Drone Surveys & Mapping: Innovation through the years and future trends
2022-06-29 10:00 - 11:00 (Asia/Dubai)
An overview of the evolution of drone technology in the industry through the years followed by where Rabih thinks the industry and drone technology as a whole is headed. This presentation aims to provide insights on where drones started, current industry trends, and what to keep an eye out for in the future.

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RABIH BOU RACHEDFOUNDER & CEO OF FEDS- DRONE POWERED SOLUTIONSRabih Bou Rached takes a vision and makes it a reality through methodical planning and execution, he is both a pioneering entrepreneur and leader who intuitively identifies opportunities and inspires action. He leads mainly by example, constantly striving for excellence and encourages others to do the same. He is recognized for his ability to balance grand design with financial information while making decisions. Rabih is a leader and an educator who inspires others to reach their full potential. For over 7 years, Rabih Bou Rached has been a noteworthy leader in the Commercial Drone space. The Founder and CEO of FEDS- Drone Powered Solutions, Rabih has guided his company from its humble beginnings in the middle east to serving over 35 countries at the global stage. Being highly knowledgeable on drone rules and regulations, Rabih is part of the community for the betterment of these regulations. Rabih is a strong believer in the power of education and uses his knowledge to train the next generation of industry professionals on platforms like gisworx, The Big 5, JUIDA(Japan UAS Industrial Development Association), YPS(Young Professionals in Space) and many more. Rabih believes that in the near future, drones will play a major role in our daily lives and will be as indispensable as the phone is today.

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Remote sensing for disaster response
2022-07-13 10:00 - 11:00
Remote sensing data is an invaluable resource in providing critical insights before and after natural and human-made disasters. Prior to disasters, “primary” remote sensing data in the forms of optical imagery and SAR data can be used measure potential various hazards (e.g. floods, droughts) and “secondary” remote sensing data, such as gridded population datasets, can be used to measure exposure to such hazards. Post disaster situations, satellite data can be used to generate rapid insights that could help guide efforts of first responders. In this talk, in depth examples will be shared of how remote sensing data has been used both prior and post disaster situations. The focus will be on the Beirut 2020 Explosion and how a collaboration between local stakeholders and NASA JPL led to one of the most data rich disasters recorded in modern history. Key projects: SAR data was initially used to generate a damage proxy map, a social media campaign to collect geo-located photos created a rich database used for ground truthing to further improve the assessment models, and finally a drone mapping project using advanced photogrammetry resulted in a very high resolution 3D model and point cloud of the entire impacted area.

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MS. MELDA SALHABCO-FOUNDER OF OPEN MAP, LEBANONMelda is the co-founder of Open Map Lebanon and a doctoral researcher at the Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis, UCL, London, UK. Her doctoral research is focused on extracting economic insights from remote sensing datasets, at the country and sub-country scale, but with global coverage. Through Open Map Lebanon, she supported disaster recovery post the Beirut 2020 explosion, by leveraging remote sensing and crowdsourced data. Previously, Melda was a consultant at the World Bank where she assessed global population exposed to multiple types of flood risk using satellite data. Previously, she was a management consultant at Monitor Deloitte Middle East. Melda has a BA in Economics, an MSc in Urban Economic Development, and an MRes in Spatial Data Science and Visualization.

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Potential Applications of Geoinformatics in Assessing the Impacts of Climate Change
2022-07-27 10:00 - 11:00
Several countries around the world suffers from limited natural and water resources and the high rate of population increase over the last few decades, this resulted in widening the gap between water demand and supply. Furthermore, the impacts of climate change are anticipated to worsen this situation by jeopardizing existing water resources. Strategic vision to ensure an adequate, safe, and secure drinking water supply presents a challenge, particularly for such countries, faced with a critical supply-demand imbalance and a high risk of water quality deterioration. To provide sustainable and equitable long-term water management plans, current and future demands, along with available adaptation options should be assessed through community engagement.Recently, Geoinformatics were used efficiently for several climate change studies, this includes the use of the state-of-art technology for investigating, monitoring, documenting, and understanding the impacts of climate change and its consequences. Geoinformatics is the science and the technology which develops and uses information science infrastructure to address the problems of geography, cartography, geosciences and related branches of science and engineering. This includes the use of earth observation satellites (EOS), Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and other related technologies.
In this webinar, the speaker will focus the shed on the current of future trend of geoinformatics and its applications in assessing the impacts of climate change.

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PROF. NEZAR ATALLA HAMMOURIPROFESSOR OF GIS AND REMOTE SENSING DEPARTMENT OF APPLIED PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY UNIVERSITY OF SHARJAH

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SAR Interferometry for Monitoring of Land Surface Deformations
2022-08-10 10:00 - 11:00
Remote sensing datasets and techniques have proved their capability to monitor the Earth’s surface by providing invaluable information about natural phenomena and anthropogenic activities. Radar remote sensing has a privilege over optical remote sensing by it is the independency of illumination source and weather. SAR Interferometry techniques are the most valuable tools for land surface deformations. The development of these tools has increased along with enormous SAR satellite missions launched in the last two decades, such as Sentinel-1, TerraSAR-X, ALOS-1/-2, Radarsat-1/2, etc. SAR Interferometry techniques measure the land surface movement in millimetric resolution. These techniques have been developed in order to monitor land surface subsidence, landslides, earthquakes, moving objects like cars and ships, and sea ice drift and glacier flow.

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DR. MUHAGIR ELKAMALIDEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY & URBAN SUSTAINABILITY, UAEUDr. Muhagir Elkamali received his Bachelor and Master degrees from the University of Khartoum in 2012 and 2016. He earned his Ph.D. degree from the United Araba Emirates Univesity in 2022. His research concentrated on the Earth surface monitoring such as urban expansion, LULC changes, geothermal exploration, and land surface subsidence. He published his research in international journals such as the Science of The Total Environment (STOTEN) as well as he presented his work at international conferences including the international conference on Water Resources Management and Sustainability and EAGE Middle East Geomechanics Workshop.

