A study on the use of remote sensing data will pave the way for better public services

The study, coordinated by the Tartu Observatory, will help introduce remote sensing data and technologies more widely and improve several public services. Remote sensing means collecting information about the Earth from a distance, for example, satellite or drone, and is crucial in solving environmental problems.

The study, coordinated by the Tartu Observatory, will help introduce remote sensing data and technologies more widely and improve several public services. Remote sensing means collecting information about the Earth from a distance, for example, satellite or drone, and is crucial in solving environmental problems.

The study results provide an opportunity to prevent landscape fires, detect them as early as possible and eliminate them quickly. In the future, we will also monitor the risks of possible floods in coastal areas and rivers, identify agricultural land uses, and map and monitor construction activities more effectively with remote sensing.

"People's desire for a better and simpler life has led to technological conflict with nature. We face a great challenge - how will humanity cope with the continuation of a safe life on Earth? Only by using remote sensing data can we get an overview of the Earth as a whole. Based on this knowledge, governments can make responsible decisions in the interests of all of us," explains Anu Noorma, Deputy Director of Tartu Observatory and Professor of Applied Remote Sensing. "We have a very diverse competence in Estonia to cover the national need for the development and implementation of remote sensing-based services in cooperation with researchers and companies. Nine working groups of researchers and entrepreneurs accepted this call by the RITA1 "Remote Sensing" project framework. "

In the course of the study, experts identified the best fire hazard forecast model for Estonia. Farmers should be interested in a field monitoring system. It also makes it easier to check agricultural support claims, as the algorithm created by the experts helps to identify crops, and the inspector no longer has to go to the field. A flood mapping methodology suitable for Estonia was developed, which helps operational work and provides valuable information on the extent of mining activities in peat deposits. The developed prototypes can be applied in the future both in the control of mineral resource fees and in the field of nature tourism. A machine vision algorithm was created to increase construction activities' safety, which allows planning and monitoring the progress of construction works.

The RITA applied research initiator was the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications (MEAC) and was completed in cooperation with four ministries: the Ministry of the Environment, Rural Affairs, and the Interior also participated. "Today, the researchers have done a great job, and the RITA remote sensing study creates good conditions for the introduction of new applications. It enables making data-based decisions in the future and managing the country more efficiently. It is vital for the development of the field of remote sensing that cooperation between the state, business, and science continues, "said Paul Liias, an expert in the field of space at the Ministry of Economic Affairs.

The study "Introduction of remote sensing data in the design and development of public services" lasted two years and cost 1,421,050 euros. Funding came from the European Regional Development Fund and the Estonian state budget through the Estonian Research Agency's state strategic research and development support program RITA.

A consortium led by the Tartu Observatory of the University of Tartu carried out the study, which included nine of Estonia's best-known working groups on various remote sensing aspects from the University of Tartu, Tallinn University of Technology, Estonian University of Life Sciences, and OÜ Kappazeta.

Read the final report here: RITA kaugseire aruanne.

These four simple videos introduce the possibilities of remote sensing:
Water level monitoring
Monitoring the use of agricultural land
Prevention and eradication of landscape fires
Construction planning and supervision

Lisateave:
Anu Noorma, Tartu Ülikooli Tartu observatooriumi rakendusliku kaugseire professor, [email protected]
Liisi Jakobson, Tartu Ülikooli Tartu observatooriumi rakendusliku kaugseire professor, [email protected]
Paul Liias, Majandus- ja kommunikatsiooniministeerium, [email protected]
Liina Eek, RITA programmi juht, Eesti Teadusagentuur, telefon 5300 1912, [email protected]