ESA Global Development Assistance (GDA)

🌊 New story out: Satellites supporting coastal resilience in Madagascar and Comoros Coastal ecosystems across the western Indian Ocean such as mangroves, saltmarshes, and fisheries are vital for food security, livelihoods, and climate resilience. But reliable data to protect them has long been scarce. Through the GDA Fast EO Co-Financing Facility, and in collaboration with the World Bank Group, European EO service providers delivered satellite-based tools tailored to two national priorities: 🌿 Madagascar: High-resolution mapping of mangroves and blue carbon stocks along the west coast, tracking two decades of ecosystem change and opening the door to future carbon financing mechanisms. 🐟 Comoros: Habitat suitability maps for key fish species, revealing seasonal patterns to support sustainable fisheries planning and marine resource management. In both cases, complex satellite data was transformed into accessible, decision-ready information - delivered quickly and aligned with real policy needs. 👉 Read the full story: https://lnkd.in/eRgs9mXD #ESA #WorldBank #FFF Christoph Aubrecht, Fabio Cian, Zoltan Bartalis, Yves Barthélemy, Alex Chunet, Yohan Iddawela, Hanna Koloszyc, Jasmin Jilma, Alexander Kreisel, Julieta Bolgeri, Francisco Moral, Chiara Satta, Laura Moreno Patricio IFI partners: Asian Development Bank (ADB), EBRD, Inter-American Development Bank, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), The World Bank Group GeoVille Information Systems and Data Processing GmbH, GMV, EarthPulse, CLS Group, Murmuration, EOMAP, World from Space, TERRASIGNA,  MEEO S.r.l,  Terramonitor, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Gisat

🏙️✨ Meet Christophe Sannier from GAF AG! 🌍 As our GDA AID Urban lead, Christophe is helping cities across Africa and Asia become more resilient to our changing climate. The goal of the GDA Urban Sustainability activity is to provide local authorities and international partners with practical, data-driven EO tools.  🛠️ By adapting proven satellite solutions to specific local needs, we’re helping cities in tackle for example: 🌊 Flood risk – Identifying vulnerable areas to improve planning.  🌡️ Urban heat – Mapping hotspots to guide cooling strategies.  🛡️ Climate resilience – Strengthening infrastructure for a sustainable future. It’s all about turning global data into local impact ! 🏙️💡 Watch the full video below 👇 #ESAGDA #UrbanSustainability Watch the full series: https://lnkd.in/eGBU9QN7 EO industry consortia leads: ARGANS, Brockmann Consult GmbH, Caribou , e-GEOS, EOMAP , Evenflow, GAF AG, GeoVille Information Systems and Data Processing GmbH, GMV, IABG, Imperative Space, Indra Group, MEEO S.r.l, Planetek Italia Christoph Aubrecht, Yves Barthélemy, Simonetta Cheli, Alex Chunet, Fabio Cian, Rune Floberghagen, Benjamin Koetz, Susanne Mecklenburg, Jasmin Jilma

Meet Alberto Lorenzo, PhD from Indra Group! 👨💼✨ As the lead for our very first thematic activity, Alberto is at the forefront of the GDA Disaster Resilience activity. The goal is clear: help international financial institutions move from reaction to proactive prevention. 🛡️ By using Earth observation, we can map everything from urban subsidence to sudden flooding, providing the data needed to assess exposure and protect economic value. 🌊📉 In this #FacesOfGDA episode, Alberto discusses: 🤝 Building trust in satellite products for critical safety decisions.  🏗️ Coordinating with global partners to strengthen disaster preparedness.  📊 Using precise data to make response efforts more informed and effective. 💡🛰️ It’s about equipping the world with the tools to build a more resilient future. Watch Alberto’s full story below! 👇 #ESAGDA #DisasterResilience Watch the full series: https://lnkd.in/eGBU9QN7 EO industry consortia leads: ARGANS, Brockmann Consult GmbH, Caribou, e-GEOS, EOMAP , Evenflow, GAF AG, GeoVille Information Systems and Data Processing GmbH, GMV, IABG, Imperative Space, Indra Group, MEEO S.r.l, Planetek Italia Christoph Aubrecht, Yves Barthélemy, Simonetta Cheli, Alex Chunet, Fabio Cian, Rune Floberghagen, Benjamin Koetz, Susanne Mecklenburg, Jasmin Jilma

🚀 What does Earth Observation look like when it starts shaping real development decisions? In the latest edition of GDA Insights, we show how satellite-based information is helping partners move from data gaps to more targeted planning, stronger evidence and better-grounded investment discussions. 📍 This month’s stories include: 🛣️ 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝘀𝗶𝗮 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰 ADB highlighted the value of identifying priority corridors for resilience investment 🤝 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗘𝗦𝗔–𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗕𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 Helping move satellite-based information closer to operational processes and development planning 🌡️ 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗶 𝗦𝗮𝗱 A shared evidence base is supporting early discussions on where cooling measures could have the greatest effect 💧 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 Showing how EO is being taken up across water management, monitoring and longer-term institutional workflows 🔗 Read the latest newsletter: https://lnkd.in/ei5yqf5F

