About Us
Earth Observation for Sustainability
Watersheds.online is a project led by the Earth Observation Laboratory at the University of Coimbra and CITEUC, under the direction of Dr. Vasco Mantas, with a primary goal of facilitating access to Earth Observation data for scientists, practitioners, educators, and decision-makers worldwide.
At the core of our mission are the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) principles and a commitment to Open and Inclusive Science. These principles are vital for fostering international collaboration in water resource management and sustainability, enabling stakeholders around the world to efficiently utilize valuable satellite data.
In many regions globally, many of which are vulnerable to extreme weather events, the lack of proper monitoring networks poses significant challenges. Satellite-derived data, covering crucial variables like precipitation, vegetation dynamics, and land cover changes, offers a reliable and cost-effective source of actionable data.
To fully harness the potential of such data, such as NASA's IMERG product, it is essential to raise awareness about available resources and provide training for effective utilization. Language and cultural barriers have historically limited user engagement. Watersheds.online addresses these issues through practical training, mentorship programs, and the development of user-friendly products and tools.
Perhaps the most appealing aspect of our initiative is that it's entirely free. We invite you to join us in this collaborative effort towards more sustainable water resource management worldwide.
Languages are a fundamental aspect of people’s lives and the democratic functioning of society.
- Council of Europe
At Watersheds.online we know people learn more efficiently when information or learning materials are written in a familiar language. As such, we are committed to providing information in accessible and open ways.
We want to support the expansion of user communities, disseminate data and information critical to the decision-making process, and to do so, we will strive to use your language whenever possible. For that reason, some pages will be written in a language other than English.
For now, we support three different languages: English, Spanish, and Portuguese. But as our projects and communities we serve expand worldwide, we will diversify the languages used. If you want to help us in that process, contact us. We would like to hear from you.