Objective To assess the potential of remote sensing techniques and GIS forthe purpose of studying, monitoring, and possibly controlling thedynamics of desertification in the Mediterranean area and as wellto close the "scale gap" between site experiments of energy andwater exchange at the earth surface, and the desertificationprocesses taking place at national to regional levels.The basis of the work is aiming to relate satellite data to thecharacteristics of desertification on the ground, particularythose related to vegetation degradation and soil erosionTo monitor energy and water budgets including actualevapotranspiration METEOSAT and NOAA satellites will be used.METEOSAT data (5 km resolution) will firstly be used to combinecloud information and rain gauge data in order to produceprecipitation (P) maps and secondly to combine surface visibleand thermal data for the mapping of actual evapotranspiration(ETa) using an energy balance approach which will also permittoderive the net radiation (In). These three importantcomponentsof the energy and water budget will enable the derivation of someimportant desertification parameters like the dryness ratio (DR= In/P); desertification index (DI = In/ETa).NOAA satellite data, with a higher spatial (1 km) and radiometricresolution, will also be used to map In and ETa by means ofa suitable algorithm .The results obtained from the METEOSAT and NOAA satellite willbe compared mutually and with ground data from HAPEX-Spain andexisting national meteorological and hydrological measuringnetworks (rainfall, radiation and river run-off).The actual evapotranspiration data will be validated at the levelof catchments, using the water balance .To monitor the vegetation cover NDVI or similar indices will becalculated using NOAA data. Ground observations of the vegetationas well as LANDSAT TM derived vegetation and erosion maps, willbe related to it.For groundthruth and field surveys assessing the state ofdesertification, three test sites corresponding to a quarterLANDSAT scene will be chosen in three different climatic zoneswith different degrees of land degradation. Satellite data willbe studied for a dry and wet season. Hydrometeorological data aswell as other data relevant for the study areas will be collectedSatellite derived data, groundtruth data and other existing datawill be integrated in a Geo Information System (GIS) for finalanalysis and synthesis. The GIS will also serve as prototype ofa "Desertification Information System" (DIS). To this endindicative maps of desertification problems will be produced forthe test areas, the Iberian peninsula and the Mediterraneanregion. Fields of science natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesatmospheric sciencesclimatologyclimatic zonesengineering and technologymechanical engineeringvehicle engineeringaerospace engineeringsatellite technologyengineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringremote sensing Programme(s) FP3-ENV 1C - Specific research and technological development programme (EEC) in the field of the environment, 1990-1994 Topic(s) 0403 - Desertification in the Mediterranean area Call for proposal Data not available Funding Scheme CSC - Cost-sharing contracts Coordinator Ingenieursbureau voor Environmental Analysis and Remote Sensing BV Address 1,kanaalweg 2628 EB Delft Netherlands See on map EU contribution € 0,00 Participants (5) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all Agrotest SA Spain EU contribution € 0,00 Address 7,general martinez campos 28010 Madrid See on map Ibersat SA Spain EU contribution € 0,00 Address 11,araquil 28023 Madrid See on map International Institute for Aerospace Survey and Earth Sciences Netherlands EU contribution € 0,00 Address 350,boulevard 1945 7500 AA Enschede See on map Landbouwuniversiteit Wageningen Netherlands EU contribution € 0,00 Address 2,duivendaal 6701 AP Wageningen See on map ROYAL NETHERLANDS METEOROLOGICAL INSTITUTE Netherlands EU contribution € 0,00 Address 10,wilhelminalaan 10 3730 AE De bilt See on map