Introduction and Objectives

The Sixth IPCC Assessment Report highlighted that the rise in weather and climate extremes has led to some irreversible impacts as natural and human systems are being pushed beyond their ability to adapt. Restoration of degraded ecosystems is key to mitigate the impacts of climate change, as healthy and resilient ecosystems are essential to our well-being, prosperity and security. Recognizing this principle, also brought up by the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, the European Commission proposed in 2022 a new EU Regulation on Nature Restoration to restore nature and reverse biodiversity loss across the EU territory.

EO products and services may be instrumental to assess the conditions of ecosystems and to support restoration plans and reports. Pioneering new Earth Observation information products and applications, the ESA EO Science4Society element enables international responses to global societal challenges in consultation with stakeholders.

The main purpose of this open Information and Consultation Day is to address civil society organisations  (CSOs)/ non-governmental organizations (NGOs) with ESA presentations on the potential of EO in support to ecosystems restoration and conservation. Open questions from the participants will close the event. Following the Information and Consultation Day, a questionnaire will be circulated to participants to capture their priorities in terms of :

• High-priority ecosystems for conservation / restoration actions.
• Monitoring of specific ecosystem degradation drivers.
• High-priority aspects linked to biodiversity, specifically on habitats and species.
• Needs in relation to enabling the financing mechanisms for nature restoration and nature capital valuation.
• Needs for capacity building in the organizations on specific EO topics

The 3 hours event took place on 14 October 2022 @ 9:30 Rome/Berlin/Paris Time Zone.

Survey

All interested entities were invited to contribute to an ESA Survey on Ecosystems , with submission deadline on November 25, 2022. Received inputs were then analysed at ESA.

HERE you can download the Summary of the Survey.

Participation

The Information and Consultation Day was open to anyone and targeted participants from civil society organisations.

HERE you can find the list of NGOs/CSOs that registered their interest to the event.

Registration is now closed.

Programme

09:30-09:50 Setting the Scene –G. Ottavianelli

09:50-10:00 Space data & technology for CSOs –P. Hvistendahl

10:00-10:30 Biodiversity, Sustainable Water Management and Resilient cities –M. Paganini

10:30-10:50 Marine and Coastal Ecosystems –M.H. Rio

10:50-11:10 Atmospheric Composition Applications and GHG-related Monitoring –A. Delavois

11:10-11:40 Forestry Ecosystems and Management –F.M. Seifert

11:40-12:00 Agriculture and Soil –Z. Szantoi

12:00-12:30 Plans and Activities, Q&A, Closing Remarks  –G. Ottavianelli, Audience, Panelists