DEesertification Monitoring and ASsessment using DLR/BIRD microsatellite technology:

Kurzfassung

The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) recognizes the importance and the necessity of an international cooperation and reinforces the need for rigorous scientific knowledge and systematic monitoring of desertification . It also recognizes the importance of providing decision makers, in affected countries, with effective means to combat the problem, including relevant data, information and access to technology. Space-aided technologies, which offers the unique advantages of transcending political boundaries, can provide a global coverage of the Earth ; completing terrestrial observations and measurements and enhancing and complementing existing earth-based technology. Despite the efforts of many countries and companies to promote the use of remote sensing technology and despite the development of sensors optimized for specific tasks, e. g. forest fire, atmosphere, ozone, water quality, fishery, sea temperature, ice coverage…; we notify that most of these sensors were and are still developed to be used in countries with “European” conditions (Important vegetation coverage; large landscape and land use units; soil albedo neglectable…); one task is still missing: desertification. So, actually and at the exception of Spot-Vegetation or Landsat Thematic Mapper, these commercial sensors are not automatically suitable for desertification measurements; since in desertified areas, we deal with less vegetation coverage ( rarely exceeding 30 %) and small land use units ( mainly ranging from 0.5 to 1.0 hectare). Also, in desertified areas, the albedo is at it’s maximum with only small exceptions (oases, protected areas ...). From the users point of view like FAO or “Institut des Régions Arides” ( IRA) in Tunisia, existing remote sensing systems are not used as effectively as they could for decision making to combat desertification. In order to build an innovative, realistic and feasible contribution to the global fight against desertification ; it seems of high necessity to better understand the relationships between space aided observation technology and the complex ecological and environmental systems in areas affected by desertification. This is the goal of the following research proposal between the Institut des Régions Arides (Tunisia) and DLR (Germany), in the field of desertification monitoring and assessment (DEMAS). The performance parameters of the DLR microsatellite BIRD (Bispectral Infrared Detection) and its airborne version ABAS ( Advanced BIRD Airborne System) are explained in the context of small temperature difference resolution. During a measurement campaign, the data of BIRD in the earth orbit and ABAS on an airplane as well as ground truth measurements shall be generated simultaneously, in order to investigate the feasibility of using IR data to monitor and assess certain aspects of desertification and derive desertification indicators. In a first collaborative and cooperative step, Southern Tunisia, a region greatly affected by desertification, is proposed as test area for this pilot project. Tunisia is from one hand a country with an existing internationally respected infrastructure for arid lands observation programs ( the Institut des Régions Arides, Medenine ), as well as an advanced National Action Plan (PAN) for combating desertification an land degradation. From the other hand, the environmental issues faced by Tunisia are very similar to those faced by other countries in the region. The project could then serve as an Excellency Center for the application of the program in the Mediterranean region in the Arab World .