Coastline Mapping

coastline mapping

Why is this important?

Coastal zone managers and port authorities have an advantage when they have access to information about the changes and trends in their coastal area.

Coastline mapping is a solution that uses satellite images and historical archives dating back to the 1960s with the option to combine with existing aerial photographs.

The highlights:

Archives dating back to the 1960’s and recent satellite data provides coastlines that are delivered in ready-to-use vector data format

The coastlines can be derived down to a map scale of 1:1.000, with spatial details of 0.5m to 30m, and comes with flexible options accommodating varying budgets and specifications

Digital maps of the entire coastal zone can be produced with embedded information such as vegetation, sediment, coastal protection, constructions etc.

In more detail..

DHI GRAS has profound experience in mapping coastal erosion and stability classification and with our expertise in this field we can tailor a solution that works for you.

Based on historical satellite data dating back to the 1960’s we can assess and quantify erosion/accretion changes over time. Methods used for extracting coastlines are typically semi-automatic object-based segmentation depending on the nature of the coast and the details needed in the final products.

Further classification of the coastal zone can be derived based on the timeseries of satellite data to extract information about dynamics and development of vegetation, coastal protection, constructions etc.

Tidal information can be considered by adding corrections based on DHI tidal models.

coastline mapping

EOatDHI part of the DHI GROUP

gras@dhigroup.com
+45 4516 9100

Agern Alle 5,
2970 Hørsholm,
Denmark

CVR: 36466871

Flood and drought monitoring and prediction

Flood monitoring

Why is this important?

Flood and drought monitoring provides access to the right data and information for governments and local authorities. This enables them to mitigate potential disasters.

Project highlights:

Reliable near-real-time remote sensing data and climate forecasts for flood and drought management on country and river basin scale

Automated data streams from a wide range of online sources for satellite-based rainfall, temperature, soil moisture, NDVI, water levels, chlorophyll, evapotranspiration, and more

Statistics and complex indices based on latest science that support in-depth analysis of severity of flooding and drought events

In more detail..

Increased floods in some areas and droughts in others, is having a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region and harming the local economy, often hitting developing countries the hardest.

The Flood and Drought project is working on a groundbreaking online system containing an array of data such as hydrographic, meteorological and demographic information in near-real time piloted by 10 water authorities across six countries and three transboundary river basins. This is a packaged solution providing not only data and information but also tools to integrate this information into the users planning.

The online portal allows for the users to locate and identify hazards, estimating impacts and providing risk assessment. It also includes a water indicator tool and water safety planning to support decision making as well as an application to understand crop yields.

To make the information accessible to stakeholders, we maintain data streams from more than 20 different online sources of remote sensing and climate data.

We compute statistics and complex indices based on latest science for enhanced assessment of flood or drought severity, available on country or river basin scale.

The software is developed as part of the Flood and Drought Management Tools project funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) together with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Water Association (IWA).

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EOatDHI part of the DHI GROUP

gras@dhigroup.com
+45 4516 9100

Agern Alle 5,
2970 Hørsholm,
Denmark

CVR: 36466871

Updated satellite-based maps of Greenland

satellite map greenland

Why is it important?

The new cartographic data will contribute to supporting Greenland’s infrastructure management as well as its economic development.

Precise and detailed maps are also important in connection with climate and environmental monitoring, rescue preparedness and business development.

Project highlights:

Procurement of satellite imagery and Digital Elevation Models covering 85.000 sqkm of Greenland

Facilitating topographic mapping of a large and remote area with high accuracy and without risks or need for mobilization

Independent advice and experienced support selecting the right satellite-based solution for the project purpose, based on close to 20 years of experience

The Danish Agency for Data Supply and Efficiency (SDFE) has produced a short video presenting their new 3D-panorama service, based on our data.

In more detail..

Since 2015, DHI GRAS has supported the Danish Agency for Data Supply and Efficiency (SDFE), in close cooperation with Greenland’s Government, in their mission to provide updated topographic maps of the ice-free areas of Greenland. The current topographic maps of Greenland are outdated and due to the large size of the country, it is not the easiest to map.