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Earth and Planetary Science Remote Sensing Projects in Zayed University
2022-08-24 10:00 - 11:00
This session will discuss in detail about the Earth, Moon, and Mars projects like- 1) Impact of Prosopis Juliflora on depletion of groundwater in UAE using remote sensing and GIS, 2) Introduction to UAE’s first hyperspectral library website, 3) Terrestrial analog studies to show the intensity to unclog the forthcoming activities for the future perspective aspects on the lunar and other planetary surfaces., 4) Examining the potential of liquid water on the surface of mars, and many other interesting projects.

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MR. MANISH SHARMAREMOTE SENSING AND ENVIRONMENT SPECIALIST AT THE COLLEGE OF NATURAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES (CNHS) AT ZAYED UNIVERSITYMr. Manish serves as a Remote Sensing and Environment Specialist at the College of Natural and Health Sciences (CNHS) at Zayed University. His research interest includes exploring mineralogy, geology, geomorphology, and atmospheric parameters of Mars, Moon, Earth, and other extra-terrestrial planets using Remote Sensing satellite images and Geographic Information System (GIS) tools. Previously, He was a Research Assistant at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), working for China lunar exploration mission, where he assisted on Chang E 5 and Chang E 4 lunar missions by delivering useful scientific outputs like regolith thickness mapping, mineralogical mapping, geomorphological mapping, geological mapping, etc. of Landing and Backup Landing sites.

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Multisource Remote Sensing-based Precipitation Estimation over the UAE
2022-09-07 10:00 - 11:00
Given its predominantly arid climate, the Arabian Peninsula (AP) is considered a regional water stress hotspot, amplified by the rising demands associated with its rapid urbanization and population growth. The scarcity of renewable water resources across the AP requires improved monitoring of available precipitation and terrestrial water storage to quantify water budget deficits and implement targeted water resource management strategies. However, accurate and timely monitoring of precipitation remains a challenge, particularly in arid regions such as the AP, characterized by sparse ground-based observational networks and complex land-atmosphere dynamics. This webinar will present an overview on remote sensing-based monitoring of precipitation, challenges and targeted solutions for improved monitoring over the UAE and the larger AP region.

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DR. YOUSSEF WEHBEPROGRAM OFFICER – UAEREP AT NATIONAL CENTER OF METEOROLOGY (NCM)Dr. Youssef Wehbe is a Project Officer for the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science. His expertise includes water resource management, coupled land-atmosphere modeling, cloud microphysics, and weather modification technology. His ongoing research addresses next-generation water resource monitoring by integrating satellite and radar remote sensing, hydro-meteorological modeling, and relevant applications of AI/machine learning tools. He was a crew member in a flight campaign under the NASA Airborne Science Program to gather aerosol and cloud microphysical measurements over the eastern UAE. Youssef led several studies on water resources in MENA region, including developing machine learning-based calibrations for satellite-inferred rainfall estimates, coupling land and atmospheric prediction models, and mapping groundwater recharge and migration paths.

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Mobile & Indoor Mapping
2022-11-09 10:00 - 11:00
Overview about the Latest Lidar and IMU used. Explain the methodology behind data capturing techniques of various indoor and outdoor environments. Overcoming the challenges of geo referencing in challenging environments. Maintaining the accuracy of the captured point to keep trajectory.

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AHMED ALSHEHHIPRINCIPAL GIS ANALYSTAhmed is a member of the Infrastructure and Geospatial Intelligence Section at Dubai Municipality. Has a bachelor degree in GIS from UAE University. Ahmed is working with Dubai Municipality for more than 9 years. The leader of Remote Sensing & AI team who led the process of scanning all the roads in Emirate of Dubai using GeoLidar vehicle.

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Earth Observation Data to Serve Humanity
2023-02-08 10:00 - 11:00
This webinar will be an introduction to Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC). It will highlight some of the projects, products, and services that MBRSC works on using remote sensing data.

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ENG. MEERA RASHID ALSHAMSIMANAGER - INNOVATION AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT SECTION, REMOTE SENSING DEPT. @MOHAMMED BIN RASHID SPACE CENTRE (MBRSC)Meera AlShamsi is the manager of the Innovation and Business Development Section at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC). She has worked on various projects at MBRSC and has over 9 years of experience in the field of remote sensing. Meera has a B.Sc. degree in Electrical Engineering from the American University of Sharjah and an M.Sc. degree in Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems from the United Arab Emirates University.

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The Usage of Cloud Technology in GeoAnalytics
2023-02-22 10:00 - 11:00
Satellite images are one of the most influential and essential tools we have for observing the earth. They monitor different components of the earth (Air, Vegetation, Water, etc). The study of these earth components has a huge influence on government decision-making, emergency response operation, and many more. With the dramatic increase in satellite image data volume, using sophisticated infrastructure and resources to perform data analysis is pivotal to delivering analyzed information as soon as possible for the decision maker. Cloud technology is the current trended resource for performing satellite data analysis. The webinar will give abstract information on how cloud technology can assist the geo-analysis professions in delivering rapidly analyzed products to decision-makers.

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OMRAN AHMED ALHAMMADISENIOR MANAGER - SPACE DATA SYSTEM SECTION @MOHAMMED BIN RASHID SPACE CENTREOmran Al Hammadi is responsible for directing and managing the design, development, and operation of the Emirates Mars Mission science data center. He has experience in orchestrating cloud solutions for science data processing and analysis. He has previous experience in the development of ground segment software for EO satellites that is mainly utilized during satellite operations. He was responsible for building different ground segment software that assist the satellite operation team in analyzing the telemetry received from the spacecraft. He also led the team responsible for developing solutions for EO satellite image applications and analysis that support decision-makers and different government entities in monitoring infrastructure projects, air quality, and landscape quality and coverage. He earned his Computer Engineering Bachelor degree from Khalifa University in 2011.

