1. Environmental Intelligence Platform – Monitoring Nutrients Pollution with Earth Observation Data for Sustainable Agriculture and Clean Waters
Blue Waters and Green Agriculture
Romanian Challenges and Perspectives in Nutrient Pollution Control
`10-13 May 2017

2. Context Strengthening institutional and regulatory capacity:
Unified integration of data from direct and indirect measurements (in-situ measurements, evaluation through remote sensing techniques and results of mathematical modelling of physical phenomena considered);
Structured and integrated overview of reporting to European directives:
Water Framework Directive;
Nitrates Directive;
Tool for monitoring the progress achieved by implementing measures at regional and local level;
Decision support system for management of nutrients pollution.
Public awareness and information support. 2

3. Potential Solutions
Implementation of an innovative and interactive web platform:
Environmental Intelligence – Monitoring and controlling nutrients pollution
using
Near real time data integration
Satellite data;
In-situ measurements;
Knowledge integration
Process modelling (Mathematical models);
Reporting
Thematic maps. 3

4. Environmental Intelligence Platform
Fundamental tool for the implementation of the environmental policies:
Organise the archives of the Ministry of Water and Forests, index the resources and develop online catalogues with all past and current projects;
Mapping and monitoring services for: infrastructure, illegal exploitation of water/forests resources, illegal constructions, protected areas, protected species, wetlands, vegetation status, etc.;
Support the implementation of European directives for the environment protection (water quality, biodiversity, etc.);
Tools for advanced search, analysis and processing of data from various sources. 4

5. Environmental Intelligence Platform - Earth Observation data
Earth Observation data together with GIS techniques can offer
substantial advantages:
constant monitoring (1 image / 5-6 days);
fine level of detail;
a large range of multispectral information;
reduced costs;
standard products (e.g. landcover, wetlands area, urban expansion, vegetation indices);
accurate measurements;
tailoring and customisation of final products. 5

6. Vegetation status assessment6

7. Vegetation status assessment7

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13. Land cover dynamics 13

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15. Environmental Intelligence Platform15

16. Environmental Intelligence Platform16

17. Monitoring System Diffuse sources:
Extract information from LANDSAT 8/SENTINEL 2 satellite data about agricultural fields natural and chemical fertilisers used (computational methods of potential nutrients dispersion, soils erosion and sediment transport);
Analyse reports for the main economic agents on the level of usage of fertilisers and assess the usage per administrative territorial unit (method of fertiliser purchased/budget reported as used/implemented crop - excess/ deficit-synthesis);
In-situ monitoring (for validating the usage level).
Point sources:
Integration of the industrial operators reports. 17

18. Analysis and Control System
Mathematical modeling of:
Dispersion processes;
Retention processes.
Using mathematical models to illustrate the potential of dispersion of the nutrients coming from agriculture.
Modelling for river basins processes to identify zones of nutrients accumulation and concentration.
Identification of risk areas for sources of surface and underground water. 18

19. Environmental Impact Analysis
Assessment of the effects on the scale of space and time:
Emphasising the cumulative effects and environmental impact.
Testing the effectiveness of measures to combat pollution with nutrients:
Testing the effects of implemented forest curtains;
Testing the effects of potential forest curtains;
Testing measures of stimulating the alternative use of animal manure to produce bio-fuels (pellets or biogas) and their effect on local administrative territorial unit (regulate the relation producer/vendor). 19

20. Reporting at National and European Level
Identification and quantification of reporting requirements.
Organisation of the data structure so as to allow the reporting of specific indicators.
Automating the computation processes and generation of aggregated indicators.
Generate specific reports. 20

21. Advantages
Making a complex monitoring at national level of the sources:
Point;
Diffuse.
Verification and validation of the nutrient level of usage (deficit/ excess) in agriculture.
Reporting on the effects of measures implemented locally (e.g. forest curtains, composting platforms, pelletising of animal manure, biogas generation handling etc.).
Optimisation of the resources used and the time of reaction 21

22. Thank you for your attention! 22