Integrating GNSS-R and Optical Satellite Data for Vegetation Health Assessment

IGNOS aims to evaluate the potential and limitations of GNSS-R as a scalable, all-weather complementary solution for Leaf Area Index (LAI) estimation. It is particularly important because of the urgent need for consistent observations in tropical areas where Copernicus Sentinel-2 optical satellites encounter significant challenges. By analyzing the relationship between GNSS-R data with Sentinel-2 imagery, IGNOS assesses the potential of the GNSS-R technique to become a complementary technique to Sentinel-2, enhancing vegetation monitoring in cloud-prone regions without additional sensor deployment, thus offering a cost-effective and environmentally friendly strategy. The outcome of this project therefore should evaluate the capabilities for a continuous LAI observation under cloudy conditions, leading to better-informed decisions in sustainable forestry, agriculture, and ecosystem management. The improved LAI data will primarily benefit Earth Observation users (e.g., remote sensing experts working in ecosystem yodelling) and agricultural communities (e.g., farmers and land managers) by enabling precision agriculture and biodiversity monitoring.