The productivity of pasture land, the presence of pollutants, and the impacts of natural phenomena such as erosion or droughts can all be measured remotely using airborne or satellite-based sensors. But dealing with the huge amount of resulting data requires innovative solutions and technical support, which in turn require collaborative partnerships. Thanks to networks and services provided through the EU-funded EaPConnect project, and to the project’s Armenian partner IIAP participating in an Armenian-Swiss collaboration on ‘Data Cube’ technology, valuable information is being generated about the environment in Armenia.
The Committee of Earth Observation Systems (CEOS) expects that more than 20 countries will implement Data Cube infrastructure by 2022. Armenia is one of few countries already developing a national-scale Data Cube. As one of the most industrialised post-Soviet countries it faces numerous environmental issues. Although the Armenian Data Cube is still under development, it has been successfully installed as a complete and up-to-date archive of Earth Observation data.
Game-changing technology
The Armenian Data Cube is a game-changing technology for remote sensing Earth Observation and national-level data visualisation, according to Shushanik Asmaryan, who is Head of the Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensing Department at CENS (Center for Ecological-Noosphere Studies), which is part of the Armenian National Academy of Sciences (NAS). It promises continuous remote environmental monitoring that will enable Earth Observation scientists to determine trends, define present conditions, and inform the future.
Submitted by Naira Kocharyan
