08 Jan PEI Watershed Alliance Participates in the PEOPLE-ECCO Project
Enhancing Ecosystem Conservation Through Earth Observation
PEI Watershed Alliance Participates in the PEOPLE-ECCO Project
The PEOPLE-ECCO project—Enhancing Ecosystem Conservation through Earth Observation Solutions, Capacity Development and Co-design—is an international initiative funded by the European Space Agency. The project is part of ESA’s Pioneering Earth Observation Applications for the Environment (PEOPLE) series under the Earth Observation Science for Society (EO4Society) programme.
We’re proud to share that the Prince Edward Island Watershed Alliance is participating as an Early Adopter, contributing local expertise and on-the-ground conservation experience to help shape practical Earth Observation (EO) tools.
Project Objectives
Effective ecosystem conservation is essential to halt global biodiversity loss and address the impacts of climate change. Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) play a critical role at the intersection of conservation action, education, policy advocacy, and research.
PEOPLE-ECCO is guided by two overarching goals:
Goal 1: Engagement & Capacity Building
To engage CSOs and NGOs active in ecosystem conservation through:
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Co-design of EO-supported methods tailored to real operational needs
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Capacity-building activities that strengthen the use of EO tools in day-to-day conservation work
Goal 2: EO-Integrated Methods & Tools
To develop, test, demonstrate, and validate EO-integrated methods that support:
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Objective A: Monitoring ecosystem conditions and management effectiveness within existing protected areas
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Objective B: Identifying high-priority areas suitable for future protection
These methods build on existing EO initiatives and are designed to be actionable, practical, and scalable.
How the Project Works
The PEOPLE-ECCO approach combines two closely connected components:
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User-focused stream: user engagement, requirement gathering, co-design, and capacity development
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Technology-focused stream: EO method testing, software development, and real-world demonstration
NGOs and CSOs—like PEI Watershed Alliance—play a central role as Early Adopters, ensuring that EO solutions are grounded in real conservation challenges and can be effectively applied in practice.
Demonstration Sites
The project includes large-scale demonstration sites across six countries, spanning terrestrial, wetland, and coastal-marine ecosystems.
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Objective A sites cover areas of 10,000 km² or more
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Objective B sites span 80,000 km² or entire countries
This scale allows EO tools to be tested under diverse ecological and management conditions.
Project Partners
Consortium Members
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Faculty ITC, University of Twente
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52North
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DHI Water & Environment
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Hatfield
Early Adopters
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African Parks
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Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds
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International Union for Conservation of Nature Vietnam
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Lebanon Reforestation Initiative
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Prince Edward Island Watershed Alliance
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Reef Check Malaysia
For more information about the project and its demonstration sites, visit:
https://www.people-ecco.eu/#demonstration-sites