World Ecosystem Extent Dynamics (WEED)
European Space Agency, VITO REmote sensing, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)
The provisional app will be available soon.
Summary
Information
The World Ecosystem Extent Dynamics (WEED) project focuses on developing and showcasing a globally applicable toolkit that leverages Earth Observation (EO) data to map and monitor changes in the extent of terrestrial, freshwater, and coastal ecosystems, including intertidal zones. By advancing EO-based solutions, the project aims to support improved ecosystem management and reporting worldwide.
ARIES, as part of BC3 (Basque Centre for Climate Change), plays a central role in the project and leads the development of the EO-integrated solution (toolbox). This open-source toolkit, built on the ARIES modelling platform, will allow users to track ecosystem extent and its temporal dynamics, providing timely, high-quality data to support conservation, sustainable management, and policy implementation globally. Through in-country demonstrations and close collaboration with national authorities in Europe and beyond, WEED also aims to build technical capacity and support global environmental policy frameworks, including the Global Biodiversity Framework (CBD), SEEA Ecosystem Accounting, the Ramsar Convention, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the Paris Agreement.
From our central hub at the Basque Center for Climate Change (BC3) we conduct inint activities with more than 20 countries. Those activities notably take the form of a portfolio of 12 projects each year, a selection of which is shown on this map. A number of government agencies, universities and NGOs in partnership for research and training = our preferred modes of international collaboration - complete this view of our worldwide presence on the ground.