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Thematic overview

More than half the global population live in cities and over 80% of global GDP is generated in cities. Well-planned, compact cities make public spending on infrastructure and services economically viable, and facilitate generation and diffusion of knowledge. However, poorly planned urbanisation leads to environmental destruction, increased carbon emissions, transport congestion, poor air quality, and urban sprawl. GDA AID Urban Sustainability provides satellite Earth Observation information in response to requirements identified by International Financial Institutions and their client governments in developing countries.

Urban Sustainability Themes

The thematic cluster will focus on the following global urban themes:

Discover our e-flyer and brochure for more information regarding services and products provided on these themes in response to requirements identified in the urban domain by IFIs and their Client Countries:
     


Supported IFI initiatives

  • Second Rwanda Urban Development Project (RUDP II) at the World Bank
    • Use Case: Urban Wetland Monitoring System to support the implementation of Nature Based Solutions in cities and mitigation of flooding through the semi-automated, stable detection of changes to urban wetland land cover types which are either “natural” or “human-impacted”
  • West Africa Coastal Areas Management (WACA) Programme Multi-Sector Resilience Plan (MSRP) for Nigeria at the World Bank
    • Use Case: Interactively visualising how weighting input layers (assets, such as population and land uses, and hazards, such as ground displacement and flooding) in an urban exposure analysis affects the spatial distribution of the resulting relative exposure “hotspots” to better prioritise investments
  • Urban Resilience and Solid Waste Management Project  and WAEMU Affordable Housing Finance Project in Cote d’Ivoire at the World Bank
    • Use Case: Scaled service for slum area identification, mapping/monitoring and characterization (including urban indicators support)
  •  Jordan Sustainable Cities at the World Bank
    • Integrated agent-based modelling of urban development scenarios including the potential for NBS solutions to respond to social crises and climate emergencies
  • Integrated and Innovative Solutions for More Liveable Cities & Developing Resilient Environments And Municipal Services (DREAMS) in Pakistan at the Asian Development Bank
    • Assessing the impact of urban green area provision on liveability and urban resilience through advanced analytics to prioritise green area investments and reduce Urban Heat Island effects
  • Updating the Revised Strategic Transport Plan for Dhaka, Bangladesh at the Asian Development Bank
    • Use Case: EO-informed macro- and microscopic modelling of urban transport systems
  • Integrated Urban Data Platform Application for Urban Centres in Kenya at the African Development Bank
    • Scalable EO-based urban development datasets and spatial analytics to support the establishment of a national urban data platform for Kenya, with a pilot demonstration in Nairobi
Discover our latest video showcasing activities conducted to support some of the aforementioned initiatives:

Consortium members

Latest news and events

Latest stories

ESA’s URBIS Conference Highlights Urban Insights from Space
Clean Energy
16 October 2024

ESA’s URBIS Conference Highlights Urban Insights from Space

ESA recently hosted the URBIS conference at ESRIN, focusing on “Urban Insights from Space”. The event brought together experts and stakeholders to explore how Earth Observation (EO) data can enhance … Read more

A High-Tech Peek at Kenya’s Urban Future Through Earth Observation
Urban Sustainability
29 August 2024

A High-Tech Peek at Kenya’s Urban Future Through Earth Observation

The GDA AID Urban Sustainability activity is supporting the “Integrated Urban Data Platform – Application for Urban Centres in Kenya” project. This initiative, led by the African Development Bank’s (AfDB) … Read more

Urban Wetlands: EO-based tools to support wetland restoration in Rwanda
Urban Sustainability
18 July 2023

Urban Wetlands: EO-based tools to support wetland restoration in Rwanda

The European Space Agency’s GDA AID Urban Sustainability has been supporting the World Bank (WB) Second Rwanda Urban Development Project (RUDPII). The consortium is using Earth Observation (EO) to develop … Read more

From Coastlines to Space: EO Satellites for Advanced Risk Assessment in Warri City, Nigeria
Urban Sustainability
19 June 2023

From Coastlines to Space: EO Satellites for Advanced Risk Assessment in Warri City, Nigeria

GDA AID Urban Sustainability has been supporting the World Bank (WB) “Nigeria West Africa Coastal Areas (WACA) Multi-Sector Resilience Plan” project in Warri City, Nigeria. By tapping into the expertise … Read more