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Earth Observation (EO) is nowadays a primary source of geospatial data to address urban applications. As information layers imported into GIS, EO products are increasingly exploited for cartographic purposes to improve cities representation. The Italian Space Agency (ASI) invests in novel satellite-based applications and digital tools facilitating EO data utilization. Such tools include: thematic exploitation platforms enabling EO data processing by nonexpert users through validated processors; dashboards wherein satellite products are among the input data used during the decision-making process; Digital Twins allowing for what-if scenarios and forecast activities. Recent user-driven developments are presented with regard to urban heat island, coastal applications, conservation of cultural heritage, monitoring and modelling of processes related to terrestrial water cycle.

In the context of the Italian PNRR (National Recovery and Resilience Plan), the M1C2 component, financed by the European Union (EU) through Next Generation EU-RFF and by the Presidency of the Council of Ministers of the Italian Republic through the Complementary Fund of the Presidency of the Council, is dedicated to digitalisation, innovation and competitiveness. It includes (in the M1C2.4.2 intervention) objectives dedicated to space activities for Earth Observation, to be achieved in the period 2022- 2026, in particular the creation of an end-to-end Space System, called IRIDE, composed of: Upstream Segment, Downstream Segment and Service Segment to provide geospatial services at national and European level. The IRIDE System will, therefore, be one of the public assets developed in recent years by the investments of the PNRR and, consistently, its design has been based on the needs expressed by the Italian National Authorities (whose collection is coordinated by the National Forum of Copernicus Users and represented in the “Needs Analysis” Annex to the National Earth Observation Plan) with the aim of contributing with the Geo-Spatial component to the development of products useful for the innovativeness and operation of the services provided by the Public Administration for the management of the territory, emergencies and security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some environmental critical situations such as air and water pollution, forest fires and exceptional Mediterranean cyclones are presented to highlight the importance of Earth Observation (EO) techniques for environmental protection and monitoring. Methods based on EO and the use of machine learning techniques for land, marine and air quality observations are operationally implemented by the CSA (Centro operativo di Sorveglianza Ambientale) at ISPRA (Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale) to provide support for environmental protection and in the event of environmental crisis or emergency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Starting since the seventies, a systematic monitoring of cultural heritage has begun in Italy, using a risk value as a function of vulnerability, danger and exposure, which only today can be practiced and evaluated with the help of the Earth Observation that is proving adequate, accurate and economically sustainable data.

After having successfully sailed the Northwest Passage in 2012 with the first fully Italian expedition, Best Explorer, a 51 feet steel recreational sailing yacht, will complete the circumnavigation of the Arctic Ocean in 2018, from Japan to Norway, sailing north of the Eurasian continent (Siberia), from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean. The Northern Arctic Sea Route – NASR is an extremely long and challenging route: 8,500 nautical miles, most of which (4,500 n.m.) in the Arctic Ocean. The Team, on board and on shore, is composed by all members of “Arctic Sail Expeditions – ITALIA” association and Giovanni (Nanni) Acquarone, the skipper and expedition leader, is one of Italian guys having had an extensive knowledge of the Arctic, having sailed the most difficult sea courses of the world, even more in the legendary Northwest Passage. This is a project that will bring Italy’s name to the attention of the public once more and, if properly supported and advertised, will be an incentive for many to valiantly start other similarly outstanding feats. Cultural and scientific projects will be carried out in parallel with the expedition, such as meetings with local communities or experimentation of satellite technologies (positioning such as GPS and Galileo, telecommunications and Earth observation), depending on partners or sponsor requirements.

Remote sensing data can usefully support the fire management operational applications in different spatial and temporal scales with a synoptic point of view and low cost technologies. The satellite monitoring systems together with other geographic information, historical data and field measurements, can provide the fire management operators useful tools of fire danger assessment, fire prevention, fire-fighting and post-fire planning. The FIRE-SAT monitoring system was applied to a fire event which developed in a wildland-urban interface area of the Potenza town (Basilicata, Italy) on July 2015, in order to assess the fire occurrence danger, to evaluate the fire effects and to simulate the fire propagation.

After having successfully sailed the Northwest Passage in 2012 with the first fully Italian expedition, Best Explorer, a 51 feet steel recreational sailing yacht, will complete the circumnavigation of the Arctic Ocean in 2018, from Japan to Norway, sailing north of the Eurasian continent (Siberia), from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean. The Northern Arctic Sea Route - NASR is an extremely long and challenging route: 8,500 nautical miles, most of which (4,500 n.m.) in the Arctic Ocean. The Team, on board and on shore, is composed by all members of "Arctic Sail Expeditions - ITALIA" association and Giovanni (Nanni) Acquarone, the skipper and expedition leader, is one of Italian guys having had an extensive knowledge of the Arctic, having sailed the most difficult sea courses of the world, even more in the legendary Northwest Passage. This is a project that will bring Italy's name to the attention of the public once more and, if properly supported and advertised, will be an incentive for many to valiantly start other similarly outstanding feats. Cultural and scientific projects will be carried out in parallel with the expedition, such as meetings with local communities or experimentation of satellite technologies (positioning such as GPS and Galileo, telecommunications and Earth observation), depending on partners or sponsor requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Remote sensing data can usefully support the fire management operational applications in different spatial and temporal scales with a synoptic point of view and low cost technologies. The satellite monitoring systems together with other geographic information, historical data and field measurements, can provide the fire management operators useful tools of fire danger assessment, fire prevention, fire-fighting and post-fire planning. The FIRE-SAT monitoring system was applied to a fire event which developed in a wildland-urban interface area of the Potenza town (Basilicata, Italy) on July 2015, in order to assess the fire occurrence danger, to evaluate the fire effects and to simulate the fire propagation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

