Earth Observation for Agriculture in Iraq
The Earth Observation for Sustainable Development Fragility, Conflict and Security (EO4SD FCS) project aims to support fragile states thanks to the use of earth observation (EO) technologies. The consortium of organizations that take part in this initiative assist international financial institutions (IFIs), fragile states governments and other relevant stakeholders by delivering services and building capacity in the field of EO.
In this context the consortium jointly with the World Bank’s Agriculture and Food Practice is planning a webinar series to build Iraqi capacity in agricultural remote sensing. A two-day, multi-level awareness-raising event with a plenary session, will be held first for higher-level decision-makers from Ministry of Agriculture departments. Depending on the demand and feedback, the awareness-raising event may be followed by a technical training for staff members that will be working directly with remotely sensed images. This document focuses only on the initial awareness-raising event which is scheduled to take place on 07-08 December 2020. 24 participants were selected by the Iraqi Ministry of Agriculture. They include representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture, Agro-Ecological Zoning Department, Ag-meteorology Department, and EODP PMU.
To build Iraqi capacity in agricultural remote sensing
At the end of the course, participants should be able to:
- Explain the basics of remote sensing
- Better understand the capabilities and limitations of earth observation technologies
- List some existing commercial and open & free tools
- List some of the potential integrations of remote sensing products and services in various phases of agriculture, from project design to evaluation
- Share knowledge of a broad selection of practical applications of remote sensing and GIS technologies that support key sectors of Northern Iraqi agriculture, aquaculture, and agro-environment.
The course will provide participants with original and tailored training content as well as links to information, articles, books and references to cited applications. Content will disclose remote sensing basics, imagery, open access tools, and the creation of actionable farming intelligence. Effort will also be made to share research conducted in Northern Iraq and the Iraqi agricultural context in such key production sectors as cattle, sheep, goats, vegetables, and cereals.
This is a part time, interactive and moderated remote/virtual awareness-raising workshop on earth observation and agriculture for decision makers with lectures, applications, and practical exercises (80% lectures, applications, and discussions, 20% practical exercises). The average workload is likely to be around 12 hours.
The course is designed to have participants independently review some prepared online content, to be followed by a short webinar, two hours of instructional review and practical teaching assisted by Power Point presentations, and lab exercises. At the end of the course, the participants will complete a final training assessment, and have access to a community of practice platform to maximize their learning experience and provide any follow-up technical backstopping and assistance that may be required. A UNITAR certificate will be awarded to participants provided they have taken part in all modules and scored at least 80% at the final assessment.
The course is designed to accommodate participants from a variety of backgrounds and professional experiences, with no previous GIS experience. The course is designed to boost knowledge in remote sensing to support agricultural production
Lab exercises will use already installed components at existing Copernicus data centers, as well as international satellite image acquisition centers of the European Space Agency (ESA), and US National Air and Space Administration (NASA). Internet access and a computer able to run telecommunications application such as Zoom or Webex are required
This course is offered by UNITAR-UNOSAT and SIRS as part of the EO4SD Fragility, Conflict and Security project funded by the European Space Agency. You can access the project’s website here: http://www.eo4sd-fragility.net/