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Geospatial Analytics Platform – Space Data Center
2023-03-21 10:00 - 11:00
The webinar will give an Introduction to The Space Data Center which aims to provide an innovative ecosystem to utilize space data and technologies to address global sustainability challenges and boost the number of companies and patents in the space industry, the Space Data Center is part of the transformational projects announced by the UAE’s government, aiming to realize the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, to focus on creating the world’s best and most active economy delivered by the UAE Space Agency. In addition, an Introduction to the Geospatial Analytics Platform along with its Roadmap & Demo will also be provided through the webinar by Bayanat.Ai.

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SULTAN AL ZEIDISpace Projects Development Senior Engineer – Space Missions Department, UAE Space AgencySultan Al Zeidi has a thorough experience in aerospace and space programs with around 11 working years in the areas of space projects development, Integrated Modular Avionics (IMA)/Flight Control System (FCS) development for unmanned aircraft, verification and validation (V&V) with reference to V-Model development approach, SW-In-Loop (SIL) and Hardware-In-Loop (HIL) testing.

SHAUN CAMPBELLSenior SME Imagery Intelligence, BayanatHe is an Imagery Intelligence Subject Matter Expert with experience in optical, SAR, GMTI and full motion video. A well-documented history of effective mission planning, implementing new IT projects and creating new procedures to make the most out of datasets and technology, and mentoring others in its use.

DR. MARKUS MUELLEREngineering & AI Manager, BayanatI am an engineering manager with more than 20 years of professional experience in the geospatial industry. In the past, I worked in various roles such as data scientist, software engineer, product manager, program manager, data analyst, and researcher.

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The National Space Science and Technology Center
2023-04-05 10:00 - 11:00
The National Space Science and Technology Center was established in November 2016, with the objective to serve the UAE’s national space vision. One goal of the NSSTC is to participate in the national educational and research priorities in the field of space science and technology, which will lead to sustainable economic growth, and support the advancement of the country’s strategic sectors. This can be achieved by collaborating with the ecosystem of the government, private and academic sectors to unlock the potential of research, development, and commercialization in the field. Constructing the NSSTC at UAEU contributes to differentiating the UAE university as a university of contemporary teaching approaches that include a combination of traditional courses, and hands-on experiential learning where students engage with experienced professionals working on space-related projects. This paves the fundamental academic pathway for educating and training Emirati space researchers and engineers in a knowledge-based economy.

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AISHA ALDAREIGIS ANALYST · UAEU - NSSTCAisha Aldarei is a GIS Analyst at the National Space Science and Technology Center. She joined the NSSTC recently and is a member of the 813 Pan Arab Earth Observation Satellite team. Aisha graduated from Geography Department at UAE University, during her internship at NSSTC she worked on Landuse/Landcover and Marine Habitat Classification using an Object-Based classification scheme using Multispectral and SAR satellite images.

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Sharjah Electricity, Water, and Gas Authority – GIS Intelligence System
2023-05-10 10:00 - 11:00
In this webinar, Sharjah Electricity, Water and Gas Authority will show you the importance of location intelligence for utilities, and how and why things happen that can support your business decision-making.

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ENG. MOIZ ELAMINGIS Specialist - SEWAGIS Specialist with 24 years of experience in GIS Applications, Spatial Data Management GIS Projects, and GIS administration, holding more than 95 GIS certificates including conferences and workshops participation.

ENG. FATIMA ALI ASGAR ALIManager of ICT Department·SEWAEng. Fatima Ali Asghar, Acting Manager of the ICT Department at SEWA. Graduated from the University of Sharjah with Bachelor degree in Science in Computer Engineering. I have been landed in SEWA in Y2005; working for 18 years of experience in the field of Information Technology. Being the first Emirati lady working in “SEWA IT Infrastructure” handling and managing IT infrastructure, data center, networks, Telecommunications, and physical security systems and building the foundation of IT Infrastructure and Modernize the Datacenter facility. I have got lots of certificates in different areas that improve and enhance my journey in my career life such as the Excellence Diploma Program from the American University of Sharjah, Several ISO Standards (27001, 9001,18001, 50001, 20000) internal Auditor, standards, and compliance Certifications. I have attended lots of workshops and training programs in different fields such as Strategic & Operational Planning, Leadership & Management programs, Toastmasters Club and communications courses, time management, and project management. I have also attended technology seminars around the world to gain and share knowledge and experience. I am a member of several internal committees and have got lots of awards and recognitions during my career path.

ENG. ABDUL RASHEED KOLLETHSenior GIS Developer - SEWASenior GIS Developer with 14 years of experience in the Software field and 8 years in GIS development. Skills in developing various types of applications, including web, desktop, and mobile applications.

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CNN-based Boundary Detector for Remote-sensing Images
2023-07-26 10:00 - 11:00
Boundary detection, a crucial pre-processing step in remote sensing applications such as change detection, monitoring, urbanization, and target detection, aims to identify contours separating objects in images. To address the challenges posed by evolving spatial, spectral, and temporal resolutions of remote sensing data, incorporating multi-features like shape, color, and texture has been explored. However, this approach requires extensive training and engineering of limitless features to cope with the constant development of new imagery.This seminar introduces a supervised boundary detection scheme that eliminates the need for engineered features and manual parameter settings. The proposed framework aims to integrate complementary information from multiple spectral bands of remotely sensed images to create a composite image. This composite image enhances perception, reinforces interpretation, and allows self-learning and customization for detection and fusion tasks.

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DR. ESSA BASAEEDDEPUTY HEAD OF SECURITY ANALYTICS AND FORECAST CENTER, DUBAI POLICEDr. Essa Basaeed Deputy Head of Security Analytics and Forecast Center, Dubai Police. He completed his B.Eng. (Hons.), M.Sc, and Ph.D. in computer engineering at Khalifa University, UAE. Essa is a recipient of many awards and recognitions such as the EmTech Innovators Under 35 Award and the m-Government Award for University Students (Government Summit 2014). Essa is also an active volunteer and was the IEEE UAE Section Chair for 2017-2018.

