The results of the workshop will be summarized in a report including the main findings and recommendations on further research needs for the Alps. On that basis as further step ESA would invest in further research and development activities to foster earth observation innovation in the Alpine region and launch a dedicated Alpine initiative later in 2018.
Markus Reiterer highlighted in his speech the importance to have profound data available for reflected and informed decision- and policy making as well as for monitoring their impacts. Cooperation regarding research on the Alps is also important in implementing Art. 3 of the Alpine Convention. Spatial information, especially that covering the whole Alpine arc are very important tools in a transnational context.
In parallel 24 June – 6 July graduate students and young academics are working on the topic “Earth observation and geospatial information: supporting a sustainable use of alpine ecosystems and water resources” during a summer school “EO4Alps”. On its first day of classes, a session on the Alpine Convention and challenges in the Alpine area took place. The summer school was jointly organized by the University of Salzburg, Department of Geoinformatics (Z_GIS) and the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) in Salzburg, Austria.
