Key messages
- The increasing availability of free-to-access satellite data can radically transform how we assess and monitor inland waters.
- Space agencies and stakeholders must work together to co-develop the next generation of 'better, cheaper and faster' satellite-based water services.
Why inland waters?
Inland water bodies, such as lakes, reservoirs and rivers, are extremely important to human societies. These waters play a crucial role in human health and well-being, supplying water for drinking (humans and animals) and food (irrigation, fisheries and aquaculture). They create vital ecosystems, supporting high levels of biodiversity and contributing to the global carbon and nutrient cycles. Moreover, lakes and reservoirs store information from the entire basin and so act as records of environmental change.
Despite their importance, many inland water bodies are under severe pressure, including from pollution, invasive species, extraction of upstream water, and climate change. As they connect three-quarters of the Earth's terrestrial surface with the oceans, the study of inland waters is key to monitor the impact of such pressures.
How can satellites help?
Earth-observation (EO) data collected from satellites can change the way we understand inland waters. In fact, the European Union's Earth Observation Programme, Copernicus, is already radically transforming the assessment of inland and coastal water bodies, with increasing free-to-access satellite data available.
Satellite earth-observation data can also help achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. For example, satellites can estimate the amount of water available for drinking and food production. Satellite data can also characterize water quality and monitor harmful algal blooms, as well as improving understanding the journey of pollutants, including plastics, from their origin on land to the ocean.
There are also many current and potential users of satellite data.. These include scientists, national water managers, environmental consultants, non-profit organizations, and international agencies. This evolving arena is also constantly making new spaces for innovators and start-ups.
A roadmap for the future
For the next generation of satellite services to be 'better, cheaper and faster', it is critical that satellite agencies work closely with data users to identify future needs.
Following the European Commission's Horizon2020 Space call for "Copernicus evolution: Mission exploitation concept for Water", the Water-ForCE project, a scientific partnerships of 20 universities, research institutes, and business and industry participants from 11 European countries, was formed to create a roadmap for the future. Five working groups were set up, focusing on different topics, working together on recommendations and future scenarios for the Copernicus mission.
The roadmap will be tested in an open international workshop in 2023 with potential users and stakeholders encompassing the space industry, the business and policy sectors, intergovernmental agencies and NGOs before the final version is delivered. During the creation of the roadmap, several aspects of the Copernicus services have already been discussed in workshops and webinars; such as the In situ calibration and validation of satellite products of water quality and hydrology workshop, or the Copernicus for Africa webinar. All the videos and materials are available on the Water-ForCE website, where you can register your interest in attending.