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Deep Learning Techniques for Large-Scale Date Palm Tree Mapping from Multiscale Remotely Sensed Data
2023-09-13 10:00 - 11:00
The reliable and efficient large-scale mapping of date palm trees from remotely sensed data is crucial for developing palm tree inventories, continuous monitoring, vulnerability assessments, and long-term management of the dating industry. Given the increasing availability of very-high spatial resolution (VHSR) images with limited spectral information, the high intra-class variance of date palm trees, the variations in the spatial resolutions of the data, and the differences in image contexts and backgrounds, accurate large-scale mapping of date palm trees from multiscale and multidate VHSR images can be challenging. This webinar aims to shed light on these challenges and provide state-of-the-art solutions using advanced deep learning techniques. Specifically, attendees will gain a comprehensive understanding of how state-of-the-art semantic and instance segmentation methods can substantially enhance the accuracy and reliability of mapping from multiscale remote sensing datasets.

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ENG. MOHAMED BARAKATRESEARCHER AND GIS LAB ENGINEER - UNIVERSITY OF SHARJAHMohamed Barakat obtained his bachelor’s in Surveying Engineering from the Sudan University of Sciences and Technology in 2010 and later completed his master’s in Remote Sensing and GIS from University Putra Malaysia (UPM) in 2015. Mohamed serves as an RS and GIS Lab Engineer at the University of Sharjah’s Research Institute of Sciences and Engineering. Additionally, he is working towards his Ph.D. in Remote Sensing from the Faculty of Engineering at UPM, Malaysia. His research interests focus on harnessing the power of remote sensing technologies and state-of-the-art ML techniques in various Earth-related applications (i.e., vegetation and urban mapping, environmental monitoring, and other applications). Mohamed has published more than 25 peer-reviewed articles in the domains of remote sensing and GIS.

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Elevating Urban Insight: Building Change Detection with KhalifaSat and Deep Learning
2023-10-25 10:00 - 11:00 | Virtual
In the ever-evolving landscape of Earth observation and remote sensing, the task of building change detection holds paramount importance. Monitoring shifts in urban development, infrastructure alterations, and environmental changes is pivotal for understanding and managing our dynamic world. KhalifaSat, an advanced Earth observation satellite, plays a pivotal role in providing high-resolution satellite imagery that empowers these change detection efforts. Deep learning techniques have emerged as a transformative force, automating the once-manual process and enhancing the accuracy and efficiency of building change detections. In this webinar, we’ll provide a detailed exploration of building a change detection model specifically tailored for detecting changes in buildings, using deep learning in conjunction with KhalifaSat images. The webinar will demonstrate the entire process, from dataset collection and image preprocessing to custom dataset labeling, model training, and the rigorous testing and evaluation of model results. This comprehensive showcase will offer attendees valuable insights into the practical application of this transformative technology for building change detection.

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ENG. JAWAHER ALGHFELISOFTWARE ENGINEER, MBRSC LAB, UNIVERSITY OF DUBAIEng. Jawaher AlGhfeli, a software engineer at the University of Dubai’s MBRSC lab, holds a bachelor’s degree (Hons.) in computer engineering with a minor in artificial intelligence from the United Arab Emirates University. Her dedication to the technology field has been acknowledged through the prestigious UAE University Chancellor Innovation Award, reflecting her remarkable contributions to the field. She is currently engaged in remote sensing image processing and the development of AI tools, furthering her contributions to technology and Earth observation applications.

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The Significance of Programming for Geospatial Professionals with Real Life Examples
2024-02-07 10:00 - 11:00 | Virtual
This webinar will unveil the power of programming skills for geospatial professionals. The webinar will reveal how programming blends the geospatial discipline with cloud computing, generative AI models, chat bots, open-source libraries, and more. Real world examples from the speaker’s profession will be illustrated at a high level. One example was at NASA, developing an in-house application for analyzing aerosol data, generated by the CALIPSO Satellite. Another example is the development of a web application integrated with a generative AI model to answer geospatial questions in basic English. Other examples of automated geoparsing (detecting place names from text), geospatial APIs creation, and geodata pipeline engineering will be discussed as well.

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DR. AHMAD ABURIZAIZASENIOR GIS SOLUTIONS ENGINEER @ JLLAhmad is currently a senior GIS Regional Lead & Solutions Engineer at JLL. He holds three US degrees: a B.S. in Computer Science, a masters in Geographic Information Science, and a PhD in Geoinformation Sciences. He has a profound expertise in geospatial technologies, programming, data security, data engineering, data visualization, academic teaching, and corporate training. He is continuously learning new skills related to cloud computing, data science, and business intelligence. His professional experience varies between academia, government, and private sectors including NASA and Mapbox. Throughout his profession, he developed several geospatial applications by leveraging open-source libraries, spatial databases, cloud services, and generative AI models. One of the greatest achievements was the development of version 2.0 for a NASA’s in-house application named VOCAL, using Python to analyze aerosol data collected by NASA’s CALIPSO satellite. In other roles, he built geospatial data pipelines programmatically to serve complicated ETL processes. Furthermore, he created numerous APIs serving geospatial data for the US government.

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Leveraging Earth Observation Technology for Sustainable Development: A Case Study in Bahrain
2024-02-21 10:00 - 11:00 | Virtual
This webinar will shed light on the pioneering efforts of the National Space Science Agency Laboratory (NSSA) in seamlessly integrating EO technologies to conduct impactful studies that contribute significantly to both local and global objectives, guiding a more sustainable and prosperous future for Bahrain.

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MS. AYSHA YUSUF ALMAHMEEDSPACE DATA ANALYSTAysha AlMahmeed is a space data analyst at the National Space Science Agency of Bahrain. She holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Bahrain. As a member of NSSA’s lab, Almahmeed contributes to analyzing and evaluating earth observation data and creating analytical studies that serve to achieve the SDGs’ and Bahrain’s Economic Vision 2030.