Together with our close partners at Airbus Defence and Space we have provided ready-to-use orthomosaics and detailed Digital Elevation Models (DEM) for an area covering 85.000 sqkm of Greenland.

The satellite data products were produced based on dedicated image acquisitions of up-to-date stereo satellite imagery from the SPOT 6 and 7 satellites.

Danish Agency for Data Supply and Efficiency:

The Danish Agency for Data Supply and Effeciency (SDFE) provides high-quality data to the public and private sectors, enabling them to make important community decisions on the best possible basis.

They are a workplace that spans widely and is part of the Danish Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities.

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EOatDHI part of the DHI GROUP

gras@dhigroup.com
+45 4516 9100

Agern Alle 5,
2970 Hørsholm,
Denmark

CVR: 36466871

Consultancy for the European Environmental Agency

GIS consultancy satellite

How we helped:

DHI GRAS provides expert assistance to assist the implementation of various activities pertaining to the Copernicus Land Monitoring Service (CLMS) managed by the EEA, including; technical support to produce Pan-European high-resolution mosaics; methodological and analytical support to review the readiness and uptake potential of the Data and Information Access Services (DIAS); management support to assist the EEA in managing the production contracts pertaining to the 2018 reference year update of the High Resolution Layers (HRL’s); onsite support to provide the technical staff at EEA with dedicated software routines easing their work with quality assurance of Copernicus Land products by on-site and customized training in GIS and Remote Sensing software.

Project highlights:

Providing on site consultancy support within processing and analysis of satellite images and other geospatial data

Development of dedicated and automated software procedures for handling and dissemination of large volume of image data

Production of high-resolution image mosaics and quality assurance of Pan-European Copernicus products such as hydrological layers, land cover maps and Digital Elevation Models

In more detail..

The framework agreement with the European Environmental Agency (EEA) covers consultancy services within Geospatial Information Systems (GIS) and advanced image processing of satellite imagery.

We were contracted to support the EEA with advanced image analysis and automation of tasks related to the handling of Copernicus land products, including production of pan-European high resolution Mosaics and methodological support for deriving deep learning approaches to extract small landscape features from very high resolution satellite images.

For this we provided on-site support for advanced image analysis including handling of large volume raster datasets, geometric corrections, image classifications, supervised and non-supervised classifications, data integration, publishing of web-services, mosaicking, image catalogue maintenance and so on.

We also provide analytical support to assess DIAS readiness for CLMS data integration and management support to facilitate the seamless production of the 2018 reference year high resolution layers.

High resolution mosaic covering the EEA39

European Environmental Agency:

The EEA is an agency of the European Union (EU), tasked with the provision of sound, independent and reliable environmental information.

The EEA undertakes important work related to the European Copernicus programme – previously known as Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES).

The GMES/Copernicus (2011-2013) Initial Operations of the land monitoring service (or ‘GIO’ land) prioritise multi-purpose information common to a large user community.

EOatDHI part of the DHI GROUP

gras@dhigroup.com
+45 4516 9100

Agern Alle 5,
2970 Hørsholm,
Denmark

CVR: 36466871

Earth Observation for the Sustainable Development Goals

Earth observation sustainable development goals

Why is it important?

In 2017, the global indicator framework (232 indicators) for the Sustainable Development Goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted by the United Nations, with the aim of monitoring progress, inform policies and ensure accountability.

However, data collection and information management processes are burdensome and many countries are challenged by fulfilling the required monitoring and reporting for the SDG framework.

The potential of Earth Observation techniques to address some of these issues are clear, but undersold, and the EO for SDG-project aims to maximize the contribution of EO data to the SDG agenda by producing targeted high-quality indicator monitoring guidelines and effective outreach material, and by showcasing the usability of EO data in country demonstrations studies in dialogue with UN stakeholders.

