Pilot Countries

Here you can find details of all current GEOGLAM RAPP National Pilot Sites. Please use the links on the right hand side for further information on each activity.

To see the criteria, please visit the page Description and Criteria.

National Pilot Sites

An important establishment activity for the GEOGLAM RAPP task, is the development and operation of national pilot sites (NPs). If successfully implemented, a well coordinated network of pilot sites can act as a focus for individual and joint action under the global RAPP initiative.

National Pilots will also:

  • provide proof-of-concept for other pilot sites and RAPP monitoring systems,
  • provide a focus for new international collaboration and research aiming to improve mapping methods, model validation and ground data acquisition methodologies
  • provide examples on the necessary investment and support for operation of global network of pilot sites, and a focus for international donors

NPs will be established where members of the community of practice can identify the opportunity (according to the general criteria listed below), and where the site will inform one or more aspects of the GEOGLAM RAPP monitoring program design and establishment. There is no minimum or maximum number of sites specified at this stage of development, although at some stage they would be expected to be part of an effective in situ support element for the earth observation program.

Establishment of these pilot sites will be based primarily on the following general criteria:

  1. The choice of NPs will be based on large test-sites within the country, and where government agencies and research institutions have formally stated an interest or intent to participate in this GEO activity.
  2. National government or other significant institutions (e.g. agriculture and environment ministries or agriculture research authorities) will or have already committed local expert capability and access to field data, have the capacity for ongoing nested field programs and science validation test-sites. Ground data would be available to the global task team on an agreed basis, in support of the specific RAPP in-situ measurement and model validation activities.
  3. Priority will be given initially to areas with historical and currently active rangeland/grassland monitoring and research activities, so that repetitive, accurate wide-area rangeland mapping capabilities can be demonstrated.
  4. If needed, external donor countries and/or donor organisations would have been already identified for long-term involvement and support of capacity building, field measurement and satellite data acquisition and analysis, and monitoring system implementation.

There are already several proposed pilot sites in 10 countries, and others are most likely to be nominated:

Pilot sites for RAPP - May 2016

Pilot sites for RAPP – May 2016

Benefits derived from hosting of National RAPP Pilots

Participation in the national pilot program of GEOGLAM RAPP is designed to have a range of benefits arising from the collaboration. These include:

  • Inclusion of the nominated NP details into supplementary satellite data acquisition plans by major international space agencies via the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS).
  • GEOGLAM RAPP would seek for Pilot Sites to have satellite data acquisitions regularly done with both optical and synthetic aperture radar data at multiple times throughout the life of the task.
  • Satellite data expected to be freely available also to other in-country institutions, wishing to use it for other institutional purposes.
  • Contribution to development of satellite data processing protocols for production of agreed rangeland/grassland condition and biomass products.

Provided the national governments and their relevant institutions provide approval, and the necessary funding is available from supporting NGOs or donor governments, additional benefits include:

  • Establishment of new collaborations and sharing of experiences between local experts and international teams, on e.g. validation and verification of satellite data products and grassland productivity modelling.
  • In country capacity-building activities, as needed, to transfer data, methods and analysis tools to national institutions.
  • Assistance, if requested, in establishment of methdologies and national rangeland/grassland monitoring systems.
  • Early involvement in the development and implementation of standards and methods for the global implementation of the future GEOGLAM RAPP system