GAF AG has successfully completed a pilot project for the monitoring of agricultural parcels for the Bavarian State Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Forestry (StMELF), as part of CAP2020.

The Company has developed and validated an automatic monitoring approach for agricultural parcels using satellite data. This aims to ease the burden of on-the-spot-checks for agricultural administrations. Twelve different monitoring scenarios were automatically evaluated, using high resolution open access earth observation data collected by the Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 satellite constellation. The potential of very high resolution PLANETSCOPE data for overcoming constraints in monitoring smaller parcels was also investigated in this project.

In the context of the Project “Consultancy Service for Design, Development and Implementation of a National lntegrated Water Resources Management Information System” a workshop was performed by GAF. The workshop included training on integrated water resource management, planning and system development as well as on data processing and use of EO products and services and 3- D visualisation.

The Project is funded by World Bank and is managed by the consortium of GAF AG, as lead and AHT GROUP AG.

GAF AG developed an internet browser based Land Cover Mapping Tool with support from the European Space Agency (ESA), which fully utilises the high temporal resolution of Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite data without the need of local data storage and processing.

A cloud computing backend enables users to remotely access and process large data volumes for their mapping task. The tool was successfully demonstrated during a 3 day workshop held in Malawi, which experiences the challenge of slow and unstable internet connection common in many developing countries. Together with staff members of the Department of Forestry (DoF), several sites in Malawi were mapped. The integration of multiple Sentinel-2 image acquisitions and the derivation of statistical measures thereof helped to overcome challenges in mapping tropical dry forest.

In the framework of the “Mineral Sector Support for Economic Diversification Project” financed by World Bank a delegation from the Nigerian Mining Cadastre Office visited GAF for two weeks. Main objective was to become familiar with the latest developments in digital mining cadastres eMC+ as well as in the application of remote sensing and geo-information technologies for mining governance.

The study trip included a visit to the Bavarian Mining Authority and to a salt mine in the Bavarian Alps.

Together with European Space Imaging, Planet, Runder Tisch GIS e.V, T-Systems and our new partner Joanneum Research, we will provide a central point of contact for cross-system information about satellite data, geo-information and associated services.

If you would like to book a specific time for a personal discussion with us, you are welcome to make an appointment in advance. Please contact marketinggaf [dot] de.

Frascati, here we come!

GAF AG, e-geos and Telespazio will be present at the Phi-Week 2019 in Frascati, Italy from 9-13 September 2019.

www.phiweek.esa.int

Our E-Poster session is Wednesday, September 11th from 6:05 - 7:30 in the Big Hall - Building 14, about A Front Office Application Supporting Developing Countries in Cloud-Based Land Cover Monitoring for REDD+.

We look forward to seeing you!

Rural livelihoods in the savannah ecosystem of northern Ghana are facing increasing consequences of climate change and environmental degradation. Adaptation and mitigation to climate change have become a necessity.

GAF assists in producing maps, where current community land-use, natural resource reserves and individual resource holdings are visualised, and in deriving development plans, where future land-use and enterprise expansion can be understood. Focus is the implementation of a digital mapping unit in the Ministry of Forest and Agriculture Office in Wa, Upper West Region, Ghana. The technical assistance comprises training, design of mapping methodologies and support to digital map production.

Mid of June 2019 our Team of Lead Geologists was invited by the Saudi Geological Survey (SGS) in Jeddah to discuss the outline and details of an upcoming geological mapping project covering the entire outcrop of the Arabian-Nubian Shield in Saudi Arabia.

The delegation of Dr. Tobias Wever and Dr. Bernd Schulte was explaining GAF’s up-to-date approach to utilise modern geo-technologies and the latest scientific knowledge on proterozoic mineral potential alongside with an industry-type management of this challenging and huge project. SGS officials received these messages with highest interest and were open for a participation of GAF and partners in the forthcoming tendering process. Our team could further intensify possible cooperation talks with a leading exploration company on this and other opportunities, as they were also present in KSA for a similar mission.

The H2020 Project Capacity for Copernicus REDD+ and Forest Monitoring Services (REDDCopernicus) hosted 2-day workshop from 24-25 June 2019 at the EC’s Joint Research Centre in Ispra, Italy. The aim of the workshop was to bring together the main stakeholders for a consultative examination of the status of Earth Observation based Forest Monitoring both internationally and in Europe.

More than 30 participants from all over the world attended the workshop, including representatives from a variety of REDD+ countries (such as Mozambique, Indonesia, Brazil, Ethiopia), transnational organizations (East African Science and Technology Commission EASTECO), International Financing Institutions (World Bank), Intergovernmental and Non-Governmental Organizations (FAO, WRI) as well as members from the Earth Observation Industry and Scientific Communities.