Project highlights:

Exploiting technology improvements of Earth Observation data and services to underpin the monitoring and reporting framework of the SDG’s

Supporting national stakeholders in applying EO based techniques to support, and extend, existing monitoring and reporting capabilities and promote the benefits of integrating EO in the SDG monitoring framework

Increasing uptake and awareness of EO services in support of the SDG’s to inform decision-makers about the added value and benefits of EO-based monitoring and reporting minimum impact

In more detail..

The Earth Observation for the DHI (Denmark), GeoVille (Austria) and the UN Environment World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC, UK). The project commenced in the 1st quarter of 2018 and is expected to run for 18 months.

To increase the contribution and impact of EO data on the SDG agenda the project will deliver a range of outputs, including:

European Space Agency:

The European Space Agency (ESA) is the European space programme and its mission is to explore Earth, its immediate space environment, our Solar System and the Universe.

ESA also works closely with space organisations outside Europe to develop satellite-based technologies and services, and to promote European industries.

EOatDHI part of the DHI GROUP

gras@dhigroup.com
+45 4516 9100

Agern Alle 5,
2970 Hørsholm,
Denmark

CVR: 36466871

SeaStatus – Sea and coast monitoring

Sea and coast monitoring

Why is it important?

Seas and coasts are considered key drivers of the economy (Blue Growth) by EU and OECD. Through sustainable exploitation of the marine ecosystem, we ensure a continued contribution to human welfare, instead of overexploitation leading to severe consequences for the natural capital.

The key to a sustainable human exploitation of marine resources is precise knowledge of existing conditions and accurate predictions of anthropogenic pressures. Sea and coast monitoring provides valuable insights for all actors involved.

Project highlights:

Developing novel algorithms to derive water quality information and map marine habitats from Copernicus data in high spatial and temporal resolution

Novel and traditional measurement techniques and data processing algorithms are combined with models allowing for a continuous update of the environmental status and improvement of management practices

SeaStatus will develop a range of decision support tools for intelligent marine ecosystem management allowing for optimal use of marine resources at minimum impact

Sea and coast monitoring

In more detail..

SeaStatus combines innovative monitoring with new models for decision-making to support sustainable exploitation of the marine environment by improving the knowledge base and predictability of management scenarios.

SeaStatus addresses the entire value chain from data acquisition, quality assurance, data integration and assimilation (DA) and embeds the developed methods into robust ICT tools (data processing & integration, modelling) readily available for consultants and authorities for new EIA services and efficient and sustainable ecosystem management tools, products and services, which are unavailable today.

The project is funded with 10 mio. DKK from the Danish Innovation Fond (IFD) and runs from 2017 - 2020.

DHI GRAS is contributing to this by:

Innovation Fund Denmark:

The overall aim of Innovation Fund Denmark is to support the development of knowledge and technology, including advanced technology, in order to strengthen research and innovative solutions that may benefit growth and employment in Denmark.inno

EOatDHI part of the DHI GROUP

gras@dhigroup.com
+45 4516 9100

Agern Alle 5,
2970 Hørsholm,
Denmark

CVR: 36466871

InnoWind – wind energy efficiency

wind energy mapping

Why is it important?

The improved services provided by Danish companies will decrease the cost of wind energy development by significantly increasing the precision of wind resources assessments and lowering uncertainty in the planning phase.

Project highlights:

Develop novel algorithms to derive aerodynamic surface properties from Copernicus data and test against ground truth at wind energy sites

Integrate satellite-based map layers seamlessly in flow models operated by industrial end-users

Document the scientific and financial impact of new satellite-based map layers for wind resource assessment

In more detail..

The InnoWind project has been funded by the Innovation Fund Denmark and is being conducted by DHI GRAS together with DTU Wind Energy and DTU Space, as well as wind industry leaders Vestas, EMD International and Vattenfall. The project is expected to run from 2017 to 2020.

InnoWind gives Danish companies a competitive edge in a rapidly growing market of wind resource assessment by equipping them with more accurate tools than competitors.

