The mobile technology revolution, with low-cost and user-friendly devices and mobile apps have created a wide range of possibilities for citizen science as Near Real-Time Monitoring systems (Finer et al 2018). In the same vein, recent advances in satellite-based remote sensing, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or drones, big data processing and technologies like Web 2.0 and online map servers, have allowed, as the prices decrease and the technology becomes easier to use, forest monitoring with high spatial, temporal and thematic detail and the rapid increase of their use in environmental applications (Hansen et al 2019). EXIT evaluates the use of remote sensors (satellite borne -either multispectral or radar satellite images- or UAVs) for oil spill detection and, their coupling with Citizen Science to create an alert system for quick response to onshore oil spills in the global tropical rainforests and to inform ongoing international court cases that seek remedy and redress of environmental harm from oil extraction activities.
If you are interested in doing research on any of these topics, for your Postdoc, PhD, Msc or intership, you are welcome to contact me anytime at marti.orta@ub.edu I would be happy to support you to apply to:
The Environmental monitoRIng through Civic engAgement (ERICA) is an Erasmus+ project that started in Novembre 2023. ERICA's main objective is to improve citizens’ environmental awareness and civic engagement through the development of a new educational methodology on citizen science for environmental monitoring. Citizens will gain the capacity to initiate and manage citizen science initiatives, collect and assess environmental information, and convert such data into "actionable knowledge" that is perceived as useful and immediately applicable by citizens, local authorities, academic institutions, and NGOs.
All Eyes on the Amazon is a programme that supports indigenous peoples in their fight against deforestation and ecosystem degradation. It combines state-of-the-art technology, such as satellites, innovative mobile apps and drones, to detect deforestation, forest degradation, illegal gold mining and oil spills, and report them to eventually stop them.