European Space Agency: Space For Sustainable Forestry

Efforts to conserve and sustainably manage forests are crucial for their numerous benefits to both humans and the planet. Enhancing production with eco-design principles, utilisation, reusability, recycling of forest products, and managing wood waste is vital for reducing environmental impacts. As climate change intensifies, protecting forests through sustainable management and addressing deforestation drivers is essential for maintaining forest health and resilience, supporting biodiversity, climate regulation, human well-being, and sustainable development.

The present situation emphasises the need for more active participation from key stakeholders to facilitate a transformation that entails not only technological innovation and supportive regulatory frameworks but also cross-sectoral partnerships to deliver holistic end-to-end solutions. The Space for Sustainable Forestry Call is the first initiative of the Task Force on Space for Bioeconomy. Members of the Task Force have provided use cases which are listed below. The list is not exhaustive as other services could be analysed if duly supported by the user communities.

Topics of relevance

• Improve the Ecosystem Service (ES) procedure for certification: the procedure allows forest managers to highlight the true value of the forest beyond the economic value of timber and other products.
• Improve forest inventory process: focus on species composition, standing stock data and data on annual removals for the benefit of industry sourcing timber and forest managers/owners. Current inventory is done by personnel on the field which is costly and time consuming.
• Deforestation management: improve understanding to differentiate between a clear cutting and a deforested area.
• Agroforestry: gain better understanding about the timber resources available on agricultural area, which are managed by non-forestry stakeholders. Such understanding would bring tangible economic benefit to the farmers on the potential of their land.
• Pest & disease management: improve the understanding of the elements which facilitate the spreading of harmful invasive species such as bark beetles exploiting for instance AI applied to environmental and weather-related information.
• Carbon storage estimation: provide solutions which are aimed at improving both vegetation carbon storage and soil carbon storage estimation. Estimate carbon in a forest is not a trivial feature especially for forest owners who need to rely on third party developers. The current solutions are based on tree characteristics (e.g. tree height) therefore it is necessary to improve the reliability and robustness of the data on the single tree and tree species.
• Natural disaster response (with emphasis on fire and flood detection): to generate alert which are tailored to the geographically area of interest and which are also timely and reliable.

Value of space

SatEO offers a range of applications in forest management, including LULUCF, tree health analysis, species classification, and forest inventory. It aids in monitoring forest vigor and supports decision-making. EO helps detect changes over time, identifying natural disasters, pest outbreaks, or illegal logging, alerting forest owners promptly. Satellite imagery identifies deforestation areas and monitors forest cover changes.

The Copernicus Land Monitoring Service (CLMS) provides high-quality open-access datasets to support deforestation prevention and forest protection efforts.

SatNav systems are instrumental in efficiently locating field samples and guiding machinery for forestry operations, optimising resource utilisation. As several applications use in situ sensors, SatNav is necessary for the synchronisation and the geo-tagging of the samples from the fields. In addition, as several applications rely on using payloads carried by airborne (such as camera and LIDAR), SatNav is necessary for the flight and related operations.

SatCom could be used in remote areas where communication is lacking, and it provides the possibility of connection to IoT sensors and devices or to provide alerts, such as emergency warnings for extreme weather events.

In addition to space-based technologies, it is important to highlight other technologies which are terrestrial-based, and which enhance the performance of the operational services.

• LiDAR enables precise 3D measurements of vegetation and terrain, yielding digital elevation models and accurate forest inventory data. It enhances mapping of hydrologic features and forest corridors, transforming traditional inventory practices when combined with multispectral optical imagery. These technologies improve our understanding of forest ecosystems and support informed decision-making in forest management and conservation.
• Forest digital twins offer detailed insights into forest structures, aiding decision-making for resilient forest management. By creating virtual replicas of real forests, they enable dynamic simulations, predictive modelling, and adaptive management. This technology enhances understanding of ecosystem dynamics, promoting effective conservation and management practices for thriving forests and communities.
• IoT is transforming forestry with sensor deployment for real-time data on tree health, soil moisture, and environmental conditions. This enables proactive, sustainable management, detects early signs of issues like disease or pests, and supports wildlife and vegetation surveillance for conservation efforts.

Eligibility

This opportunity is open to companies that intend to develop space-enabled services and products related, but not restricted, to the topics of relevance outlined above. Companies in any ESA member state can apply: this includes the UK. Authorisation of Funding letters from the corresponding National Delegations are required as part of the application.

The initiative is open to the submission of proposals for Feasibility Studies and Demonstration Projects:

• Feasibility Studies – which provide the preparatory framework to identify, analyse and define new potentially sustainable services.
• Demonstration Projects – dedicated to the implementation and demonstration of pre-operational services.

This call is non-competitive and applications will be reviewed as they are received.

Benefits and funding

ESA offer funding and support to companies, both for business case assessment and for the development of new, space-based services. The offer includes:

• zero-equity funding (50-80% depending on SME Status and Member State Approval) – maximum €500k for feasibility studies, case-by-case assessment for demonstration projects
• technical and commercial guidance
• access to our network and partners
• ESA brand credibility

Webinar

A supporting webinar for potential applicants will be held on Wednesday 30 October 2024 at 11am CET (10am UK time): click here to register for a place.