data about the state of our oceans - including on local temperature, currents, salinity, sea level or sea-ice - is crucial for many human activities, such as responding to oil spills, protecting marine resources and safety at sea.

The marine monitoring service of Copernicus is currently operating under the MyOcean2 FP7 project, with plans to move to full implementation of ocean monitoring services by 2014.

Earth observation contributes directly towards the aims of the Marine Strategy Framework (Directive 2008/56/EC), which requires the establishment of a monitoring programme to measure progress towards GES.

The Directive lays out plans to achieve Good Environmental Status (GES) of the oceans by 2020, as measured by GES indicators currently under development. As well as providing inputs to initial evaluations of the status of European waters, earth observation data can be used to monitor ongoing change and progress towards environmental goals.

Specific marine monitoring applications include toxic algal blooms, oil spills, eutrophication, sea ice thickness and conditions that determine habitats for marine species. CleanSeaNet5 is a Copernicus service operated by the European Marine Safety Agency (EMSA) that uses satellite imagery to detect and monitor oil spills, and alerts coastal states to spills. It is also possible to link oil spills to individual vessels by integrating satellite data with shipping traffic reports.

Earth observation can also be used to inform fishing activities and policy, in order to sustainably manage fish stocks, and to identify suitable areas for fish farming. For instance, Copernicus missions provide the means to ensure future data provision in Europe, with the potential to carry out habitat mapping for other economically important species, such as mackerel and sardines (Druon, 2010). Case Study 2 describes the use of data from NASA satellites to study the habitats of overfished bluefin tuna in the Mediterranean.

5. http://cleanseanet.emsa.europa.eu/

The vast majority of people in Europe live in cities. Therefore, higher-resolution, more accurate information about the urban environment, if put to good use, could have a positive impact on the wellbeing of many Europeans, for example, by contributing to sustainable development of the urban environment through the optimisation of transport systems or improving access to green spaces, among other applications.

Data from satellites can be used to monitor urban sprawl into peripheral areas including agricultural land; and to refine demographic statistics and produce inputs for planning (see Case Study 1).

Urban Atlas, a collection of land use maps based on data from Copernicus earth observations, already covers over 300 large urban areas in Europe at a resolution 100 times higher than that of CORINE.

For example, high resolution maps of The Hague and Helsinki have been combined with population data in order to calculate people’s proximity to green areas in cities (Dijkstra, 2011). See Figure 1 for an example of an Urban Atlas map.

Away from the urban environment, earth observation can be used to assess forest cover, in particular to support reporting on land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF). The satellite SPOT-5 has enabled mapping of forested areas in Switzerland, helping to fulfil reporting commitments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate

2.1 Observing land cover and land cover change

Change and Kyoto Protocol relating to carbon sinks, and destruction, planting and regeneration of forests (GSE-Forest, 2006). Further land cover and land use change applications include monitoring to detect or avoid desertification, drought, forest fire risk and food security problems.

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Case study 1 Spatial planning: Earth Observation helps tackle soil sealing

Urban expansion, under the control of local and regional planning authorities, means that much of Europe’s soil is being replaced by artificial surfaces.

Despite this trend, the environmental and economic consequences of soil sealing4 (i.e. the covering over of soil by buildings, roads and other ‘impervious’ surfaces, so that it is no longer available for rain to pass through or for biodiversity to thrive) are not well understood. Carbon sequestration and water filtering are two examples of important ecological functions that may be lost due to urban expansion.

In the region of Lower Saxony, Germany, most land is used for agriculture and farming, and changes to land use that threaten soil are regulated under federal and state laws. The state has previously carried out research on the degree of soil sealing in the region. During the 1990s, over five hectares were lost each day to soil sealing (Gunreben, n.d.).

The state authority for mining, energy and geology is responsible for soil protection at the state level. The authority has used data from Copernicus land services to inform its management of land resources and strategy for adapting to climate change.

Planning staff within the department for agriculture and soil conservation worked with geographic information provider Infoterra and the remote-sensing consultancy Geoville to extend the reach of mapping to cover the entire state of Lower Saxony (Weichselbaum, n.d.).

