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Themes

This section organises Sentinel User Preparation (SUP) projects by thematic domain, providing a structured view of how expertise and methods are being developed across key areas of application. By grouping activities around shared challenges and use cases, it becomes easier to explore how different projects contribute to advancing capabilities for the Copernicus Sentinel Expansion and Next Generation missions.

Soil Management

Soil management is essential for food production, carbon storage, and preventing land degradation that threatens agricultural productivity and climate stability worldwide. Earth observation supports precise mapping of soil composition and health parameters, organic degradation, and restoration efforts through missions like CHIME, LSTM, ROSE-L and CMIR enabling targeted interventions such as precision farming and erosion control to sustain fertile lands for future generations.

Mining and Extractives

Mining and extractives drive industrial growth, energy production, and infrastructure but pose risks to landscapes and communities if unmanaged. Earth observation missions like CHIME, LSTM, ROSE-L and CO2M aid in mineral detection, site selection, operations monitoring, waste management networks, and environmental impact tracking, allowing safer extraction processes that minimize land disruption and support regulatory compliance for societal benefit.

GHG and Air Quality

Greenhouse gas (GHG) monitoring and air quality assessment are essential for addressing climate change and mitigating public health risks associated with pollution in urban and industrial environments. Earth observation satellites such as CO2M and CHIME provide detailed measurements of emissions, atmospheric composition, and air‑pollutant dispersion. These observations support evidence‑based policy implementation, emission reduction strategies, regulatory monitoring, and improved air‑quality forecasting, contributing to better protection of human health and the environment.

Natural Hazard Management

Natural hazard management supports preparedness, impact assessment, and recovery across a broad range of hazards, including floods, wildfires, earthquakes, landslides, and other geological and cascading multi‑hazard events. Earth observation missions such as CHIME, CMIR, LSTM, and ROSE‑L provide systematic and reliable measurements to detect hazard precursors, assess exposure and vulnerability—including risks associated with the green transition—and monitor interactions between hazards, infrastructure, and land use across urban and natural environments. Continuous post‑event monitoring and damage mapping deliver timely, actionable information to civil protection authorities and decision‑makers, enabling response coordination, residual risk evaluation, and recovery and reconstruction strategies that strengthen long‑term resilience and climate adaptation.

Urban Resilience and Critical Infrastructure

Urban resilience and critical infrastructure are central to sustaining cities amid disasters, population growth, and environmental pressures while optimizing resources for billions of residents. Earth observation technologies provide vital insights into urban heat islands, land‑use change, infrastructure stress, and structural integrity through missions such as CHIME, LSTM, ROSE‑L, and CO2M. These capabilities support smart city planning, disaster preparedness, and sustainable development, while enabling continuous monitoring of energy grids, transport networks, and water systems. By assessing structural health, tracking deformation, and mapping risks, Earth observation helps prevent cascading failures, maintain operational continuity, reduce downtime, enhance livability and economic vitality, and strengthen overall societal resilience and national security.

Food Systems and Agriculture

Food systems and agriculture are vital for global food security, supporting billions through crop production, supply chains, and economic stability in rural communities. Earth observation via satellites like CHIME, LSTM, ROSE-L, and CO2M enables precise crop operations monitoring—using crop indices for health assessment, yield estimation models for harvest forecasting, and irrigation optimization through soil moisture mapping—along with field condition assessments, helping farmers optimize resources, predict harvests to reduce waste, and enhance resilience against climate variability

Coastal and Inland Water Management

Coastal and inland water management are essential for protecting ecosystems, supporting human livelihoods, and ensuring economic stability in the face of climate change. Coastal management safeguards vital ecosystems, communities, and economies from erosion, flooding, and sea-level rise, while inland water management secures drinking water supply, sanitation, agriculture, and hydropower, directly impacting public health and productivity worldwide. Using Earth observation data from missions including CHIME, LSTM, ROSE-L, and CRISTAL, experts monitor coastal dynamics, hydrological processes, water quality, eutrophication levels, pollution, and habitat changes. These capabilities enable the detection of risks such as algal blooms, inform shoreline protection strategies, support sustainable fisheries, and guide resilient infrastructure and water resource policies, ensuring long-term environmental sustainability.

Forestry Management, Ecosystems & Biodiversity Monitoring

Ecosystems and biodiversity underpin planetary health by regulating climate, purifying water, and providing habitats essential for human survival and natural resilience. Forestry management plays a vital role within this context by sustaining timber resources, carbon sinks, and biodiversity hotspots that mitigate climate change and reduce the risk of natural disasters such as landslides. Using Earth observation missions such as CHIME, LSTM, ROSE-L, and CO2M, experts and managers assess forest conditions, perform forest classification based on species composition, structure, density, and health, enable habitat mapping and restoration, derive ecosystem structural and functional traits, and monitor protected areas. These capabilities support conservation efforts, detect degradation, track organic growth, and guide restoration planning, ensuring sustainable practices that balance economic needs with long-term environmental protection while preserving ecosystem services critical for societal well-being.

Arctic Operations

Arctic operations support navigation, resource extraction, and scientific research in a rapidly changing polar environment that is critical for global climate regulation. Earth observation missions including ROSE‑L, CRISTAL, CMIR, and LSTM provide essential capabilities for sea‑ice and land‑ice monitoring, identification of safe shipping routes, and establishment of long‑term environmental baselines. These observations enable informed decision‑making that supports safe and efficient operations, promotes sustainable economic activities, and helps minimize ecological disruption in this strategically important region.