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𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗢𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵

The TWAS-UNESCO Associateship Scheme is now open for applications! This program enables competent researchers from the Global South to visit +300 research centers in person for collaborations over the course of three years.

📅 Deadline: 05 December 2024
🎓 Eligibility: Open to PhD holders from developing countries in the Global South, with priority for scientists from isolated institutions and women researchers.

TWAS provides travel support and a monthly allowance to cover local expenses, while host institutions supply accommodation, meals, and research facilities. This initiative supports knowledge exchange and helps counter brain drain by fostering scientific collaborations across the South.

📝 Application requires a statement from your home institution, an invitation from a host institution, two recommendation letters, and proof of qualifications. For further details, check the TWAS website or contact associateship@twas.org.

Find more grants, fellowships, and job opportunities on our 𝗔𝗹𝘂𝗺𝗡𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝗝𝗼𝗯 𝗕𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱 – and share with us to benefit the entire community!

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Call for Abstracts: AquaWatch Australia Session at ESA Living Planet Symposium

AquaWatch Australia colleagues have a session a the ESA Living Planet Symposium 2025 (June 23-27, 2025, Vienna), led by Astrid Bracher (AWI) and Sindy Sterckx (VITO).   It is entitled “The Role of Spaceborne Imaging Spectroscopy and Drone-based Calibration Data for Integrated Freshwater and Coastal Monitoring“.  sub-theme B.02.09

Exponential growth in EO data volumes, advancements in drone technology, and the variety of data accessible via cloud-based platforms, present new opportunities to develop novel integrated systems that leverage these capabilities. In particular, the advancement in new generation spaceborne imaging spectrometers, such as PRISMA, ENMAP, DESIS, EMIT and the upcoming missions such as ESA’s CHIME and NASA’s SBG, can significantly improve applications such as water quality monitoring, especially when also combined with near real-time, in-situ water quality data streams, drone-based measurements and water quality forecasting tools.

This session will bring together water quality remote sensing scientists, modellers and data analytics experts, to showcase and discuss approaches for use of various types of remote sensing data, including imaging spectroscopy and drone imagery, for development of a fully integrated ‘ground-to-space’ data integration system, that support the production of ‘decision-ready’ information for water managers and communities that are dealing with increasing challenges in inland and coastal water quality world-wide.

The goal of the session will be to focus on the benefits and challenges of integrating multiple sources of data (e.g., either different Earth observation (EO) sources like optical/radar, or combining in-situ and/or drone measurements with EO datasets-, or EO with modelling), rather than focusing on only one EO data source or one approach to produce actionable water quality products.

If you are planning to submit an abstract related to AquaWatch Australia, please consider doing so under this sub-theme B.02.09, and let the folks at CSIRO know your plans (Alex Held, Janet Anstee, Zandria Farell and Flora Kerblat) so they can keep track of submissions and coordinate.

GEO Dialogue Series 2024: Earth Observations Data Sharing and Data Management and Data Licensing

You are invited to attend the online GEO Dialogue Series 2024, which will focus on essential aspects of Earth Observations Data Sharing and Data Management and Data Licensing.

The Dialogue Series will be focused not only on the theory but also on the actual implementation of the Data Sharing and Data Management Principles and Data Licenses.

When:

Earth Observations Data Sharing and Data Management from Theory to Implementation (same webinar in two days to cover multiple time zones)

  • 6th of November at 15.00 CET
  • 13th of November at 10.00  CET

Data Licensing

  • 21st of November at 15.00 CET

Please complete the registration for the upcoming GEO Dialogue Series here: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYqd-upqDkpGtd0VHwJYTAYvbFQ6XoIkhX0

Unlocking the Global Benefits of Water Quality Monitoring through Earth Observation Recap

Excerpted from a summary authored by the World Water Quality Alliance in their Yemaya Newsletter (September 2024 edition):

On August 28-30, 2024, the University of Stirling, in collaboration with the World Water Quality Alliance(WWQA) and GEO AquaWatch, organized a workshop titled “ Unlocking the Global Benefits of Water Quality Monitoring through Earth Observation.” The hackathon-style workshop convened over 40 participants from across the globe spanning academia, the private sector, and practitioners to explore how Earth Observation (EO) can enhance water quality monitoring. Through a series of tools presented by Scotland’s HydroNation Chair, participants were encouraged to escape their daily “mental valleys” to arrive at innovative and actionable concepts that can unlock the benefits of this promising technology for more people, communities, and places. enabling intense collaboration and creativity among participants.

  • The workshop attracted global experts who shared user stories, challenges, and solutions in water quality monitoring via Earth Observation. There was a keen interest and engagement in advancing EO technologies for water quality assessment and this was seen as a technology with high potential to contribute to water quality monitoring in countries and nations, especially to address the immense water quality data gap evidenced in the latest SDG indicator 6.3.2 progress report, which was released on the day the workshop started.
  • Participants engaged in various ‘sprint’ creative thinking sessions, focusing on creative solutions and concept development. The ideation process continues after the workshop through the full fledged development of ideas gathered by participants which can feed into further products advocating for the increased use of EO for Sustainable Development Goal 6.3.2.
  • Participants agreed that while this is an immensely promising technology due to the existing satellite systems (for instance, the EU’s Copernicus Sentinel 2-satellites) that are collecting data and imagery from outer space while we speak, much still needs to be done to unlock the full potential of Earth Observation. It is important to stress that Earth Observation will not replace the need for in-situ data on water quality – in-situ data is vital a data source that can only help necessary calibration and validation of Earth Observation data to make it more reliable. Furthermore, raising awareness is needed at the country-level, especially within low and middle-income countries, about the potential of Earth Observation for water quality monitoring.

Participants voiced a desire for an ongoing community to sustain and expand the work initiated at Stirling. The workshop organizers aim for all the ideas generated at the workshop to be compiled and built upon as part of the next steps including raising awareness on the potential of Earth Observation and an exploration of priorities related to training and capacity building to facilitate uptake of EO data for water quality. If you are a professional working in the field of Earth Observation please get in touch with GEO AquaWatch’s Early Career Society vice chair Harriet Wilson (UStirling) to join the WWQA’s Earth Observation workstream!