DUBAI, UAE, 10 June 2020: Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) has launched a new and interactive smart platform with the scope of presenting in-depth environmental studies based on remote-sensing systems, image processing, GIS and artificial intelligence. Saeed Al Mansoori, Senior Manager, Application Development & Analysis Section, MBRSC, said that the new platform will strengthen knowledge exchange among government entities by sharing scientific analysis of environmental phenomena and the impact on UAE’s natural resources. It will provide a vital repository of data and information that will help inform the initiatives of government entities towards sustainability and for the improvement of social well-being, he said. To date, the Center has already completed a number of analytical reports, which are available in the scientific platform.

Al Mansoori said that Urban Heat Island (UHI), which pertains to an urban area that is significantly warmer than its surrounding rural areas due to human activity, is one of the studies the centre is working on and that end-users can see the changes that occur to an area though an interactive map. Al Mansoori said that currently, the UHI study is targeted towards a part of Dubai but that the centre aims to expand the study to include the whole emirate and the wider UAE. According to a Press release issued by the Centre, the reports in the platform are all interactive, which allows users of the platform to identify environmental changes in a particular area over a specific period of time through interactive maps. In addition to helping users identify the changes, the platform will facilitate comparing them with another time period and, ultimately, coming up with a specific scientific interpretation.

Al Mansoori said the platform will provide periodic service in the form of scientific studies and research in various vital areas to enrich the development plans of the UAE. “Such a platform informs related entities on studies carried out by the Space Centre to gain benefit and prevent the duplication of the projects in order to save time, money and resources,” he said. “This reflects the role of the platform in strengthening the approach and collaboration among beneficiaries along with data exchange to accelerate completion.” Al Mansoori said that the Centre also aims to involve university students by updating them with the latest technologies and projects in the field of geo-science and remote sensing to formulate a clear and comprehensive idea of the type of initiatives demanded by the UAE market.

Further elaborating on the nature of the projects the Centre is overseeing, Al Mansoori said the studies include monitoring of environmental changes of air and vegetation of infrastructure projects such as the Dubai Water Canal, airport and the Expo site, and of damages caused by crises, such as earthquakes, volcanoes and fires. Al Mansoori said that there are also projects dedicated to studies on the impact of COVID-19 on concentrations of NO2, and on changes related to the level of water dams and the extent of the shoreline, over time.