The data available provide crucial inputs for spatial planning that is mindful of the department’s soil conservation aims.

Through a combination with other demographic data, key policy questions can be answered, such as: where does soil sealing occur, how much soil surface is being lost and how many people are being affected?

4. http://eusoils.jrc.ec.europa.eu/library/themes/Sealing/

Figure 2: Example of Imperviousness High Resolution land cover (1 hectare resolution) for characterising the level of soil sealing in Zalaegerszeg. Hungary.

Figure 3: Example of Grassland High Resolution land cover (1 hectare resolution)

Figure 4: Example of Grassland High Resolution land cover (using the visual data in Figure 3, above), overlaying a satellite image.

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Case study 2 Mapping the habitats of bluefin tuna to help protect fish stocks

Bluefin tuna fishing activities in the Mediterranean Sea are centred on the spawning season in spring, starting in the eastern Mediterranean and moving west when fish shoal at the surface of the water5. Fishing closures during spawning season in the western Mediterranean Sea in recent years are likely to have exerted additional pressure on eastern bluefin Mediterranean stocks.

Habitat mapping can help guide management of fishing activities to better protect fish stocks. Earth observation of the Mediterranean region by the NASA satellite Aqua between 2003 and 2009 identified the likely habitats of bluefin tuna populations (Druon, 2010). Using infrared and optical sensors, the satellite was able to produce estimates of night sea surface temperature and surface chlorophyll content, indicating concentrations of algae. Bluefin tuna spawn in warm and well stratified waters, over 20°C, and thus temperature helps to retrieve the favourable spawning habitats. The fish feed in clear water near productive oceanic features (such as gyres), so feeding habitats were mapped tracking specific chlorophyll and concentrations. Figure 5 is an estimated map of the favourable feeding and spawning habitats of bluefin tuna for three days in May 2012. Earth observation data were compared with observation data from scientific aerial surveys and fishermen log books. Potential habitats for spawning can vary from year to year (Druon et al. 2011) so fishing vessels spend most of their effort at sea to searching for them. Therefore, information about habitats also available in near real-time (with just a one day delay) could be used either to protect spawning stocks by guiding fishing closures or to guide fishing vessels towards restricted, favourable habitats under a very strict control scheme. As conditions tend to be stable for 2-3 days, data could be also be used to guide control fishing activities in real-time.

5. http://ec.europa.eu/fisheries/marine_species/wild_species/bluefin_tuna/index_en.htm

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Figure 5: Spawning and feeding habitats of bluefin tuna in the Mediterranean during the 2012 spawning season. Boxed (black) area represents proposed target area for fishing; orange boxes represent spawning habitats. (White areas indicate insufficient data).

4.0 Earth observation of the atmosphere Satellite sensors are capable of detecting chemicals in the Earth’s atmosphere from space, providing data that can be combined with observations from ground-level monitoring and modelling to generate accurate information about air quality, with important implications for human health. Under the current Monitoring Atmospheric Composition and Climate (MACC) FP7 project, the atmosphere component of the Copernicus programme is set to become fully operational in 2014. However, applications, such as local air quality forecasting, are already emerging. airText for London6 and ObsAIRve7 (see Case Study 3) provide subscribers with air quality information in the form of text, app-based and social media alerts.

The advent of space-based air quality monitoring has helped to improve monitoring coverage, which was otherwise rather sparse. For example, earth observations can be used to improve estimates of particulate matter concentrations. Most Europeans living in cities are exposed to fine particles in the air. Research carried out between 2008-2011 on air quality in 25 European cities suggested that exceeding World Health Organization air quality guidelines on particulate matter (PM2.5) causes 19,000 deaths a year and costs European Member States €31 billion in healthcare (Aphekom, 2011). Pilot projects involving European

and US satellite observations over Northern Italy suggest that earth observation in combination with in situ monitoring and simulations of weather conditions can improve policy evidence on European air quality legislation on particulate matter (Di Nicolantonio et al, 2010). Future satellites called the ‘Sentinels’ launching under the Copernicus programme promise more complete and reliable estimates of air quality.