📺 Our latest Impact Newsroom episode is out! This edition spotlights three stories of Earth Observation in action: 🛣️ Transport resilience in Asia & the Pacific: The Climate Exposure Dashboard for Transport maps flood risk along major roads across 21 countries, supporting data-driven investment decisions with the Asian Development Bank. 🌍 ESA–World Bank partnership: A visit by World Bank Global Director Valerie Hickey to ESA's ESRIN centre marked over 15 years of growing collaboration, now spanning 86 IFI projects across 69 countries, with EO increasingly embedded in development finance. 🌡️ Urban heat planning in Novi Sad: The Urban Microclimate Analysis Platform (UMAP) uses satellite data and population layers to identify heat hotspots and guide greening investments in Serbia, developed with the EBRD. Three regions, three challenges: one common thread: satellite data turned into real decisions. 👉 Watch the episode and explore more on our website: https://lnkd.in/ddvCWgxC #EarthObservation #AcceleratingImpact IFI partners: Asian Development Bank (ADB), EBRD, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), The World Bank Group EO industry consortia leads: ARGANS, Brockmann Consult GmbH, Caribou, e-GEOS, EOMAP , Evenflow, GAF AG, GeoVille Information Systems and Data Processing GmbH, GMV, IABG, Imperative Space, Indra Group, MEEO S.r.l, Planetek Italia Christoph Aubrecht, Fabio Cian, Yves Barthélemy, Alex Chunet, Jasmin Jilma, Elke Kraetzschmar, Zoltan Bartalis, Valerie Hickey

Dar es Salaam is heating up: unevenly, persistently and faster than planners can see. ESA's GDA Urban Microclimate Analysis Platform (UMAP) is changing that. 🌍 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲: Rapid growth, dense urban fabric, metal-roofed settlements, shrinking green space and heat that doesn't leave when the sun goes down. The most exposed neighbourhoods are the least equipped to cope. ☁️ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺: 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲𝗱 Cloud cover makes thermal satellite imagery unreliable here. So UMAP draws on a decade of observations, using temporal stacking to estimate heat block by block, cloud or no cloud. A stable, long-term picture no single image could provide. 🌡️ 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘀: Heat in Dar es Salaam is a night-time problem too. Industrial zones and metal-roofed neighbourhoods stay warm long after coastal areas cool. UMAP's hourly simulations link this to building materials, urban form and shading, turning heat data into targeted intervention. 🚶 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱-𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆:  Over 14 days, local partner Open Map Development Tanzania walked seven urban circuits with wearable sensors. Local knowledge meets global data. 🏦 𝗔𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗕𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: UMAP is already supporting the World Bank's major resilience programmes in Dar es Salaam, as both an advocacy tool for decision-makers and a planning tool for cooling interventions. #UrbanResilience #AcceleratingImpact IFI partners: Asian Development Bank (ADB), EBRD, Inter-American Development Bank), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), The World Bank Group ESA team: Christoph Aubrecht, Zoltan Bartalis, Yves Barthélemy, Fabio Cian, Alex Chunet Christophe Sannier, Nicki McGoh, Giulia Costella, David Taverner AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, Caribou, German Aerospace Center (DLR), GAF AG, Gisat, TRE ALTAMIRA, MindEarth

𝗖𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝗽. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀: 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻? In Abidjan, rapid urbanisation, shrinking green space and rising temperatures don't affect everyone equally. The neighbourhoods with the least shade, the densest populations and the fewest resources face the greatest risk and too often, they're invisible to decision-makers. ESA's GDA Urban Microclimate Analysis Platform (UMAP) is changing that. By combining Earth Observation data with on-the-ground data, community mapping, geotagged street imagery, wearable sensors tracking temperature, humidity and air quality, UMAP transforms complex climate data into clear, actionable insight for urban planners and policymakers. In Abidjan, through EO, UMAP is able to: 🗺️ Map heat hotspots at neighbourhood level  🌿 Identify where lack of green space amplifies vulnerability  👥 Pinpoint where dense populations face the highest health risks  🌱 Target nature-based cooling solutions where they matter most The combination of EO and local data is what makes this approach powerful. It doesn't just show where heat accumulates. It shows 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 and where action will have the greatest impact. #AcceleratingImpact #UrbanSustainability IFI partners: Asian Development Bank (ADB), EBRD, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), The World Bank Group Christoph Aubrecht, Zoltan Bartalis, Yves Barthélemy, Fabio Cian, Alex Chunet Christophe Sannier, Nicki McGoh, Javier García Robles, David Taverner, Giulia Costella AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, Caribou, German Aerospace Center (DLR), GAF AG, Gisat, TRE ALTAMIRA

