Ayuda en Acción is an NGO that fights poverty and inequality, working with specific aid programs to support about one-and-a-half million people in twenty countries of Latin America, Asia, Africa and Europe.

Climate change is one of its principal targets, trying to mitigate its effects by means of sustainable agriculture initiatives or the use of clean energy. As part of this overarching endeavor, on May 13 a digital encounter was held called «Manglares: medios de vida y lucha contra el cambio climático» (Mangrove swamps: livelihood and the fight against climate change). GMV participated to input its experience in remote sensing applied to conservation and sustainable management of mangrove ecosystems.

A mangrove swamp is a typical coastal formation of tropical and subtropical zones. It is a type of wetland populated by salt- and temperature-resistant trees. Its value is fourfold: mangrove swamps provide a fishing- or other-resource-based livelihood for about 200 million people; it is home to many different species of animals; it serves as a natural barrier against tropical storms and hurricanes; it also serves as a priceless carbon sink against climate change.

But these blue woods are one of the world’s most threatened ecosystems. Their state of health rests on a very fragile hydrodynamic balance that is now being upset by the climate change and other effects of humankind. It is calculated that over half of them have disappeared in the last 100 years. Ayuda en Acción is therefore working on several restoration programs designed to save and run these ecosystems in El Salvador and Honduras.

During the encounter Ana Sebastián, GMV’s Business Development Manager gave a presentation on earth observation and the use of satellite information for mangrove-monitoring and -conservation applications in Central America.

GMV boasts a wealth of experience in earth observation. Right from its beginnings it has worked on applications and services related to the environment, the management of natural resources and sustainable agriculture, among other relevant fields. For this purpose it uses polar orbit and geostationary satellites in collaboration with the European Space Agency, ESA, the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites, EUMETSAT, and other space institutions. GMV is likewise keeping up a noteworthy role in the space- and ground-segment of the European Earth Observation Programme, Copernicus, rendering services in several areas like the environment, emergencies and safety/security.

This session, opened by the Deputy Environment Minister of Honduras, is the first in a cycle of chats designed to raise awareness, swap notes and table groundbreaking methodologies, in order to design high-impact programs.