A F2F course of the EO AFRICA R&D Facility will take place in Rabat, Morocco. More particularly it will be hosted at CRASTE-LF (African Regional Centre for Space Science and Technology in French Language; Avenue Ibn Sina, BP 765 Agdal, 10090 Rabat, Morocco).
This course will provide participants with the necessary theoretical and practical knowledge on vegetation and drought monitoring based on satellite EO data. We will focus both on regional assessments based on low spatial resolution data and local impacts of droughts on crop production using crop growth simulation models. The training includes face-to-face lecturing and sets of short videos combined with reading material to provide the theoretical background. Through several hands-on case studies, the participants will get ample opportunity to put the theory into practice and discover how satellite EO data can help tackle the current challenges in food production and food security.
Upon completion of this course, the participant will:
- Be aware of both the advantages and limitations of satellite EO data for the purpose of vegetation and drought monitoring.
- Know how to select, access and use the right open-access data and tools for applications related to vegetation and drought monitoring.
- Understand different ways of deriving biomass production and actual evapotranspiration from EO data.
- Understand the role of digital twins such as crop growth simulation models in assessing agricultural droughts and how EO platforms can contribute there.
- Have practiced the use of open-source software in VREs for image processing.
ABOUT THE COURSE
CAN I APPLY?
Who can participate?
Space is limited to max. 25 Participants. Participants will be selected on the basis of their academic background, work experience and motivation to participate. If you are selected you will receive a confirmation e-mail with further information by January 10, 2023.
Participants should reside in one of the African countries, should have an academic background related to Vegetation monitoring, Agriculture or similar, and have knowledge of basic Earth Observations techniques and principles. Prior experience in Python programming is an asset but not strictly required. Young researchers in this field are encouraged to apply!
Speakers:
-
R&D Professional – Agricultural Applications, VITO Remote Sensing
https://remotesensing.vito.be/team/jeroen-degerickx
jeroen.degerickx@vito.be -
Lecturer – Department of Natural Resources, Faculty ITC of the University of Twente
https://people.utwente.nl/v.venus
v.venus@utwente.nl
Registration:
Schedule
Each day will consist of a morning and afternoon session with a total duration of 6 hours. The sessions will focus on the introduction to droughts and drought monitoring, how to extract information (e.g., biomass and evapotranspiration) from satellite EO data, an introduction to existing and relevant open data platforms and drought monitoring using crop growth simulation models. Various hands-on case studies will illustrate how the concepts covered in the course can be put into practice.
- Morning session: 9:00 – 12:00, 3 hours
- Lunch break: 12:00 – 13:00
- Afternoon session: 13:00 – 16:00, 3 hours
Certificate of completion
All participants who will complete the course by actively taking part in all practical sessions will receive a Certificate of completion issued by the EO Africa R&D Facility.
Technical requirements
Participants are requested to bring their own (updated) laptop.
It is strongly advised that the participants follow the first 2 On-line courses of the EO AFRICA R&D Space Academy ("Cloud Computing and Algorithms for EO Analyses" and "Principles of and advances in Earth Observation"). Participants will get access upon acceptance for this Face to Face course – or can self-enroll already at:
- EO AFRICA – Cloud Computing for EO Analyses
- EO AFRICA – Principles of and advances in EO (optical and SAR)
(please note that registering is needed)
Cost
Attendance to the training course is free of charge.
Participants will need to arrange and pay their own travel, subsistence and accommodation. Lunch will be provided during the workshop.
For those not residing in Rabat the Facility can sponsor up to EUR 200 to cover such expenses. Should you want to apply for this funding, please indicate it in the application form. Payment of the 200 Euro (max) will go via banktransfer and will be arranged after completion of the workshop. Only participants not studying at CRASTE_LF are eligible for sponsorship.