Water Pollution and Water Quality Assessment and Monitoring

Long-term monitoring of water quality changes across large areas is essential for detecting pollution and managing freshwater and marine ecosystems. By tracking trends and shifts in water quality over time, we gain insights into the impacts of human activity and climate change. The extensive spatial coverage of satellite data supports decision-makers in developing effective water management strategies and mitigating public health risks, as well as reducing the vulnerability of freshwater and marine ecosystems.

Using Earth Observation (EO) for water pollution and water quality assessments offers several key advantages. These include the provision of information for vast areas and multiple water bodies, which is not feasible with in-situ measurements alone; access to historical data spanning up to 40 years; and spatial patterns and the ability to track changes over time.

Measuring and monitoring water quality is essential for coastal planners and managers in order to protect important coastal habitats and develop Blue Economy sectors. A reliable and continuous water quality service provides the objective evidence necessary to make sound decisions on managing water quality and alert to current or emerging problems.