RECENT ACTIVITIES
Read here more on recent activities and research projects. We actively develop new algorithms for remote sensing image interpretation, mass data processing and new information products based on machine learning and AI. We present new research results at conferences and scientific publications.

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November 28, 2019
CoExist KICK-OFF MEETING AT UN-IOM
CoExist will monitor environmental-related transhumance patterns and will assess the associated risks for population displacement in Chad and the Central African Republic. The project is a cooperation between RSS and IOM (UN Agency - International Organization for Migration) and is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy via the DLR Space Administration.continue readingNews
November 26, 2019
NEW EARTH OBSERVATION METHOD FOR EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT OF INVASIVE PLANTS
RSS helped develop a satellite-based method that is able to discern the spread of, risk and occurrence areas for Prosopis juliflora and Parthenium hysterophorous over wider areas in Somaliland (Africa). Both invasive species are wide-spread in, particularly, African drylands and negatively affect livelihoods of pastoral and agro-pastoral communities.continue readingNews
November 21, 2019
PEAT REWETTING PROJECT SAVES 3 MIO. t CO2 PER YEAR
RSS contributed to the Krombacher Climate Protection Project by determining the specific CO₂ emission savings achieved by the peat rewetting activities which were implemented by the WWF in the Sebangau National Park in Borneo, Indonesia.continue readingNews
November 20, 2019
GlobeDrought HOLDS 2nd STAKEHOLDER MEETING
This week, partners from JRC’s GDO, UNCCD and WWF joined the GlobeDrought consortium to discuss the current status of global drought monitoring, best practices and the possibility of future cooperation between organizations.continue readingNews
September 5, 2019
RSS IS NEW MEMBER OF THE GLOBAL PEATLANDS INITIATIVE
RSS became a new member of the Global Peatlands Initiative and is now looking forward to contribute to peatland conservation through assessing the status of global peatlands.continue readingAGRICULTURE
June 16, 2019
New publication on honey bee habitats in Kenya
A new study published in collaboration with ICIPE this May looks at the effect of agro-ecological landscape fragmentation and its effect on honey bee habitats in Eastern Kenya.continue readingNews
May 1, 2019
Join us at the ESA Living Planet Symposium!
Next week, RSS will be attending the ESA Living Planet Symposium and presenting our work on the coastal accumulation of microplastics. We will also be there to reach out to the scientific community with posters and look forward to meeting you there!continue readingNATURAL HAZARDS
April 5, 2019
Fire experiment in Brandenburg
RSS is currently contributing to new research on fire detection and management technology, driven by the project "FireSense" and our drone was out recording infrared footage over a controlled burn in Brandenburg.continue readingNews
March 21, 2019
SWOS policy report available
Enhanced wetland monitoring, assessment and indicators to support European and global environmental policy is the title of the SWOS policy report that identifies the links between the Horizon 2020 Satellite-based Wetland Observation Service (SWOS) project outcomes and existing policy frameworks at European and global levels.continue reading

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We are very pleased to announce that RSS, as lead of the International Peat Mapping Team, won the Indonesian Peat Prize this morning! The competition aimed to find a new, more accurate and efficient way of mapping tropical peatland extent and thickness, and the Scientific Advisory Board selected our methodology from a number of highly qualified and innovative competitors. The Indonesian government will use our method to protect and manage peatland areas, accelerate peatland restoration and support Indonesia’s development goals. The Indonesian Geospatial Agency BIG will lead the process of using the winning method to improve the current standard for mapping peatland in a scale of 1:50,000, and will start the process by issuing a BIG regulation on peatland mapping.
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TWO-YEAR CONTEST
The contest to find the best methodology to measure the extent and depth of peat in Indonesia drew 44 teams which included some of the biggest names in peat research and mapping. The Prize’s Scientific Advisory Board (SAB), a group of scientists and experts who reviewed the finalists’ submissions, reached a unanimous decision that the International Peat Mapping team produced the most accurate, timely and cost-effective methodology for mapping peatlands.
MAJOR SOURCE OF EMISSIONS
Peat is a major source of carbon dioxide emissions when it burns or decomposes. In 2015, peatlands were responsible for 42% of Indonesia’s total emissions. In the devastating 2015 fire season, forests and peat fires caused 100,000 premature deaths, cost the Indonesian economy $16 billion, and released 1.62 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to the emissions produced by nearly 350,000 cars. The depth, or thickness, of peat soils is an essential measurement; the deeper the peat is, the more ecological damage, including carbon emissions, results from disturbance. Uncertainty around data and information concerning peatland, particularly the depth of peat, has delayed protection and restoration measures for Indonesia’s peatlands, allowing irresponsible parties to continue business as usual, often resulting in drained peat and fires.
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