Reference data base. Report for EU-FP7-Projekt SENSUM (FP7-SPACE-2012-1/312972)

Abstract

This report highlights the high potential of earth observation for consistent and objective monitoring of elements at risk at various spatial scales. The product portfolio of EO derived geo-products ranges from global low resolution land cover datasets to high resolution spatially accurate building inventories on a local scale. Despite the importance of adequate data for a comprehensive risk analysis as a critical factor affecting the constraints and requirements for the scientific community, end-users, stakeholders and policy makers, an immense discrepancy exists between data-rich countries of the developed world where extensive geospatial information is available, and less-developed data-poor countries. While data-poor countries mainly rely on international efforts to provide low resolution land cover / use maps of global coverage, significant international efforts to provide geo-products of medium to high resolution on a regional scale have only been undertaken in data-rich countries of the developed world such as Europe in the past. With regard to user-oriented product generation in project SENSUM, a multi-scale and multi-source reference database has been set up to systematically screen available products with regard to data availability for the three project test sites of strongly differing data availability: Cologne (data-rich), Izmir (intermediate), Isfara/Batken (data-poor). At a later stage, these data will serve as a reference to evaluate and document the capabilities and limitations of the proposed products and range them with regard to the current GMES product portfolio. From the final database content, it becomes clear that data-poor countries of Central Asia mainly rely on coarse resolution products of global coverage which, however, provide multi-categorical thematic detail. In contrast, medium and high resolution datasets are spatially restricted to the European test sites due to trans-European mapping efforts initiated there. However, two currently developed global products – namely DLR’s Global Urban Footprint as well as JRC’s Global Human Settlement Layer – will be a major leap forward regarding the derivation of high resolution and accurate reference data for human exposures on a global scale – as they will provide consistent and geometrically detailed land cover information at unprecedented spatial resolutions. Furthermore, a viable option for future research and applications is presented, namely Volunteered Geographical Information (VGI) by crowd-sourcing of extensive mapping communities such as the Open StreetMap project. However, as remote sensing methods alone cannot provide all information needed for a comprehensive vulnerability and risk estimation, especially when political or socio-economical vulnerability is considered, the call for future research is on the integration of EO and in-situ data. Furthermore, the higher-ranking goal of activities in project SENSUM should address potentials for integration of the proposed products and methodologies in the GMES service offer, particularly envisaging the future expansion of the existing GMES service and product offer to further non-European countries.