Pafos Live 28 July 2024
The Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania (MAICh), in collaboration with , the European Space Agency (), the support of the Region of Crete and , organized the 2nd Joint Conference of NASA's South/Central Europe and Mediterranean Regional Information Networks on July 16-19, 2024, in Chania. The aim of the Conference was to take advantage of recent innovations in the field of satellite data provision. Regional Information Networks were established under the international Global Forest Cover Observations and Land Use Potentials (GOFC-GOLD) programme, with the aim of providing satellite and in situ data on the Earth's surface with a focus on sustainable resource management at multiple scales.
The coordinators of its network on Earth and Space Observation issues in Europe are the following: Prof. Diophantus Hatzimitsis, from the Cyprus University of Technology (CUT) / ERATOSTHENIS Center of Excellence, Prof. Dr. Ioannis Gitas, from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Dr. Florian Max Schwandner from NASA and Vince Ambrosia from NASA, who had the full coordination of the work regarding the Mediterranean Network.
The contribution of the ERATOSTHENES/CUT Center of Excellence and the project during the Conference was significant through the contribution of Prof. Diophantou Hatzimitsis, CEO and Dr. Andreas Christofi, Director of Administration, who presented the following topics:
· The project ' 2020 ' which is coordinated by CUT with partners the ERATOSTHENES Center of Excellence, the Department of Electronic Communications of the Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, the German Aeronautics and Space Agency (DLR), the National Observatory of Athens (BEYOND, NOA) and the German Institute for the Study of the Troposphere in Leipzig (TROPOS), with a total funding of more than €38 million. Extensive reference was also made to the Data Acquisition Station for Earth Observation, which is expected to be installed in Cyprus by the end of 2025.
· the '-' project, which focuses on the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Earth Observation applications in the Disaster Risk Reduction theme (e.g. floods, forest fires, coastal erosion, landslides)
· the 'CARBONICA' project, which focuses on access to innovative carbon capture farming practices using space-based techniques.
· Cyprus' Earth Observation priorities based on Cypriot network participants, such as: forest fires, floods, landslides, earthquakes, droughts, agriculture (carbon footprint, irrigation demand, food security, crop health, urban island), soil and coastal erosion, cultural heritage (protection and risk assessment), water resources management, climate change and Artificial Intelligence.
