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Remote sensing in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia
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Remote sensing can provide complementary information to existing ground-based environmental monitoring
systems. Remote sensing can be used to meet the need for timely information and can provide synoptic cross-boundary information.
Data and information obtained through Earth observation (EO) can be used within geographic information systems for overlay and
comparison with other geo-referenced information.
The Working Group discussed the role and contribution
of remotely sensed information to monitoring and reporting on environmental
problems across Europe 
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It considered a proposal by the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission
and established a Task Force on Remote Sensing. With the support by the EU/Tacis funds, the Task Force will:
- Assess the current use of remote sensing for environmental assessment and monitoring;
- Identify gaps, major obstacles, technical, organisational and institutional problems on the way to broader use of remote sensing for
environmental assessment and monitoring in countries of Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia (EECCA);
- Identify and map a key set of indicators, derived from policy needs and availability of remote sensing data, for environmental
assessments in selected Eurasian regions (Eastern Europe, Siberia and Central Asia) and marine basins (Baltic Sea, Black Sea and
Caspian Sea);
- Develop recommendations on the most cost-effective methods and techniques of remote sensing for the purposes of environmental
monitoring and data collection.
The first Workshop on Remote Sensing Application for
Environmental Monitoring took place on 19-20 May 2003 at JRC, Ispra, Italy.
Representatives from nine EECCA countries together with the Institute
for Environment and Sustainability of JRC, UNECE, UNEP, EEA and the regional
Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe participated. The
Workshop reviewed the potential of current remote-sensing application
potential for environmental assessments at the national, subregional and
regional levels as well as current country requirements and capabilities
in this field. It agreed to prepare a comprehensive project proposal,
possibly to be submitted through the Working Group to the European Unions
Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) framework.
Programme
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Report
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The second Workshop on Remote Sensing Application for Environmental
Monitoring was held on 3-4 November 2003 in Baku, at the invitation of
the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan.
Agenda
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Report
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For further information: monitoring.wgem@unece.org