Enhancing Ecosystems Conservation through Earth Observation Solutions, Capacity Development and Co-design
PEOPLE-ECCO is funded by the European Space Agency as one of the projects in the Pioneering Earth Observation Applications for the Environment (PEOPLE) series of the Earth Observation Science for Society (EO4Society) programme.
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Objectives
Effective ecosystem conservation is crucial to halt global biodiversity loss and to mitigate the effects of global climate change. Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) are key actors in achieving an effective conservation and restoration of ecosystems, as these multifaceted organizations work on the interface of project implementation, education, public policy advocacy and research. The two overarching goals of the PEOPLE-ECCO project are:
Goal 1
To engage CSOs/NGOs active in ecosystems conservation by involving them in the co-design of Earth Observation-supported methodologies applicable in their operational practices and though EO capacity building activities, and
Goal 2
To develop, test, demonstrate and validate EO-integrated methods, based on the identified user requirements and co-design. Building on existing EO initiatives and projects, the EO solutions developed in this project will answer two parallel conservation objectives: monitoring conditions and management effectiveness of existing protected areas (Objective A), and site suitability identification of high-priority areas to be protected (Objective B).
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The overall approach to meeting the goals and objectives of the project consists of two interacting parts: a user-focused part, corresponding to Goal 1 and dedicated to user engagement, requirement consolidation, co-design and capacity development, and a technology-focused part, corresponding to Goal 2 and focussing on EO-integrated methods and tools testing, software development and demonstration. A central role is reserved for NGOs/CSOs active in conservation actions with an interest in taking up EO solutions. As Early Adopters, these intended users will contribute to the development of actionable and relevant EO-integrated methods and tools.
Demonstration Sites
The proposed large-scale demonstrations in PEOPLE-ECCO are large zones (of at least 10,000 km2 for Objective-A, and at least 80,000km2 or full countries for Objective-B) covering 6 countries and multiple terrestrial, wetland, and coastal-marine ecosystems.
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About PEOPLE-ECCO
Funded by European Space Agency (ESA)
Consortium of Partners: Faculty ITC (University of Twente), 52North, DHI Water & Environment, Hatfield.
Early Adopters: African Parks, Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds, International Union for Conservation of Nature Vietnam (IUCN), Lebanon Reforestation Initiative, Prince Edward Island Watershed Alliance, Reef Check Malaysia.
