GROW Observatory : Portfolio Output
- Submitting institution
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University of Edinburgh
- Unit of assessment
- 32 - Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory
- Output identifier
- 125602814
- Type
- T - Other
- DOI
-
-
- Location
- -
- Brief description of type
- Programme of research
- Open access status
- -
- Month
- November
- Year
- 2016
- URL
-
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- Supplementary information
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- Request cross-referral to
- -
- Output has been delayed by COVID-19
- No
- COVID-19 affected output statement
- -
- Forensic science
- No
- Criminology
- No
- Interdisciplinary
- Yes
- Number of additional authors
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0
- Research group(s)
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-
- Proposed double-weighted
- Yes
- Double-weighted statement
- This multi-component output, funded 5.1m Euros by Horizon 2020, involved the construction of a design framework and operational information system for investigation into climate change at scale. A collaboration with 18 partners including the Met Office and the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation, the research was conducted over 3 years. It involved the dissemination of over 6000 soil sensors across a network of thousands of citizen scientists across 13 countries, producing a dataset of 516 million soil data entries.
- Reserve for an output with double weighting
- No
- Additional information
- GROW Observatory is a multi-component output that centres around a design framework and operational information system for climate action at scale.
The research investigated how open and collaborative modes of harnessing data can support citizen-based Earth observation and climate action at a continental scale. GROW was funded €5.1M by Horizon 2020, to explore the potential of Citizens’ Observatories (COs) – community-based environmental monitoring and information systems.
As Principal Investigator, Hemment coordinated design and management of the project and led a consortium of partners, including University of Dundee, Met Office, United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation, and a network of citizen scientists.
The outcome of the research was the first continental-scale CO to monitor a key parameter for science continuously over an extended period, and at an unmatched spatial density, improving Earth observation capabilities at the European level.
Using the GROW framework, participants were able to gather data on soil conditions, use it to instigate positive environmental change, and validate the accuracy of the new generation high-resolution satellites, Sentinel-1.
Twenty four GROW communities in 13 countries created an unprecedented network of 6,502 in-situ soil sensors and a dataset of 516 million soil data entries. GROW has helped thousands of people become resilient regenerative food growers – for instance farmers in the Canary Islands reduced use of water for irrigation by 30% (See Appendix). GROW communities and data services have been sustained after funding ended.
GROW was named by the European Commission as one of five projects that represent the state-of-the-art in Earth observation in Europe in 2019.
GROW was awarded the Land and Soil Management Award 2019 and acclaimed ‘best example for future significant sustainability projects aiming at soil health’ by the jury. The research has been further disseminated through 9 papers, 13 posters and 20 conference presentations (see Appendix).
- Author contribution statement
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- Non-English
- No
- English abstract
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