Geotechnology

Supporting environmental assessments with spatial data

CURRENT STATUS

Data are at the basis of decision-making. The evolution and amount of data gathering techniques and processing tools have exponentially increased data availability and the potential for different analyses. In this context, a sophisticated data management ecosystem is crucial to respond to complex environmental challenges. To serve its purpose, data harmonisation and integration are key in order to be able to respond effectively to the growing demand by environmental policy frameworks. European policies and initiatives such as INSPIRE and the European Environment Agency’s Integrated Data Platform are pushing forward this type of efforts towards a strong data system.

In parallel, the free and open data policy of major Earth Observation programmes such as Landsat and Copernicus is offering a huge potential for improved mapping, monitoring, modelling and assessment of environmental features on land, sea and in the atmosphere, with a wide range of data-related services developed and requiring continuous updates and improvement. The challenge lies still in making all these data and products available to the users, raising awareness on their availability, promoting their use and facilitating adoption in institutional and business workflows.

OUR ACTIONS

The ETC-UMA team can cover all parts of the Monitoring - Data - Information - Assessments - Knowledge (MDIAK) workflow, using remote sensing techniques for data collection, structuring them to achieve data, interpreting them into information, integrating information to assess the state and trends of the environment and contextualising the assessment to gain knowledge.

Our team has been involved in European environmental data initiatives from their very beginning, collaborating in the pre-operational phase of the   programme on land monitoring (e.g. geoLand2, HELM) and supporting the development of data management structures for the European Environment Agency. We have contributed to improving the European land monitoring system by engaging in the EIONET Action Group on Land monitoring in Europe (EAGLE) and supported the Copernicus Land Monitoring Service. Based on this engagement, we have positioned ourselves in the national and European Copernicus ecosystem, being an active member of the Copernicus Academy network and the Spanish Copernicus User Forum.

Moreover, we have been strongly involved in the technical development of remote sensing applications in the context of wetland monitoring and land use modelling approaches in the Black Sea basin.

Our achievements are

Major contribution to the establishment of EEA’s Integrated Data Platform.

Continuous technical support to the Copernicus Land Monitoring Service (CMLS), particularly the EAGLE group.

Development of remote sensing applications.

Active membership in the Copernicus Academy and the Spanish Copernicus User Forum.

User engagement at national and European scale for successful user uptake of Copernicus products.

Development of mapping and knowledge portals at Mediterranean and European level.

Resources

Get in touch

Christoph Schröder

Copernicus - User engagement

christoph.schroder@uma.es

Based on my MSc in Geography (University of Bonn) I have developed expertise in Geographic Information Systems and land use/cover change analysis from local to global scale with particular interest in the Mediterranean...

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Emanuele Mancosu

Integrated Data Platform - Land modelling

emanuele.mancosu@uma.es

Strong interests and curiosity about environment subjects and informatics technology. The academic career was orientated in natural science finished in 2004 with highest honors with particular attention on geographic information system...

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RESTORE4Cs 1st Policy Brief: How can coastal wetlands help achieve EU climate goals?

The first RESTORE4Cs Policy Brief of RESTORE4Cs, “How can coastal wetlands help achieve EU climate goals?“, highlights the importance of European coastal wetlands for reducing Greenhouse Gas emissions. The key messages of the first RESTORE4Cs Policy Brief include: Coastal wetlands are important natural carbon stores, ...
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Mapping the Impact of Blue Tourism in the Mediterranean

The IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation with the support of ETC-UMA in the framework of the Blue Tourism Initiative, has released a comprehensive report entitled “Mapping the Impact of Blue Tourism in the Mediterranean: Vulnerability Assessment of Coastal and Marine ...
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StrategyMedFor Presented at Annual Medforval Meeting 2024

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Save the date! Unlocking solutions for coastal conservation in Europe

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Towards a Strategy for the Sustainable Management of Mediterranean Forests (StrategyMedFor)

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Tools for conserving the Spanish coast

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Looking back and forth to Mediterranean Forests

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More space for innovative Mediterranean forest data partnerships

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The Earth from Space shown by ETC-UMA at FANTEC 2023

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ETC-UMA launches new technologies applied to ecosystem knowledge

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Celebrating and calibrating Mediterranean forests

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The European Topic Centre of the University of Malaga (ETC-UMA) is looking for an IVY volunteer!

The volunteer will support the ENI CBC MED project “ENSERES – ENhancing Socio-Ecological RESilience in Mediterranean coastal”, under the ENI CBC MED programme. The objective of the ENI CBC MED project “ENSERES” is to mainstream available EBM tools in ICZM processes for preserving coastal and marine ecosystems ...