Balkan countries do not have a coherent and continuous approach towards the
challenge of implementing integrated Earth Observation (EO) applications in environmental
monitoring and management. It should be mentioned that the Balkan countries, except
Greece, are not ESA members. Besides, Albania, Serbia, Bulgaria, FYROM, Montenegro
and Bosnia Herzegovina are also not members of the GEO.
The defect in the implementation of EO applications and their use in the environmental
decision making are manifested through the limited synergies among national and regional
institutions, ineffective technological means and discontinuous record of participation to
international organizations and committees.
On the other hand, the increasing importance of a common approach towards effective
environmental monitoring practices, for the benefit of the societal web of the broader Balkan
region, calls for immediate action, setting as a starting point the built up of regional
institutional capacity and spillage of technology transfer.
The aim of the OBSERVE project is to collect and compile all the necessary
information for delivering an integrated analysis on the current status of EO activities and
networks in the Balkans regarding environmental monitoring, the potential benefit from the
full exploitation of an integrated capacity development strategy and the prospect of creating a
relevant permanent EO Community in the broader region. OBSERVE project has the
ultimate goal to raise awareness and establish firm links with the regional decision making
bodies on the importance of a mutual and enhanced EO application network on
environmental monitoring according to the principles of the GEO.
An additional key objective is to ensure a focused and strong dissemination strategy in
the Balkan region. This includes EO and environmental decision makers, as well as national
and regional government decision makers, the international research community, local
stakeholders, the media and other valuable "multipliers".
The OBSERVE project consortium consists of:
- 15 institutions from
- 13 different countries
- 8 of which belong to the Balkan region
- 10 of the partners are Universities/Research Organizations while the other
- 5 are from private sector.
OBSERVE has the vision of establishing a new Balkan EO community of multilevel
stakeholders that will make use of state of the art technological developments, products and
knowhow from the existing European EO community and industry.
The Strategic Objectives of OBSERVE are given below:
- Build a spatial database and web inventory with all existing dynamic elements related to the scope of the relevant analysis;
- Raise awareness on the need to harmonize policies and practices in the field EO applications in order to address the challenges described by the GEO societal benefit areas;
- Serve as an efficient mechanism for recording, monitoring and influencing policy in EO;
- Favour exploitation and development of EO activities and ensure coordination of these activities for the benefit of natural resources management;
- Promote the idea of permanent institutional links and mutual cooperation between Balkan states in the field of EO for environmental management;
- Ensure free access of Balkan countries to all advantages of Earth Observation techniques;
- Promote cooperation between Balkan States in the fields of training and sharing of staff and experiences in all aspects of EO.