Over the last few months, the development of the pilot service related to wildfires has progressed significantly, now reaching the final design phase. This service will provide a comprehensive solution for wildfire management by leveraging Copernicus satellite data to develop three applications for monitoring forest fires before, during, and after they occur.
The first application of the service, Fire Danger Mapping, calculates the Fire Danger Index based on Copernicus satellite data and weather forecasts, providing information on high-risk areas and facilitating preventive interventions. The second application, Burned Area Mapping, automatically identifies active fires and burned areas in near real-time, enabling rapid and accurate damage assessments. The third application, Post-Fire Recovery Mapping, monitors vegetation recovery in affected areas, providing key information for environmental restoration efforts.
Recently, new users from key institutions in Colombia, Honduras, and Guatemala have joined the development process. These institutions will assist the implementation of a pre-operational service application in priority areas within their respective countries.
In Colombia, collaborating entities include the Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies (IDEAM), the Ministry of Environment (MINAMBIENTE) and the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD). In Honduras, participants include the Forest Conservation Institute (ICF) and the Permanent Commission on Contingencies (COPECO). In Guatemala, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Environment, the National Institute of Forests (INAB), the National Council of Protected Areas (CONAP), the National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction (CONRED) and the Foundation for Maya Cultural and Natural Heritage (PACUNAM) have joined the initiative.
Thanks to the cooperation with these institutions, the service’s development will be implemented more effectively, ensuring a comprehensive and optimised approach to forest fire risk management.
About the CopernicusLAC Panama Centre
The Copernicus LAC Panama Centre’s activities take place within the overall context of the EU-LAC Digital Alliance, which is a strategic framework for promoting cooperation between the EU and the LAC region on digital and space issues under the EU Global Gateway umbrella. Within this context, the European Space Agency (ESA) is coordinating the Centre’s implementation on the basis of a Contribution Agreement with the Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA) of the European Commission, and in close collaboration with Panama’s government, MIRE (Ministry of Foreign Affairs), Government Innovation Authority (AIG), and SENACYT (National Secretariat for Science, Technology and Innovation).