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Navigating Sea Level Change: Harnessing GIS Techniques and Game Engines for Modeling and Analysis
2024-03-20 10:00 - 11:00 | Virtual
This webinar will offer insights on the power of GIS combined with game engines to foresee the impact of sea level rise on a city. A prototype developed with Unity will be presented to address this challenge.

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PROF. KHAULA ALKAABIAssociate ProfessorDr. Khaula Alkaabi is Associate Professor at Geography & Urban Sustainability Department, UAEU. She holds a BA degree from UAEU; a MA & a PhD in Geography from UNCG, USA; & Public Sector Innovation Diploma, University of Cambridge, UK. Her research interests: transportation, land use planning, spatial analysis, GIS, drone applications, economic geography, smart cities, entrepreneurship, & innovation. She served as Chair of Geography Department 2013- 2017, & Chief Innovation Officer 2015-2022.

DR. JUSTINE SARRAUJustine Sarrau holds a Bachelor’s degree in Geography, Urban Planning, and Environment from Université Toulouse Jean Jaurès, Toulouse, France, followed by a Master’s degree in Earth Observation and Geomatics from UNISTRA, Strasbourg, France. Currently pursuing a PhD in GIS (Geographic Information Systems) at UAEU.

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Remote Sensing to Understand Crop Health for Precision Agriculture
2024-05-22 10:00 - 11:00 | Virtual
Join us for a comprehensive webinar on leveraging remote sensing technologies to enhance crop health monitoring and management in precision agriculture. Precision agriculture is a farming management concept that utilizes technology to optimize crop yields and reduce waste. In this webinar, we will delve into the core concepts of precision agriculture and explore how remote sensing plays a crucial role in this field. Discover how to use the ENVI CropScience analysis tool for precise monitoring and analysis of crop health indicators, such as vegetation health. Learn about the significance of hyperspectral data in precision agriculture and how to analyze plot-level hyperspectral drone images for enhanced crop health assessment. Gain insights into calculating vegetation indices, such as NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) and EVI (Enhanced Vegetation Index), using hyperspectral data for accurate crop health monitoring. This webinar is ideal for professionals and researchers in the fields of agriculture, remote sensing, and environmental science who are interested in advancing their knowledge of precision agriculture and remote sensing applications in crop health monitoring. Don’t miss this opportunity to deepen your understanding of precision agriculture and remote sensing technologies. Join us to unlock the potential of remote sensing in revolutionizing crop health management for a sustainable future.

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DR. SURYA DEB CHAKRABORTYSENIOR ANALYSTDr. Surya Deb Chakraborty is part of ESRI India and works as a senior analyst. Before joining ESRI India, he worked in many organizations like ICRISAT (International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics) under the UN, the National Remote Sensing Center (NRSC, ISRO), MNCFC (Mahalanobis National Crop Forecast Centre), Regional Remote Sensing Center (ISRO) and IISC-ISRO space technology cell. He completed his PhD in geo-engineering from the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC, ISRO) at Andhra University and his M.Tech from the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IIRS, ISRO). He also completed his M.Sc. in geography from CSJM University Kanpur and a diploma in RS and GIS from Jadavpur University. In 2015, he received a Young Scientist fellowship award from KIT, Germany. His area of interest is urban anthropogenic heat flux estimation, watershed management, and agriculture applications using optical and microwave data. He primarily handles advanced remote sensing data processing, such as thermal, hyperspectral, LiDAR, and microwave.

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Coral Reef Early Warning System for Small Island Developing States (SIDS)
2024-06-12 10:00 - 11:00 | Virtual
Small Island Developing States (SIDS) face significant challenges from natural disasters, climate change, and limited resources, particularly the degradation of coral reefs due to rising sea temperatures. To combat this, 4EI has developed a Coral Reef Early Warning System for the Maldives, utilising remote sensing and community engagement to monitor water quality and coral cover. The system establishes a baseline assessment of coral reefs, tracks changes over time, and identifies early warning indicators of threats like coral bleaching. Outputs include monthly reports with updated reef maps and bleaching risk alerts. This system enhances climate resilience, supports marine ecosystems, boosts tourism, and protects coastlines, while fostering community involvement in conservation efforts.

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MR. JAVIER GARCIA LOPEZGeneral Manager at 4 Earth IntelligenceJavier is an experienced Project Manager with over a decade of experience in Remote Sensing. He adeptly handles both small and large-scale international projects, specialising in Remote Sensing, photogrammetry, and cartography. Javier has significantly contributed to the growth of remote sensing production and has developed new land products for emerging markets. His involvement in research and development focuses on improving methodologies, workflows, and software to enhance processes and workforce planning. Javier’s expertise spans various environmental and geospatial projects, and he is also skilled in capacity building and conducting workshops. His diverse skills and commitment to environmental stewardship make him a valuable asset in geospatial and environmental sciences.

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Building a Loss and Damage Atlas Driven by Satellite Data for Climate Resilience
2024-07-17 10:00 - 11:00 | Virtual
In efforts to bolster resilience against the impacts of climate change, the UAE Space Agency, in partnership with Planet Labs, has launched a project to construct an innovative loss and damage atlas driven by satellite data. The project aims to extend technology and expertise to developing countries, helping them tackle the loss and damage resulting from climate change and facilitate the establishment of early-warning systems.
Through this webinar, you will learn more about the UAE Space Agency’s vision to support transformative initiatives and projects aimed at combating climate change. Project participants will present their developed case studies on the Maldives. This will be followed by a presentation from Planet Labs, showcasing their platform and analytics. Finally, attendees will have the opportunity to participate in the project, leveraging Planet’s imagery and analytical models.

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REGISTER FOR LOSS AND DAMAGE ATLAS FOR CLIMATE RESILIENCE PROJECT

Mr. Adel YousefiDeveloper and Researcher at FarminDeveloper and researcher with expertise in advanced technologies, AI, and software development. Focused on creating innovative solutions and enhancing system efficiency.

