The OGC Innovation Days Europe is a critical event that brings together experts from various fields to address the challenges and opportunities in Climate and Disaster Resilience, One Health, and Data Spaces. This year’s event, organized by Nils Hempelmann from The Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC), is particularly special for the CLIMOS project as it featured insightful presentations from Danyang Wang and Dr. Luigi Sedda, a valued member of our CLIMOS External Scientific Advisory Board (ESAB).
Setting the stage: Europe’s vision on data sharing
The event kicked off with an opening discussion led by Marco Minghini, Scientific Project Officer at the European Commission – Joint Research Centre. Marco outlined Europe’s strategic vision on data sharing, emphasizing the importance of creating and combining multifunctional data to adapt to climate change.
At CLIMOS, we’re thrilled to be part of these discussions, contributing our insights on how to make data not only user-friendly but also actionable for mainstreaming biodiversity and enhancing climate resilience.
Leveraging data for Early Warning Systems: CLIMOS in the spotlight
Marie-Françoise Voidrot-Martinez, Europe Director of OGC, delivered a compelling presentation on how the CLIMOS project leverages data to develop Early Warning Systems (EWS). Our EWS is designed to monitor sand fly outbreaks and assess the potential risks associated with sand fly-borne diseases. This innovative approach aims to provide real-time data and actionable solutions to support climate change adaptation and biodiversity enhancement.
Addressing the complexities of Vector-Borne Diseases
Dr. Luigi Sedda took the stage to discuss the complexities surrounding vector-borne diseases, particularly the critical need for reliable data. He pointed out that current data collection methods are often unreliable, largely due to factors like environmental conditions (e.g., wind affecting mosquito flight patterns) and the biological nuances of vectors (e.g., an infected vector isn’t necessarily infectious). These challenges highlight the importance of improving data accuracy, which is essential for developing effective models for disease prevention and control.
Key Challenges Identified:
- Remote Sensing Data: Needs transformation for accurate vector-borne disease predictions.
- Spatial and Temporal Resolutions: Often insufficient for small-scale analysis.
- Data Quality: Accessibility and details on potential collinearities are critical for effective use.
Useful Data Tips:
- Key Data Points: Skin/Land Temperature, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, Precipitation, Land Cover.
- Copernicus Global Land Service: Offers 100m spatial resolution with 80% accuracy, ideal for large-scale applications.
- Moderate Resolution Imaging: Widely used but requires co-design with agencies like Global Vector Control Response and WHO for best results.
Data accessibility in predicting sand fly occurrences
Danyang Wang also delivered a presentation that shed light on the complexities of sand flies and the crucial role of high-resolution data in predicting their occurrences and the spread of sand fly-borne diseases. Within CLIMOS, we focus on understanding the impacts of climate and land use on sand flies, as well as the socio-economic conditions that influence these diseases. The ultimate goal is to produce an Early Warning System that continues to operate beyond the project’s lifecycle, in alignment with initiatives like EOSC and Copernicus.
The need for better planning and co-design
Both presentations emphasized a common challenge: the need for better future planning and co-design by experts in One Health and climate science. This collaborative approach is crucial for improving data reliability and ensuring that the tools we develop are effective in combating the growing threat of vector-borne diseases.
A special thank you to Nils Hempelmann, Marie-Françoise Voidrot-Martinez, and the entire OGC team for organizing such an insightful and impactful event. We look forward to continuing our collaboration and advancing the goals of the CLIMOS project.
