User uptake in Central and South America

This joint action aims to coordinate a group of sub-actions in different topics to promote the user uptake of Copernicus data and services in Central &South America. Main focus is on user uptake and expanding the Copernicus Relays network, with a practical approach towards regional issues: land & ground motion monitoring, natural and anthropogenic hazard assessment and, urban sprawl monitoring.

This action is organized in 6 sub-actions, including a Coordination action, each one lead by one partner, namely:

#1 Coordination (CDTI)

#2 Downstream Applications Workshop in C&SA (CDTI, CNIG, IHCantabria, and INTA): a 3-day event workshop will be organized in a region of C&SA in November 2023, with participation of industry. It will include: a general presentation of the Copernicus programme (e.g., infrastructure, access to data, application); thematic panels where private companies, agencies, research centres, will be able to present success cases and experience using Copernicus data in different domains; two specific panels about Copernicus core and downstream applications and how to access to Copernicus data are foreseen; working sessions to identify future demands in EO data, problematics and future challenges, and; splinters (B2B) as required to analyse potential collaborations among stakeholders to promote the use of Copernicus data and services.

#3 Expanding Copernicus Relays network in C&SA and uptake of Copernicus, focused on land & ground motion monitoring (CNIG): the action intends to materialize a network of Copernicus Relays in the region, able to convey all the benefits of the program from the European Commission, to the C&SA network of relays. It’ll carry out specific training actions with a double aim: i) one training action focused on the use of Sentinel imagery for ground motion monitoring; ii) one training action focused on the use of Sentinel data and the Land Monitoring Service (CLMS). Local institutions will be considered in the design and execution of both training actions; and would be executed with participation of AECID.

#4 Natural and Anthropogenic hazard and vulnerability assessment in C&SA (ISPRA): Analysis of thematic hazard maps jointly with expose elements and vulnerability map jointly with InSAR thematic map. Terrestrial sphere: use of vegetation cover fractional abundance (FCover) from multispectral data as Essential Biodiversity Variable (EBV) for detecting gentle and abrupt changes due to natural and anthropogenic hazards.

#5 Copernicus for urban sprawl monitoring (CBK PAN): Efficient monitoring of urban sprawl requires tools which will be developed in close cooperation with the end-users (mainly among governmental users). CBK PAN’s technology for automated Copernicus data processing will be applied to create a demo cases for selected cities in Colombia. Selected representatives of end-users will be trained during workshops and results (operating tools) will be communicated to the wide community of potential end-users.

#6 Copernicus Platform for C&SA User Uptake (IHCantabria): Provide visibility to Copernicus downstream solutions, intermediate users and potential end users in C&SA is the perfect breeding ground to foster Copernicus user uptake. CopLAC platform will be a reference point to identify the Copernicus main actors, downstream solutions and events in C&SA region. The network will be coordinated with Copernicus Academy and Relay members from the region. In addition, CopLAC platform will be designed and developed in Spanish, overcoming an important barrier for user uptake.