Workshop on Earth Observation Data
and Applications for Official Statistics
organized by UNSD and UNESCAP

  • Bangkok, Thailand
  • 18-22 June 2018

This workshop provides an opportunity for statistical organisations to participate in discussion and training in the use of earth observation (EO) data, in particular satellite imagery, for official statistics and sustainable development goals (SDGs). The first day of the workshop provides an overview of EO and the ways in which it can be used to report on a variety of SDGs. This will include presentations from different country representatives and discussions among participants. The workshop will continue with a course on the use of satellite data for agricultural statistics. This will include presentations, practical demonstrations and hands-on tutorials focusing on data preparation, analysis and presentation. The practical focus of the course will be on crop-type classification, but the techniques and tools are more widely applicable. The workshop will conclude with a half-day wrapup including discussion about moving forward, priorities for participants and ongoing training opportunities.

Agenda

09:00
Welcome
Facilitator: Gemma van Halderen
Formal welcome. Importance of big data for measuring SDGs
09:20
Overview
Facilitator: Kerrie Mengersen
Overview of workshop; introduction of presenters
09:35
Session 1.1 - Introductions
Facilitator: Michael Smedes
Introduction of participants; current personal and institutional knowledge and skills, ambitions for the workshop.
10:00
Session 1.2 - Overview of EO Data – Data types, sources and issues
Presenter: Michael Schmidt
Introduction to key aspects of EO data, data sources, products and data-related issues; International EO agencies and general applications of EO data
11:00
Break
11:15
Session 1.3 - EO Data, NSOs and SDGs
Presenter: Jacinta Holloway
Overview of the use of EO data for NSOs and SDGs
Examples of current and emerging applications
11:45
Session 1.4 - Global Platform
Facilitator: Michael Smedes
Overview of the UN Global Platform
12:15
Survey
Participants fill in brief survey on their use of EO Data
  • E.g. In your organization how do you currently use EO data, if at all?
  • What are your short term and long term ambitions for using EO data?
  • What are the main barriers to using EO data? What are your needs to progress these plans?
12:30
Lunch
13:30
Session 1.5 - Case study: Measuring water cover (and other projects)
Facilitator: Nima Pahlevan
UN Environment Program and NASA present project on measuring water cover
15:00
Break
15:15
Session 1.6 - Case study: Crop yield estimation
Facilitators: Sangita Dubey, Christophe Duhamel
Presentation by FAO on their crop estimation work.
16:30
Session 1.7 - Roundtable Discussion: current status and future ambitions
Facilitator: Kerrie Mengersen
Participants discuss current status and ambitions to use satellite imagery to produce official statistics at their organisation.
17:00
Close
09:00
Welcome to Short Course
Presenter: Kerrie Mengersen
Introductions, course overview
09:15
Session 2.1 - Working with Analysis Ready EO Data
Presenter: Jacinta Holloway
Overview of the Australian Data Cube project
09:45
Session 2.2 - Practical Session: Google Earth Engine demonstration and practical session processing Landsat Data for crop analysis using QGIS
Practical 1 // Presenter: Michael Schmidt
Presentation and practical session
10:45
Break
11:00
Session 2.3 - Practical 1 Session continued
12:00
Session 2.4 - Overview of methods for analysing EO data
Presenter: Kerrie Mengersen
Reference: UN Task Team on Satellite Imagery and Geospatial data report
12:30
Lunch
13:00
Session 2.5 - Practical session: Introduction to R
Practical 2 // Facilitator: Jacinta Holloway
Introduction to R, reading EO data into R, working with image files, calculate vegetation indices, mask clouds.
14:00
Session 2.6 - Statistical methods for analysing EO data for crop area estimation
Presenter: Kerrie Mengersen
Reference: UN Task Team on Satellite Imagery and Geospatial data report
15:00
Break
15:15
Session 2.7 - Practical session: Crop identification using R
Practical 3 // Facilitator: Jacinta Holloway
Approaches for classifying crops, obtaining and interpreting results.
17:00
Close
08:00
Field Trip
Facilitator: Michael Schmidt
Collecting field data to verify statistical analyses based on satellite imagery data
12:00
Lunch at Don Wai floating market
09:00
Welcome and Recap
Presenter: Kerrie Mengersen
09:15
Session 4.1 - Google Earth Engine demonstration and practical session processing Landsat data for crop analysis using QGIS – Part 2
Practical 4 // Presenter: Michael Schmidt
Practical session using data collected on field trip
10:45
Break
11:00
Session 4.2 - Statistical methods for analysing EO data for crop yield estimation
Presenter: Kerrie Mengersen
Reference: UN Task Team on Satellite Imagery and Geospatial data report
12:15
Lunch
13:15
Session 4.3 - Case study: Statistics Canada crop yield Facilitator: Kerrie Mengersen (On behalf of Gordon Reichert)
Recorded presentation from Statistics Canada on crop yield
14:15
Break
14:30
Session 4.4 - Practical session: Crop yield estimation using R
Practical 5 // Facilitator: Jacinta Holloway
Working with time series crop data and predicting crop yield.
15:45
Session 4.5 - Roundtable discussion
Facilitator: Michael Smedes, with all presenters
Discussion and advice on how participants can use EO data in their own situation
16:30
Close of Short Course
09:00
Session 5.1 - Other opportunities for using EO data for official statistics and SDGs
Presenter/Facilitator: TBC
Presentation and facilitated discussion with workshop participants, link to Day 1
10:00
Session 4.2 - Statistical methods for analysing EO data for crop yield estimation
Facilitator: Lucas Joppa
Microsoft presentation on earth observation work
11:15
Break
11:35
Session 5.3 - Roundtable Discussion: Where to from here? Opportunities and challenges of using Earth Observation data in practice
Facilitator: Eric Rancourt
Facilitated discussion with workshop participants
12:30
Session 5.4 - Final comments and Feedback on Workshop
Facilitator: Michael Smedes
13:00
Close of Workshop

Resources

PHOTO ATTRIBUTION:

"Day 4 - Asian and Pacific Conference on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment: Beijing+20 Review" by UN Women/Pornvit Visitoran - Licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.