Regional Monitoring Service, Combining Copernicus and Local Datasets

In the framework of this Action, we propose to develop and provide an easy and seamless access to Copernicus products within existing regional territory monitoring platforms, and a service to combine these Copernicus products with already available auxiliary data.

We will conduct these studies in 2 different regional contexts: Brittany and French Guiana. The case of Brittany (with advanced knowledge and experience) will benefit to French Guiana (with a limited experience, but huge emerging needs). Moreover, this will be an example for all the existing regional territory geographic databases and an incentive to reuse the work conducted by this Action.

The users which shall be addressed by this Action are firstly end-users from local and regional authorities (LRAs) in Brittany and in French Guiana, and secondly the administrators of the operational platforms for the observation and monitoring of all regional territories in France.

I/ Brittany Region

In the Brittany context, we intend to deliver tools allowing to:

• Visualize Sentinel images, Copernicus products and added-value products, along with local dataset already available on the regional platforms (land registry, local planning schemes, …)
• Calculate simple indexes and statistics (NDVI per parcel, tree cover per district, …) by combining existing data and Copernicus products; make simple classifications; export statistics; visualize changes (maps, graphics); etc…

Once the service is available, users will be accompanied by Copernicus Relays or Academy, CNES regional relays and regional animators. Workshops and short training sessions will be developed to make end-users able to use the service, and feedbacks from end-users will be considered in order to improve the service.

II/ French Guiana Region

Taking into account the “Brittany” experiment, the case of French Guiana will be considered, after having gathered the needs of the local users, which might be slightly different from the Brittany region. The Action will also study the relevance of a regional “Copernicus Hub” in order to optimize the data transfer (through the limited internet network). If relevant, we will define the characteristics and the cost of such an installation (including operation, maintenance, governance, …), and develop a demonstrator.

The implementation of Copernicus-based services is already on the agenda in several French Regions through the “CNES-Region” framework agreement. These standard services could be the first step towards an operational service, co-funded by regional stakeholders and FPCUP funds.

The Action will develop these Copernicus tools and services and ensure their provision for one year.

After this period, if local and regional authorities and end-users are convinced by the utility and relevance of the services, local funds will have to be found (regional mutualisation for aerial images already exists, the same mutualisation mechanism could be developed).

For more specific applications and very high added value products, LRAs will have to mobilize their own funds, allowing SMEs to create their economic model.