Mrs. Soma MukherjeeGIS-Software Developer at BayanatSoma has experience in the geospatial domain for a span of 15 years, working with different reputed entities both within UAE as well as outside of UAE. During her work tenure ,she has been involved in the complete lifecycle of development of the GIS applications, project management and business acquisition activities. During the development phase of the Geospatial Analytics Platform (GIQ) , she was assigned as the Project Manager.

Luisa TeixeiraStrategic Programs Manager at Planet LabsLuisa Teixeira is a Program Manager, currently leading Planet’s contribution to several strategic Programs such as the UAE Space Agency Loss and Damage Atlas and the NICFI Satellite Data Program. Luisa has over 10 years of experience working with stakeholders from government, business and civil society to support them in making the best possible use of data and digital tools, with a focus on climate action and biodiversity conservation.

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Soil Moisture Mapping Using L-band Microwave Radiometry and GNSS-R, and Disaggregation Algorithms for High Resolution Applications
2024-11-07 11:00 - 12:00 | Virtual
Soil moisture is a critical parameter influencing various environmental processes, agricultural productivity, and hydrological modeling. Traditional methods of soil moisture measurement often suffer from limitations in spatial resolution and temporal frequency. In this talk, these challenges will be addressed by leveraging the unique capabilities ofmicrowave radiometry and GNSS-R from space.
The talk begins with an overview of L-band microwave radiometry, which captures thermal emissions from the soil, and GNSS-R, a remote sensing technique that utilizes signals from global navigation satellites to infer soil moisture content based on reflected signals from the earth’s surface. Some of these instruments (ground-based to spaceborne) developed at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya-BarcelonaTech (Spain) are presented.
Then, the application of disaggregation algorithms is described. These algorithms play a pivotal role in enhancing the spatial resolution of soil moisture estimates derived from coarser resolution satellite data. By means of machine learning techniques and high-resolution auxiliary datasets, the algorithms effectively downscale the soil moisture information, enabling a more precise mapping of the soil conditions across diverse landscapes.
These findings show the potential for operational applications in agriculture, where timely and precise soil moisture information can inform irrigation practices and crop management strategies, and in climate and environmental monitoring where enhanced soil moisture data can support better predictions of drought conditions and flood risks. In a future, these high-resolution soil moisture maps could be routinely utilized in decision-making processes, ultimately contributing to better water management and improved resilience against climate change.

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Prof. Adriano CampsProfessor at CommSensLab-UPC, Dept. of Signal Theory and Communications, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, SpainProf. Adriano Camps joined the Dept. of Signal Theory and Communications, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), as an Assistant Professor in 1993, Associate Professor in 1997, and Full Professor since 2007. In 1999, he was on sabbatical leave at the Microwave Remote Sensing Lab., of the Univ. of Massachusetts, Amherst. Since September 2022 he has been an ASPIRE Visiting International Professor at the UAE University, Al Ain, Abu Dhabi. His research interests are focused on: 1) microwave remote sensing, with special emphasis on microwave radiometry by aperture synthesis (Ph.D. Thesis about the MIRAS instrument, which became the single payload of ESA’s SMOS mission), 2) remote sensing using signals of opportunity (GNSS-R), 3) radio frequency interference detection and mitigation, 4) ionospheric propagation, and 5) nanosatellites as a tool to test innovative remote sensors. His publication record includes over 284 papers in peer-reviewed journals, 12 book chapters, and the book Emery and Camps, “Introduction to Satellite Remote Sensing. Atmosphere, Ocean, Land and Cryosphere Applications,” Elsevier, 2017 (860 pages), and more than 558 conference presentations. According to Google Scholar/Scopus, his h-index is 64/52, and his publications have received more than 16.869/11.758 citations. According to the October 2023 Stanford ranking, he is among the top 2% of researchers.

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Rapid Flood Inundation Mapping and Flood Shelter Suitability Analysis in Bangladesh
2024-11-14 10:00 - 11:00 | Virtual
Floods are frequent natural hazards that produce an unusual water overflow that submerges a large area, affecting the frontline communities, their livelihood, environmental vulnerability, and increasing social and economic consequences. In the past few decades, average flood frequency, intensity, and duration have increased, seriously impacting low-lying countries. Knowing the areas inundated by floods is essential to mitigate the effects of the disaster. With timely flood information and early warnings, agencies and organisations involved in disaster management can speed up emergency response for relief and rescue measures. Rapid flood maps provide crucial inputs for assessing the extent of inundation areas and flood severity. In this masterclass, we will demonstrate a reproducible and automated method based on Google Earth Engine (GEE) to generate rapid flood magnitude data nationally. The seminar will enable the timely production of GIS and remote sensing data layers, along with the procedure of identifying suitable locations for flood shelters, enhancing disaster preparedness in Bangladesh.

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Mr. Kabir UddinGIS and Remote Sensing Specialist at International Centre for Integrated Mountain DevelopmentMr. Kabir Uddin has eighteen years of professional experience at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), Nepal, leading GIS and Remote Sensing environmental management. As a GIS and Remote Sensing Specialist at ICIMOD, he supervises and coordinates various aspects of GIS and remote sensing work. He is experienced in preparing a wide range of training manuals on mapping land cover, glaciers, flood hazards, and the suitability of flood shelters. He also conducts professional training in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan (HKH) countries. Mr. Kabir analyses optical and radar remote sensing data during flood disaster events for rapid flood inundation mapping and damage assessment systems. He works as a land cover thematic lead for SERVIR-HKH (a USAID-NASA Partnership), Land Cover and Ecosystem Services at ICIMOD to build the Regional Land Cover Monitoring System in close collaboration with various national and international organisations to generate consistent land cover maps on an annual basis. In addition, Mr. Kabir regularly publishes articles in peer-reviewed journals. Before joining ICIMOD, he worked as a GIS Expert at the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), Bangladesh.

