290166 VO Earth Observation for development: Bringing space down to earth (2018S)

Objective of this course is to provide participants insight into space-based Earth Observation (EO) and its potential in addressing issues of global development.
EO and remote sensing basic principles will be reiterated, building on knowledge acquired in the standard course on image processing and remote sensing offered in the geography bachelor program; augmented by latest trends and developments. A specific focus will lie on the EO landscape in Europe and its flagship program Copernicus. Furthermore, the New Space movement and Space 4.0 approach will be elaborated on, highlighting technological disruption in the field of EO and addressing the broader sensing revolution. Increasing massive volumes of ‘big earth data’ acquired by state-of-the-art EO systems require a change in data handling, exploration, processing, and exploitation. New approaches to collaborative platforms will be introduced.
Finally, data and evidence are considered the foundation of development policy and effective program implementation. EO provides an unbiased, consistent, and timely perspective that can inform data-driven decision-making. Data, in that context, is only as valuable as the decisions it enables. A major emphasis of this course will therefore be on showcasing best practice EO analytics and initiatives in support of development programs.
Students should be enabled to get an idea about the wide domain of application areas of EO for global development and be sensitized to implications and potential opportunities in that field.

Method: Interactive lecture with continuous discussion