Global projects
ALOS Kyoto & Carbon (K&C) Initiative
Country: Insular SE Asia (Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, PNG), Guiana Shield (Colombia, Guyana, Suriname, northern part of Brazilian Amazon)
Period: 2006 - 2016
Objective(s): define, develop and validate radar mapping and monitoring products derived primarily from ALOS PALSAR l-band radar data for both the forest and wetlands themes covering Insular SE Asia. Products are to meet the specific information requirements relating to international environmental conventions, carbon cycle science and conservation of the environment.
Partners: the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA / EORC), University of Leicester, Indonesian Ministry of Forestry, provincial governments of Central Kalimantan and Papua, Conservation International, Berbak National Park / Wetlands International, Alterra, Amazon Conservation TeaM, Guyana Forest Service, and many others (funding yet to be confirmed)
Misc: WUR-SarVision specifically assigned to process PALSAR data for insular SE Asia (and Guiana Shield). Other radar expert teams (e.g. NASA JPL, EU JRC etc.) are selected to cover other parts of the world.
Environmental Security for Poverty Alleviation (ESPA) programme
Country: Indonesia, Colombia, Uganda, DRC, Rwanda, Sudan, Mekong Delta, Guiana Shield, Congo basin, Horn of Africa
Period: 2004 - 2011
Objective(s): development and implementation of a mapping and monitoring strategy in support of securing the natural resource livelihood basis of local communities in developing countries by the conservation of ecosystems and their related services and the implementation of the international legal order.
Partners: Institute for Environmental Security (IES), UNEP-GRID Arendal, Bronkhorst International Law Services, Fundación Gaia Amazonas / COAMA Colombia, International Gorilla Conservation Programme (IGCP) DRC Rwanda Uganda, BOS Foundation Indonesia, Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (funding).
Exploiting longer wavelength SAR data for the improvement of surface modelling
Country: Global
Period: 2006 - 2008
Objective(s): WUR/SarVision's work consists of testing a new classification algorithm developed together with the University of Nijmegen using the technique of Finite Mixture Models and Markov Random Field (MRF) clustering, and recommend structural mapping approaches for a number of mission scenarios.
Partners: University of Munich (LMU - Prime Contractor), German Aerospace Center (DLR), Wageningen University, ESA (funding)
PolInSAR in orbit demonstration
Country: Global
Period: 2006 - 2007
Objective(s): Extend the review of INDREX-II campaign pol-insar radar data and exploit JAXA's ALOS PalSAR Pol-InSAR capability, to demonstrate/validate Pol-InSAR products in tropical forest environments and prepare for successful implementation in a space-borne framework.
Partners: German Aerospace Center (DLR - Prime Contractor), AEL Consultants, Center for Environmental Research(UfZ), ESA (funding)
SarGrid - The set up of a Grid infrastructure for SAR processing in support of Forestry Management
Country: Global
Period: 2005 - 2006
Objective(s): Set up an infrastructure with extensive computing resources for large scale SAR image processing using state of the art Grid and Web Services technologies
Partners: Dutch Space, Wageningen University, NIVR (Netherlands Agency for Aerospace Programmes, funding)
1992 - 1996: Feasibility studies on the development of a global forest monitoring system and information needs: RESPAS (REmote Sensing Processing and Archiving System) and FAME (Forest Assessment and Monitoring Environment) in co-operation with, among others, FAO, Brazilian Space Agency (INPE), NLR, ITC (BCRS, NRT funding).