Earth Observation for Polar Monitoring A unique view

Earth Observation for Polar Monitoring A unique view of the environment, the economy, and safety Helge Tangen, Regional Director, met. no Tromso Euro. Arctic node manager in Polar View

Who We Are v An international consortium, 1 v Of government, academic, and private sector organizations, v With a mandate to make earth observation more accessible, v To stakeholders interested in the Polar Regions, v Supported by the European Space Agency and the European Commission, with participation by the Canadian Space Agency. 1. Canada, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom 2

Our Clients v Currently, Polar View works with over 30 user groups, v Including government departments, scientific institutions, northern residents, and private sector clients, v To deliver services that address their operational and scientific needs, v For better information that improves decision making and planning. v Many clients contribute to the continuing development of services by participating in trials and defining requirements. 3

Polar Issues v The Polar Regions are having a growing ecological, economic, and political impact on world affairs. v Polar View services contribute to monitoring and analysis of Polar issues regarding: § The Environment – Monitoring polar fresh water cycles – Tracking sources of pollution – Helping to understand manage animal habitats and populations – Increasing global awareness of climate change impacts and adaptation § Sustainable Economic Development – Helping to manage hydropower generation – Optimizing transportation routes – Assisting in resource exploitation – Maintaining traditional ways of life § Safety – Guiding fishing and hunting expeditions – Providing safe transportation routes – Protecting off-shore drilling operations – Improving flood protection 4

Our Services v Services are offered in the Arctic, Antarctic, and midlatitude areas with significant snow and ice across Europe, Russia, Canada, and the North Atlantic v Polar View services: § § Provide accurate, real-time information Can be customized to meet users’ needs Offer cost savings over alternatives Are provided by an experienced team of experts 5

Our Services v Sea Ice v Icebergs v Ice Edge v Coastal Erosion v Ice Drift Trajectory v River Ice v Lake Ice v Glaciers v Snow Cover v Climate Change Adaptation Indicators 6

Earth Observation v Satellite-borne Earth Observation (EO) systems have been providing imagery for more than two decades v Some sensors can penetrate clouds and ‘see’ in the dark; conditions that are prevalent at the poles v Polar View uses primarily Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) sensors that are excellent for observing snow and ice 7

EO in the Polar Regions v Polar regions have: § § § Large and remote areas with limited accessibility Low population densities Sensitive ecosystems of global importance Rich non-renewable and renewable resources Increasing industrial activity v Effective monitoring strategies are vital to understanding conditions, identifying impacts, and guiding responses v EO is often the only cost effective and technically feasible means of obtaining information v EO sensors can supply types of information that are not available from any other source 8

Polar View and GMES v Global Monitoring of Environment and Security (GMES) is a joint initiative of the European Space Agency and the European Commission v GMES is the main European contribution to the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOS) v The Earthwatch GMES Service Element (GSE) is a programme within GMES to raise the profile of EO among policy makers and non-traditional users v Polar View is a project under GSE 9

For More Information v General Information: § Web site: § Telephone: § Email: www. polarview. org +01. 709. 737. 3735 info@polarview. org v Regional Contacts: § § § International: North America: Baltic Sea: Europe: Antarctica: David. Arthurs@polarview. org Thomas. Puestow@polarview. org Ari. Seina@polarview. org Helge. Tangen@polarview. org Andrew. Fleming@polarview. org 10