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The Role of GNSS Satellites in Natural Hazards Monitoring
2025-01-21 10:00 - 11:00 | Virtual
Global Navigation Satellite System has emerged as more beneficial in monitoring the Earth’s atmosphere for natural hazards and space weather events around the globe with high-resolution datasets from ground and space-based measurements. Besides PNT solutions, it is nowadays used for natural hazards monitoring namely, earthquakes, tsunamis, typhoons, volcanoes, Solar storms, etc. After the inclusion of more satellite constellations from different countries, accuracy and precision improved significantly. It is also used as in-situ observables for other remote sensing satellites at different altitudes over the Earth.

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Dr. Munawar ShahProfessor at Institute of Space TechnologyDr. Munawar Shah is a Professor at the Institute of Space Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan. He held postdocs from KMITL, Chumphon Thailand, and Tongji University, China. He got his PhD in Geodesy from Shanghai Astronomical Observatory in 2017. He has published more than 100 peer-reviewed papers with more than 1500 citations in reputed journals and participated in several conferences for paper presentations at national and international levels. He successfully did the convenership of the EGU and Vice Chair of IAG-GGOS-FWG-JSG1 with an excellent young researcher award from COSPAR for publishing a paper in Advances in Space Research. Besides this, he is a reviewer of Scientific Reports, JGR, GJI, AISR, Remote Sensing, etc. He has successfully supervised more than 30 Master’s students and 10 more students are currently working under his supervision. He is also the editor of Discover Geoscience and other special issues.

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Advances in Remote Sensing and Artificial Intelligence in Marine and Coastal Studies
2025-01-29 10:00 - 11:00 | Virtual
This webinar will reveal the significance of applications for advances in remote sensing and artificial intelligence in marine and coastal studies. The webinar will demonstrate programming integration with the RS and AI disciplines, including cloud computing (GEE), generative ML models, open-source libraries, and more elements. The speaker will present high-level illustrations of real-world instances from their profession. The webinar will emphasize that AI has the potential to transform the methods by which we gather, analyze, and interpret data from vast and intricate oceans. AI oceanography has shown its efficacy in addressing many maritime challenges, including monitoring marine ecosystems and environmental conditions, as well as forecasting ocean currents and meteorological patterns. Simultaneously, driven by the ongoing advancement of remote sensing technologies in recent decades, ocean observation has transitioned into the big data age. Many ocean satellites outfitted with extensive sensors have been launched to observe oceans from both large and high-resolution perspectives.
Integrating AI with remote sensing has unleashed significant potential in addressing remote sensing retrieval, feature and pattern identification, and reconstruction challenges. Aggregated data may discern the fundamental principles of concealed connection, enhancing our understanding of the oceans and facilitating more efficient conservation and management initiatives. Combining these with other ocean data, like numerical models and reanalysis, might dramatically reduce current oceanography problems. This would create a new data-driven paradigm in ocean remote sensing.
This webinar’s primary objective is to provide a scientific forum to discuss the latest AI application developments in ocean remote sensing.

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Dr. Ismail MondalFaculty at Dept. of Marine Science, University of CalcuttaDr. Ismail Mondal is a Faculty in the Dept. of Marine Science, University of Calcutta, Kolkata-700019, India. He is a Remote Sensing and GIS specialist who has experience in environmental modeling in different applications, i.e., Climate Change in UN Sustainable Gol’s in Sea Level Rise in Marine Physical, Biological, and Chemical Modelling (Storm Surge and Coastal Vulnerability), SLAMM, Forest Ecology, Carbon Sequestration (Blue Carbon) of Biomass estimation, Aerosol Dynamic and Air Quality, Agriculture, Soil, Coastal and Estuarine modeling using Remote Sensing and GIS techniques. Moreover, He has an excellent working knowledge of tools like Remote Sensing, Digital Image Processing, Geographical Information Systems, Spatial data analysis, Programming Language, and statistical analysis (Google Earth Engine, Matlab, Python, etc.).

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Contemporary RS/GIS Skills Needed to Accommodate the Changing Geospatial Technologies
2025-02-12 11:00 - 12:00 | Virtual
This webinar focuses on the evolving geospatial landscape, aiming to equip GIS researchers and practitioners with essential skills to adapt effectively. By providing a guiding framework, that will help participants confidently navigate advancements, embrace innovation, and stay on course in the dynamic fields of geoinformatics.

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Dr. Anwarelsadat Eltayeb ElmahalSenior RS/GIS Lecturer at University of KhartoumHe is a Sudanese specialist and a senior lecturer in remote sensing, GIS, data science, and their applications in geoscience. With approximately +10 years of expertise in the academic field, teaching a variety of graduate and undergraduate courses. These courses covered subjects such as remote sensing and GIS applications in hydrology, hydrogeomorphology, web-GIS, satellite digital image processing, geostatistics, spatial databases, spatial cloud computing, and research methodologies. With +15 years’ experience in UN and international organizations, such as UNICEF, FAO, and the European Commission, as a specialist in information management and GIS and backed by a solid geoscience, data science, and visualization experience. Member of the British Society for Geomorphology and active participant in the society’s annual meetings in the UK. With strong knowledge and interest in spatial cloud computing, land use, land cover change, and environmental risk mapping using Google Earth Engine with native [JavaScript, Python] and non-native [RGEE] APIs. With many publications in the field that could be accessed through his Google Scholar profile.

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Turning Earth Observations to Natural Language Dialogues
2025-02-26 10:00 - 11:00 | Virtual
This talk covers the integration of recent GenAI technologies (Large Language Models) for earth observation and climate data. We will cover models developed by MBZUAI and its collaborators in recent years for improved analysis of GeoSpatial data using natural language conversations. These models can process multisensory inputs i.e., RGB, SAR, Mult-spectral and Temporal sequences and allow additional capabilities such as visual grounding and change detection. The talk will also cover applications of these models to specific use cases, e.g., damage assessment due to extreme weather events and tracking urban heat-island phenomena.