Another key application area is greenhouse gas monitoring and climate change forecasting. Via MACC and in situ observations, concentrations of carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere are measured and mapped (MACC, 2012). Estimates of atmospheric composition are produced about five to six months behind real-time because they incorporate ground level measurements that cannot be immediately retrieved. As an open resource, the aim is to provide data for scientific investigations of climate change, as well as long term benefits in the form of more consistent and reliable data for reporting and policymaking related to climate change.

6. www.airtext.info7. www.obsairve.eu

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Case study 3 Air quality apps for smartphones

The ObsAIRve service delivers locally relevant information about air quality directly to users in some European cities via smartphone. After downloading the free app, users can view forecasts for the current day and the day ahead.

Forecasts are based on satellite and ground level data from monitoring stations in participating cities. They are presented in a simple to understand format based on the common air quality index (CAQI), which integrates concentrations of ozone, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide and particulate matter into one value.

Areas with high CAQI values on ObsAIRve maps and city forecasts are indicated by the colour red, whereas areas with low CAQI values are indicated by the colour green. The monitoring service allows users to know when air quality is poor, for example, due to traffic pollution or an isolated industrial incident.

Summary and closing remarks Earth observations from space can provide more continuous and consistent information about the environment, as compared to observations at ground level alone, which are often fragmented and periodic.

However, satellite data alone are not sufficient and the real value of earth observation lies in its combination with in situ monitoring and simulations to provide powerful imaging, reporting and forecasting functions.

In Europe, earth observation is already producing a wealth of data that is being used in applications such as mapping urban sprawl, tracking oil spills at sea and measuring concentrations of harmful air pollutants, with implications for sustainable development, marine conservation and human health.

Earth observation can inform decisions in environmental policymaking at local, regional and pan-European levels. Potential limitations include lack of awareness about the data resources that are available, data unavailability due to cloud cover, lack of information concerning the quality of data, the expertise required to interpret the information and cost (in particular for very high resolution data).

The budgetary needs of the Copernicus programme between 2014 and 2020 are estimated at around €6 billion, including the space and in situ components (European Commission, 2011). However, societal benefits stemming from Copernicus are estimated to outweigh the costs by four to twelve times (Space-Tec Partners, 2012). As the programme becomes fully operational, Europe may see significant long term environmental benefits from improved environmental monitoring and forecasting.

Figure 5: Screenshot of ObsAIRve app.

5.0 Resource efficiency Pressures on resources, including raw materials, soil, water, biomass and ecosystems, and even fresh air, are increasing. Using resources more effi-ciently is a priority under the Europe 2020 Strategy, further defined in the EU Resource Efficiency roadmap adopted in 2012. Also, given the global dimension of key environmental issues, such as climate change, biodiversity, land use, deforestation, the EU needs to address resource efficiency at the international level. Earth observation can help inform more efficient use of resources by building up the knowledge base un-derpinning the resource efficiency flagship initiative. It can also provide neutral and strategic information at a global level, including analysis of long term trends derived from space data series.

Satellite observations can be used to add crucial insights into, for example, more comprehensive assessments of potential locations for offshore wind farms and solar energy plants, thereby contributing substantively to optimising renewable energy production. In the case of wind energy, for example, satellites are capable of measuring ocean

winds as well as assessing seabed habitats in the shallow waters often occupied by turbines (Fellous and Béquignon, 2010). Analysis of in-land water, although more complex compared to oceans, is also possible and increasingly important in areas where water is scarce due to dense populations and dry conditions.

The European Commission’s 2012 Blueprint8 to safeguard Europe’s wa-ter resources highlights the value of satellite observations in providing a scientific basis for sound water policies. More generally, the large-scale, high resolution observations of satellites can help improve scientific understanding of ecosystem functioning and biodiversity within many different types of ecosystems and across many different habitats – from marine habitats like coral reefs to agricultural land – and thus inform the way that we utilise and safeguard the resources these ecosystems provide.

8. http://ec.europa.eu/environment/water/pdf/blueprint_leaflet.pdf

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