Description du sujet de thèse

Title: Dissemination and Enhancement of Satellite Data within Citizen Observatories

Abstract:
A wide range of application fields (agriculture, urban planning, ecology, climatology, etc.) now benefit from easier access to increasingly large and diverse collections of satellite imagery. However, remote sensing has long focused on the technical evaluation of sensors and satellite data, often neglecting the development of tools to disseminate and leverage the vast amounts of data and information produced. This raises the question of 1) the integration of satellite data (satellite imagery or products derived from it) into geospatial data infrastructures (SDIs), and more specifically, 2) the development of citizen observatories that enhance spatial data and facilitate user interaction.

Description:
A citizen observatory is defined as “any use of Earth observation technology in which citizens collect data and are empowered by the information generated from this data to participate in environmental management” (Grainger, 2017). According to the European Commission, which initiated the concept, a citizen observatory should 1) use innovative Earth observation technologies and community-based systems for environmental monitoring, data collection, interpretation, and information delivery; 2) empower communities to monitor and report on their environment; and 3) provide communities with accessible and understandable information to support decision-making.

This PhD project focuses on the conceptualization and development of citizen observatories that incorporate and enhance satellite data. The aim is to explore how such systems can serve both as platforms for information sharing and for knowledge co-production. Key questions include 1) What kinds of knowledge can be provided by remote sensing data and by users? and 2) How can this knowledge be disseminated, shared, and interactively enhanced?

The PhD research will be structured into three main parts:
A literature review on the concept of citizen environmental observatories, including an inventory of existing initiatives, their limitations, the types of knowledge shared, and factors behind their success or failure. Special attention will be given to observatories that use or derive value from satellite data.
A study of the challenges, opportunities, and constraints related to the integration of satellite data into spatial data infrastructures. This includes methodological and technical aspects of managing, processing, and web-based geovisualization of multi-source, multi-scale data.
The development of advanced user-data interaction modules for the collaborative online creation of new knowledge. This may include tools for interpreting or annotating satellite imagery or time series, as well as enabling users to provide feedback and analyses on observed dynamics—through surveys, for instance.
The goal of this research is to conceptualize and develop a prototype of a citizen observatory, which will be implemented within the framework of ongoing research projects.
A first case study will focus on monitoring socio-environmental dynamics in Brazil (in the Amazon and the Pantanal regions). An initial project will build on the CHOVE-CHUVA application (www.sco.chove-chuva.org). This same project will be replicated and expanded to the Pantanal region, also in Brazil, as part of the SCO PANTANAL project.
The second case study will focus on monitoring urban environments. The aim will be to develop a citizen observatory approach for tracking urban vegetation in connection with the implementation of public policies for adapting cities to urban heat islands (UHI). This work will be integrated into ongoing initiatives within the National Observation Service Observil (CNRS INSU), as part of the NEO project: New Environmental Observatory of the PEPR Sustainable City and Innovative Building, and more specifically on the Rennes site, in connection with ongoing projects such as SCO ALTELYS and the Intelligent and Sustainable Territories project CITY-ORCHESTRA.

Candidate Profile:
The ideal candidate should have a strong interest and proven skills in scientific research involving information and communication technologies:
- Master's degree in geography, geomatics, environmental sciences, or computer science with expertise in geomatics, particularly in geovisualization and remote sensing;
- Skills in spatial data processing (satellite imagery, GIS, etc.) and programming (Python, R, GEE, etc.);
- Experience in geovisualization (map servers, online mapping);
- Ability to work independently and interest in interdisciplinary collaboration (ecology, climatology, geography, image processing);
- Adaptability and enthusiasm for teamwork;
- Particular interest in scientific cooperation with Global South countries;
- Strong communication skills and ability to work in a multidisciplinary team;
- Proficiency in English for scientific publication;
- Programming experience or interest in software development is an asset.

PhD Supervision: Damien Arvor, Boris Mericskay, Jean Nabucet, Arnaud Bellec
The PhD is funded and supported by the ANR TELKANTE Lab project: missions, equipment, and data will be provided.



Cited Reference:
Grainger, A. (2017). Citizen observatories and the new Earth Observation science. Remote Sensing, 9(2), 153.

Contexte de travail

The PhD position will be based at the Rennes site of UMR LETG/ESO.

UMR LETG (LETG; http://letg.cnrs.fr/) is a joint research unit located across three university sites (Brest, Nantes, Rennes). Its supervisory institutions include CNRS and the universities of Brest, Nantes, and Rennes 2. The unit includes around 140 members, with 64 permanent staff (7 senior researchers, 5 researchers, 15 full professors, 25 associate professors, and 12 engineers and technicians), and over 70 contract staff (approximately 50 PhD students, 2 postdoctoral researchers, and 20 contract engineers). LETG's scientific scope covers environmental geography in all its dimensions (physical, human, etc.) with a strong focus on information-related issues across the geographic data lifecycle (creation, structuring, processing, dissemination, use). Research activities are organized into three main themes: coastal environments, continental environments, and remote sensing-geomatics.

UMR ESO is mainly composed of geographers, urban planners, and sociologists, but also includes researchers from other disciplines such as environmental psychology, architecture, and communication sciences. Its scientific objective is to contribute to the understanding and analysis of the spatial dimension of societies with a special interest in practices, experiences, and representations of space.

The PhD position will also maintain regular collaboration opportunities with the ALKANTE teams. Indeed, the projet is part of the TELKANTE LAB, a joint laboratory funded by the French National Research Agency (ANR), bringing together the LETG research unit and the company ALKANTE. Its mission is to develop technical and software solutions for integrating remote sensing data into spatial data infrastructures (SDIs). The complementarity between LETG and ALKANTE enables scientific and technological advances to facilitate the use of spatial information in various fields (environment, risk management, etc.).

ALKANTE has extensive experience in SDI implementation, particularly through the development of the open-source interministerial platform PRODIGE, which enhances the value of geospatial information for institutional and private users. However, current versions of this platform incorporate little remote sensing data. LETG, on the other hand, is known for its expertise in processing remote sensing data (optical and radar imagery, 2D and 3D) and in producing indicators for monitoring socio-environmental dynamics (urban expansion, agricultural practices, climate change, etc.), and aims to make these outputs more visible beyond academia.

The objectives of TELKANTE LAB are 1) To develop technological solutions that facilitate the integration of remote sensing data into SDIs; 2) To incorporate innovative processing methods into SDIs to derive new spatial knowledge (e.g., spatio-temporal indicators); and 3) To design user-friendly SDIs that enable user experience to inform data interpretation processes. The proposed PhD specifically focuses on this third objective. Beyond integrating satellite data into SDIs, the aim is to contribute to the development of citizen observatories that use spatial data and foster user interaction.
This thesis will also be part of the CNRS Joint Laboratory between the LETG and Rennes Métropole, which aims to bring together researchers, local stakeholders and citizens to work on finding the most effective solutions for mitigating the effects of climate change and making local infrastructures more resilient.

This collaboration is original and unique in France. It aims to provide an innovative response to current issues by creating a space for sharing between the operational staff of a local authority and the scientists of a research organisation. Local authority staff and scientists will work together to produce consistent, reproducible data that will make it possible to interpret changes in urban trees according to public policies implemented.