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Dr. Salman KhanAssociate Professor at Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial IntelligenceDr. Salman Khan is an Associate Professor at Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) and an honorary faculty member at the Australian National University (ANU). He works on multimodal learning algorithms for various applications, with a specific focus on earth observation and climate science. He has been a recipient of several prestigious scholarships, including Fulbright and IPRS, and served as a program committee member for several premier conferences where he has won multiple outstanding reviewer awards. He was the guest editor for IEEE TPAMI, MDPI Remote Sensing and acts as area chair for premier AI conferences such as NeurIPS, CVPR, ICML and ICCV. He, alongside his collaborators and students, won the best paper award in ICPRAM 2020, best paper honorable mention at ACCV 2024 and top ranks in CVPR-NTIRE 2019 and 2021 challenges on image enhancement. He has published over 100+ technical papers in top AI journals and conferences.

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Drones: Innovating Air Pollution and Climate Research
2025-03-05 10:00 - 11:00 | Virtual
Drones are transforming air pollution and climate research by providing real-time, high-resolution data from inaccessible areas and providing vertical information within the atmospheric boundary layer. Using remote sensing technology with sensors such as aerosol spectrometers, LiDAR, and gas analyzers, they measure pollutants, greenhouse gases, and atmospheric conditions. Their flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and ability to operate in hazardous environments make them invaluable for monitoring air quality, improving climate models, and informing policy.

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Dr. Ajit AhlawatAssistant Professor at Delft University of Technology - NetherlandsDr. Ajit is currently working as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geoscience and Remote Sensing under the Faculty of Civil Engineering at Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), The Netherlands. He completed his Ph.D. from CSIR-National Physical Laboratory, India in the field of aerosol instrumentation in 2019. He then worked as a scientist at Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS), Germany for almost 6 years, where he contributed to the advancement of air pollution monitoring through ground-based and drone-based field campaigns. He has coordinated several projects on air pollution monitoring and atmospheric aerosol research. He has published 30 research papers in various prestigious international journals.

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Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing for Renewable Energy Applications
2025-03-26 10:00 - 11:00 | Virtual
This webinar explores the application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing in the field of renewable energy. The session will begin with an introduction to GIS and Remote Sensing, highlighting their importance in renewable energy planning, development, and management.
The presentation will cover key applications, including:
Solar Energy Applications – Resource assessment, site selection, and solar potential mapping.
Wind Energy Applications – Wind resource analysis, optimal site identification, and integration with GIS tools.
Hydropower and Marine Energy – Hydrological mapping, tidal and wave energy assessment, and remote sensing applications for water resource management.
Biomass and Bioenergy – Land-use analysis, biomass resource mapping, and sustainability evaluation.
Additionally, the webinar will discuss:
GIS and Remote Sensing for Climate Change and Environmental Monitoring – Tracking environmental changes, assessing renewable energy impacts, and supporting sustainability initiatives.
Smart Grids and Energy Planning – Enhancing grid optimization, demand forecasting, and strategic energy infrastructure development through GIS integration.
The session will also feature case studies and real-world applications, showcasing successful implementations of GIS and Remote Sensing in renewable energy projects.
Finally, the webinar will conclude with an exploration of future trends and challenges, highlighting emerging technologies, data integration advancements, and the evolving role of GIS and Remote Sensing in shaping a sustainable energy future.

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Prof. Abdul Ghani OlabiDirector of Sustainable Energy & Power Systems Research Centre at University of SharjahProf. Abdul Ghani Olabi serves as the Director of the Sustainable Energy and Power Systems Research Centre at the University of Sharjah, UAE. He holds both an M.Eng. and a Ph.D. from Dublin City University, Ireland, and has held academic and research positions at prestigious institutions, including the National Research Council of Italy, the FIAT Research Centre in Italy, Dublin City University, and the Institute of Engineering and Energy Technologies at the University of the West of Scotland (UWS). Prof. Olabi is the founder of two renowned international conferences: the International Conference on Sustainable Energy and Environmental Protection (SEEP) and the International Conference on Materials Science and Smart Materials (MSSM). In addition to his contributions to academia, he plays a pivotal role in academic publishing, serving as Editor-in-Chief of the Encyclopedia of the Renewable Energy (Elsevier), the Encyclopedia of Green Materials (Elsevier), and the Encyclopedia of Smart Materials (Elsevier). He is also the Editor of the Reference Module in Materials Science and Engineering (Elsevier). Prof. Olabi and his team have made significant contributions to renewable energy and energy storage systems through innovative research projects. They have been granted numerous patents in areas such as hydrogen production, advanced PEM fuel cells, and the development of innovative supercapacitors and batteries.

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Research at the intersection of satellite-based InSAR – geotechnical engineering and ML
2025-04-23 10:00 - 11:00 | Virtual
The webinar will focus on Dr. Maral’s research at the intersection of Earth Observation (satellite InSAR), machine learning, and geotechnical engineering for monitoring critical infrastructure like tailings dams. Additionally, it will explore cutting-edge EO and ML research in other applications such as agriculture and sustainable finance.
Dr. Maral is a researcher at the Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford. Her research is on using EO/ML for infrastructure monitoring, and have received an award in the category for Data Science and AI at COP28 from the Prototypes for humanity, an Industrial Fellowship from the UK’s 1851 Royal Commission and a Keeley Senior Scholar of Wadham College, University of Oxford. She is also a senior EO consultant the Satellite Applications Catapult for the last 8 years, previously Remote Sensing Analyst at Airbus Defense and Space. Maral is alos the co-chair for the Technology Exploration Interest Group of Committee on Earth Observation Satellites, which is the main international coordination body for civic space.

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Dr. Maral BayaraaResearcher at University of OxfordCurrently DPhil researcher at the Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford. My research is on using EO/ML for infrastructure monitoring, and have received an award in the category for Data Science and AI at COP28 from the Prototypes for humanity, an Industrial Fellowship from the UK’s 1851 Royal Commission and a Keeley Senior Scholar of Wadham College, University of Oxford. I am also a senior EO consultant the Satellite Applications Catapult for the last 7 years, previously Remote Sensing Analyst at Airbus Defence and Space. I am also the co-chair for the Technology Exploration Interest Group of Committee on Earth Observation Satellites, which is the main international coordination body for civic space.

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