The improved services provided by Danish companies will decrease the cost of wind energy development by significantly increasing the precision of wind resources assessments and lowering uncertainty in the planning phase.

This will benefit energy systems planning and have a positive effect on financing of wind farms. Additionally, public entities establishing wind atlases will benefit from high quality model inputs; this is particularly relevant for emerging wind energy markets where such atlases are currently absent.

InnoWind will provide added value to end-users by delivering:

Innovation Fund Denmark:

The overall aim of Innovation Fund Denmark is to support the development of knowledge and technology, including advanced technology, in order to strengthen research and innovative solutions that may benefit growth and employment in Denmark.

Sea and Coast monitoring

EOatDHI part of the DHI GROUP

gras@dhigroup.com
+45 4516 9100

Agern Alle 5,
2970 Hørsholm,
Denmark

CVR: 36466871

Forests of the World

Forest monitoring

How we helped:

The amazon is described as the lungs of our earth. Forest monitoring plays an essential role in checking its health. We developed a low-cost monitoring system for efficiently monitoring forest areas in Latin America, based on open source software and free data sources.

Project highlights:

Capacity building within the use of satellite imagery for effective, systematic and routinely monitoring of deforestation within indigenous’ territories in Latin America

Providing a low cost monitoring system based on open source GIS software and freely available optical and radar satellite images

Provision of on-site tailormade technical workshops focusing on effective coupling local field surveys with satellite remote sensing

Coordinator & Technical Adviser,
Jakob Rydding

Our cooperation with DHI GRAS on the development of low-cost monitoring systems, based on the application of open source GIS software and freely available optical and radar satellite images has exceeded our expectations.

DHI GRAS has with great skill and user-friendliness delivered a hands-on approach to using freely available data and technology to carry out participatory forest monitoring in large tropical forest areas. The combination of desk analyses and field verification creates a powerful and efficient tool, which has been an invaluable input to our own organisation as well as our partners in Latin America.

In more detail..

We successfully co-lead two technical workshops, hosted by the NGO Forests of the World (Verdens Skove), that introduced satellite-based monitoring of forest cover changes in indigenous territory in Bolivia and Panama.

The workshop participants were trained in the following topics:

Forests of the World:

Forests of the World (Verdens Skove) is an environmental NGO founded in Denmark in 1983 with the objective to conserve and manage the world’s forests in a sustainable way.

They create opportunities for communities and people, who aspire to save the forests of the world and aim to demonstrate and prove the value of the living forest through campaigns, consumer information, training, cooperation, and concrete work in and around the rainforest.

EOatDHI part of the DHI GROUP

gras@dhigroup.com
+45 4516 9100

Agern Alle 5,
2970 Hørsholm,
Denmark

CVR: 36466871

Satellite imagery and Fire Safety part 2

Satellite Imagery and Fire Safety:

11 June 2018

In our previous post, we showed you how satellite imagery from Sentinel-2 captured the fire at Randbøl Hede near Billund on May the 25th.

Sentinel-2 as false colour composite (vegetation becomes red) is here seen illustrating the damage of the fire, estimated at around 350 hectares of land. The video shows the area before, during and after the fire.

EOatDHI part of the DHI GROUP

gras@dhigroup.com
+45 4516 9100

Agern Alle 5,
2970 Hørsholm,
Denmark

CVR: 36466871

Satellite imagery and Fire Safety part 1

Satellite Imagery and Fire Safety:

31 May 2018

In our day to day work with satellite imagery, we often see wildfires e.g. bushfires in Africa and forest fires in Asia, and now also in Denmark.  

This image acquired by Sentinel-2 captured the fire on Randbøl Hede near Billund on the 7th of May 2018. The first image is a true color showing the smoke from the fire, and the second image shows the location of the flames using the SWIR information from Sentinel-2.

EOatDHI part of the DHI GROUP

gras@dhigroup.com
+45 4516 9100

Agern Alle 5,
2970 Hørsholm,
Denmark

CVR: 36466871