Madeeha Bajwa
Speaker,GEO Secretariat
27 May 26, 15:30 - 16:45
Salle B
Community Event - Leveraging Earth Observations for Post-War Recovery (Regional GEO Session)
Description
Armed conflicts are increasingly affecting not only human populations but also natural systems, with long-term consequences for ecosystems, natural resources, and environmental sustainability. While the human toll remains paramount, the environmental dimension of conflict—often transboundary in nature—requires greater attention and coordinated response. This session will explore how advanced Earth observation data, including very-high resolution imagery (VHR), combined with innovative analytics, including artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques, can be leveraged to address post-conflict environmental assessment, monitoring, and recovery efforts. Using Ukraine as an illustrative case, the session will consider how environmental impacts of conflict extend beyond national borders, affecting neighboring countries and regional ecosystems, and how these challenges could be addressed through coordinated Earth Intelligence solutions.
The primary objective of the session is to gauge interest and mobilize the GEO community around the potential development of a new GEO Work Programme activity focused on post-conflict environmental monitoring and recovery.
The discussion will explore:
- Available technical expertise and existing relevant initiatives and good practices from the GEO community in this domain
- The relevance and demand for a dedicated GEO initiative in this domain
- Potential scope, user needs, and partnership models of a dedicated GEO initiative
- Opportunities to position Ukraine as a pilot case within a broader, scalable GEO initiative addressing conflict-affected environments
Agenda
Session Introduction and Opening Remarks (Sergey Gerasymchuk, Madeeha Bajwa, Pier Carlo Sandei)
Showcases and Technical Demonstrations
- Environmental Challenges for Ukraine: Conflict and post-war recovery (Volodymyr Mikheiev)
- Monitoring Transboundary Environmental Impacts: The relevance of Copernicus (Michel Rixen)
- CAMS and C3S Tools to Cope with Transboundary Environmental Impacts of the War (Stijn Vermoote)
- Using VHR to Address Environmental Challenges in Conflict Zones (Vincent Gerritsma)
Open Discussion (Moderator: Sergey Gerasymchuk)
- Is there interest within the GEO community to co-develop a new GEO initiative on leveraging Earth Intelligence for post-conflict environmental recovery? What unique value could GEO bring in this space?
- If so, what should be the appropriate scope (e.g. regional, global, or pilot-based), priority user needs, and partnership modalities to ensure impact and sustainability?
- Which existing Earth observation datasets, analytical capabilities, and methodologies within the GEO community and beyond could be mobilized, and how could they be effectively integrated to support post-conflict recovery efforts
Wrap-up and Next Steps (Sergey Gerasymchuk)