L'osservazione della Terra per la salvaguardia ambientale

The European Space Agency (ESA) operates a program of Earth observation since the launch of its first weather satellite, Meteosat, in 1977. Retracing the success of this first mission, the family of Meteosat satellites together with the missions ERS-1, ERS-2 and Envisat have provided a large amount of data about the Earth, its climate and climate change. The ESA is one of the largest providers of Earth Observation data to the scientific community within the framework of Earth Sciences.

Una guida per i decisori politici sulle potenzialità e ibenefici derivanti dall’uso delle tecnologie di monitoraggiodella Terra nelle regioni Europee Abstract The Growing Use of GMES across Europe’s Regions” LaunchEvent at the European Parliament.NEREUS – Network of European Regions Using Space Technologiesand ESA – European Space Agency, are pleased to announce the launch of a joint publication with the title “TheGrowing Use of GMES across Europe’s Regions”, a collection of 67 illustrative articles on regional GMES applications. Addressed to a non-specialist audience, the collection illustrates the strategic value of the Programme for regional administrations and authorities in the context of territorial management and forward planning. The variety of existing andpotential regional uses across Europe shows how GMES not only contributes to better informed decision making but also how the data can be exploited to support sustainable environmental protection with a long term perspective. Quoting end user experiences, the publication gives a first-hand impression on the impact of GMES on regional development and policy implementation.

Il problema della gestione del fenomeno degli incendi boschivi è molto complesso, perché comprende una serie diaspetti connessi alle caratteristiche della vegetazione, alla morfologia del territorio, ai fattori meteorologici, ai fattoriantropici, etc. Risulta pertanto fondamentale e molto utile un approccio modellistico. I modelli matematici fornisconoun supporto essenziale nella valutazione dell’efficacia di possibili strategie di previsione e controllo del fuoco. Abstract FIRE_SAT project has been funded by the Civil Protectionof the Basilicata Region in order to set up alow cost methodology for fire danger monitoringand fire effect estimation based on satellite EarthObservation techniques.To this aim, NASA Moderate Resolution ImagingSpectroradiometer (MODIS), ASTER, Landsat TMdata were used. Novel data processing techniqueshave been developed by researchers of the ARGONLaboratory of the CNR-IMAA for the operativemonitoring of fire. In this paper we only focuson the danger estimation model which has beenfruitfully used since 2008 to 2012 as an reliable operativetool to support and optimize fire fightingstrategies from the alert to the management ofresources including fire attacks.The daily updating of fire danger is carried outusing satellite MODIS images selected for theirspectral capability and availability free of chargefrom NASA web site. This makes these data setsvery suitable for an effective systematic (daily) and sustainable low-cost monitoring of large areas.

The European Space Agency (ESA) operates a program of Earth observation since the launch of its first weather satellite, Meteosat, in 1977. Retracing the success of this first mission, the family of Meteosat satellites together with the missions ERS-1, ERS-2 and Envisat have provided a large amount of data about the Earth, its climate and climate change. The ESA is one of the largest providers of Earth Observation data to the scientific community within the framework of Earth Sciences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Le applicazioni agrometeorologiche per la gestione delle colture in pieno campo e l’utilizzo di nuove tecnologie di monitoraggio sono sempre più diffuse e si concretizzano anche attraverso lo sviluppo di progetti di ricerca internazionali orientati all’implementazione di servizi operativi. Particolare rilevanza assume il programma Global Monitoring for Enviroment and Security (GMES), che supporta lo sviluppo di capacità e servizi di monitoraggio globale attraverso tecniche di Osservazione della Terra. Irrigation needs estimation at farm and district level by Earth Observation techniques SIRIUS (Sustainable Irrigation water management and River-basin governance: Implementing User-driven Services) is a research project funded by EU FP7 in the GMES framework supporting the development of monitoring services through remote sensing and ICT technologies to deliver the service to the final users. SIRIUS is developing efficient water resource management services in support of food production in water-scarce environments. It addresses water governance and management in accordance with the vision of bridging and integrating sustainable development and economic competi-tiveness. The project is developing new services for water man-agers and food producers, and a range of additional information products in support of sustainable irrigation water use and management under conditions of water scarcity and drought.