Use Cases of Copernicus data in Spain

Copernicus is one of the geospatial data programmes that is most in demand and the focus of attention of various organisations, private companies and citizens. The programme is run jointly by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Union through the European Environment Agency, and has two clear objectives: to observe the environment in order to support strategies for mitigating and adapting to climate change, to manage emergencies efficiently and to improve the security of each citizen; and to provide accurate and up-to-date information that is easily accessible to everyone.

The Copernicus programme provides data and information services without restrictions and free of charge on many areas of application thanks to the different technologies used, ranging from satellites in space - including Sentinel satellites - to sensor systems on land, at sea and in the air. Copernicus transforms the data obtained from the satellite into valuable information, thanks to the processing and analysis of the information, its integration with other sources, and the validation of the results.

Through these data, both private and public organisations can create products and services of great economic and social value. The Copernicus programme itself highlights three of these on its website that are linked to our country:

Carbon mapping of forest trees

Agresta S.Coop in collaboration with several Universities of Almeria (Spain) and Delaware (USA), has developed a new methodological approach to improve the national aerial carbon map. The ecosystems of the Iberian Mediterranean area are highly sensitive to climate change and it is therefore essential to monitor and manage organic carbon in these areas. Traditionally, LIDAR technology has been used to measure the carbon density of vegetation, but the data obtained by this means have longer repetition cycles than those provided continuously by satellites. For this reason, programmes such as Copernicus are essential to develop better management of the study area. In this case, thanks to Copernicus Global Land Service it has been possible to integrate the necessary data with high resolution vegetation images, thereby improving the viability and study of the area. 

More information in this fact sheet.

Forest Fire Risk through vegetation stress

At present, forest fires are a constant threat to the ecosystem in Spain, which continues to grow due to the drought that the land suffers as a result of climate change and a decreasing forest control. Monitoring, studying and controlling the state of vegetation and wooded areas through geospatial programmes such as Copernicus is essential to curb fires. Thanks to them, it is possible to know the dryness of the land and the load of inflammable elements in the area. The Castilla-La Mancha Forest Fire Service is working in this direction, using this data for management and decision-making in the forest environment, not only in operational phases but also in emergency situations. 

More information in this fact sheet.

Customs: arrest of drug traffickers

The maritime accesses to Spain and Portugal are strategic entry points for drug smuggling. A large deployment of customs authorities fights every day side by side to stop drug trafficking by investigating the different transit routes already known. Geolocation systems such as Copernicus help in this difficult task. Thanks to the combination of different technologies and available SAR satellites, the search for suspicious vessels at sea becomes less complicated. A real example of use is this joint operation of the National Police and the Tax Agency, which has involved the collaboration of the Portuguese police, the American DEA and the British NCA, where nearly two and a half tonnes of cocaine were intercepted.

More information in this fact sheet.

Other use cases of Copernicus 

In addition to these 3 examples highlighted on Copernicus' own website, there are many more Copernicus' use cases. 

One way to find out more about Copernicus' use cases is to visit Aplicop's website. Aplicop is a project funded by the European Commission, responsible for "disseminating the Copernicus programme, facilitating the use of the programme's products in Spain, and connecting users and providers of the Copernicus ecosystem in Spain". Among other actions, its website collects examples of use cases, through the following form. These examples are shown on a knowledge map, together with other components of the Copernicus ecosystem. 

On ApliCop's website we also find information about upcoming events that promote the construction of services and applications based on Copernicus information services, such as the next Copernicus Hackathon Malaga to be held from 18 September to 3 October in the Andalusian city.

Copernicus continues to drive the reuse of the data it provides

As we have seen, the opportunities for geospatial data to generate benefits for society, the economy and the environment are numerous. The Copernicus programme itself aims to continue promoting the creation of valuable services based on geospatial information, which it provides through different acceleration and incubation programmes. A great opportunity for entrepreneurs and start-ups who want to be part of this interesting ecosystem.

More information about Copernicus

 If you want to know more about the project, you can visit the following links:

• In this article you can find out more about Copernicus' information services and Spain's role in the European Observation Programme.
• In this interview, Nuria Valcárcel, Deputy Director (Territory Observation) of the Subdirectorate General of Geodesy and Cartography, in the D.G. National Geographic Institute (IGN) of the Ministry of Development, the body that represents Spain in the Copernicus Users' Forum, for the monitoring and evolution of the programme, together with the Ministry for Ecological Transition (MITECO), looks in depth at the Copernicus services and highlights other examples of use such as this application for the environmental control of ports developed by NOLOGIN.

Content elaborated by datos.gob.es team.