🌍 On World Health Day, it is worth highlighting how satellite Earth Observation can strengthen public health action in development finance. ESA GDA’s Public Health activity shows how EO can help close data gaps by providing large-scale insight on the environmental and spatial factors that shape health risks and health system access. How can EO support public health? 👇 🛰️ EO helps reveal where health risks are building It can track environmental conditions linked to disease exposure, water stress, food insecurity and other climate-sensitive health pressures. 📍 EO helps show who may be harder to reach By mapping settlements, infrastructure and accessibility, EO can support a better understanding of where access to health services may be more limited. 🌦️ EO helps connect climate and health planning It can provide evidence on how floods, droughts, heat and changing environmental conditions may affect vulnerability, preparedness and response. 🔎 Explore our Public Health case studies and see for yourself! https://lnkd.in/ehyVM5qJ #AcceleratingImpact IFI partners: Asian Development Bank (ADB),EBRD, Inter-American Development Bank, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), The World Bank Group Christoph Aubrecht, Yves Barthélemy, Alex Chunet, Fabio Cian, Pia Laue, Jasmin Jilma, Claudia Vitolo,  European Space Agency - ESA - Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), Brockmann Consult GmbH, Diginove SAS, GMV, mundialis GmbH & Co. KG

💧 𝗔 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮𝘁 𝗘𝗢 𝘂𝗽𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 Water resources are under increasing pressure from climate change, pollution and competing demands. Yet in many contexts, decision-makers still rely on limited or inconsistent information. Through the ESA Global Development Assistance (GDA) Water Resources activity, Earth Observation has helped close these gaps - supporting more informed planning, monitoring and investment across development operations. 📊 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲? • In Timor-Leste, surface water dynamics supported the continuation of agricultural funding • In South Africa, groundwater monitoring approaches were taken forward into World Bank diagnostics • In Somalia, datasets are now anchored in national systems for ongoing monitoring • In Sri Lanka, over 10.000 small reservoirs are being tracked to guide restoration investments • In the Lake Victoria Basin, local institutions can now analyse water quality trends independently These are not standalone analyses. They show how EO is being integrated into workflows, scaled by partners and used to support concrete decisions. 🤝 Delivered with partners including the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, African Development Bank, IFAD and IDB, the activity demonstrates how EO can strengthen the evidence base for water-related development at scale. As the activity closes, its legacy lies in the uptake: where data becomes part of how decisions are made. https://lnkd.in/eiYw2Y_h Brockmann Consult GmbH are: Kerstin Stelzer, Jorrit Scholze; EOMAP are: Eva Maria Haas (team coordinator), Fabian von Trentini, Andrea Schmoelzer, Karin Schenk, Philipp Bauer; GeoVille Information Systems and Data Processing GmbH are: Alexander Kreisel, Julieta Bolgeri, David Kolitzus; Gisat are: Tomas Soukup, Tomas Bartalos, Marie Polanská, Jan Mišurec, Jan Kolomazník; GMV are: Beatriz Revilla-Romero, PhD, PMP®, Èlia Cantoni i Gomez, Marta Toro Bermejo, Miguel González Jiménez; Gruner are: Fränz Zeimetz, Marcelo Leite Ribeiro; Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) is Seifeddine Jomaa. ESA Global Development Assistance (GDA) programme team are: Marc Paganini (ESA project officer), Christoph Aubrecht, Alex C., Fabio Cian, Yves Barthélemy, Jasmin Jilma.

🌍🌳 Forests are changing fast and decisions need to keep pace.   🛰️ In this new #FacesOfGDA episode, Fabian Enssle, Senior Project Manager at GAF AG and lead of the GDA AID Forest consortium, explains how Earth Observation is helping turn forest monitoring into actionable support for development partners. From remote and hard-to-reach areas to large-scale landscape assessments, EO makes it possible to gather timely, consistent information that can strengthen forest management and improve how decisions are made. Through GDA AID Forest, this means: 🌲 𝗙𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 Supporting more efficient and cost-effective assessments of forest extent, condition, and change. 📍 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀 Providing reliable information where field access is limited and data gaps remain a challenge. 📉 𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 Helping identify forest loss and landscape change to better inform monitoring, planning, and intervention. 🤝 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻-𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 Translating remote sensing data into practical insights that increase the frequency and effectiveness of decision-making. This is where EO shows its value: not only in observing change, but in helping institutions respond to it with greater confidence. Watch the video to hear Fabian share how GDA AID Forest is supporting more informed forest management. 👇https://lnkd.in/eGBU9QN7 #FacesOfGDA #ESAGDA #EarthObservation #ForestManagement Christoph Aubrecht, Yves Barthélemy, Alex C., Fabio Cian, Giulia Costella, Fabian Enssle, Frank Martin Seifert, Carlotta M., David Taverner, Jasmin Jilma, Thibault TAILLADE IFI partners: Asian Development Bank (ADB), EBRD, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), The World Bank Group Thematic activity members: GAF AG (lead), IGN FI, ONF International, GisBox, unique land use GmbH, Caribou