SATHELI

Synergy of very high resolution satellite and helicopter data for the spatio-temporal characterisation of small water body dynamics

Funded by: Belgian Federal Science Policy (BELSPO), within the RESEARCH PROGRAMME FOR EARTH OBSERVATION STEREO II
Researchers: dr. Els De Roeck
Promotors: Prof. Robert De Wulf, dr. ir. Frieke Vancoillie
Short name: SATHELI
Begin date: 02/2012
End date: 12/2013

Description
SATHELI is an innovation project focusing on the development of a multi-source monitoring system of small water bodies (SWB) using both helicopter (HELI) and satellite (SAT) data. Small water bodies in pastureland are the natural habitat of mud snails that, in case of infection by Fasciola hepatica, transmit liver fluke disease to livestock. The economic impact of liver fluke disease is high: in the Flemish dairy sector alone, the average cost/year is estimated at 8.2 million Euros.

The SATHELI project aims at:

1.  capturing SWBs on SAT and HELI images,
2. quantitatively describing small water body dynamics and
3. identifying, characterizing and classifying the snail habitats,

leading towards improved disease management at the landscape level.

Project partners

• FORSIT Research Unit - University of Ghent (UGent, Belgium)
• VETPAR Research Unit - University of Ghent (UGent, Belgium, www.vetparasitology.ugent.be)
• Avia-GIS – Consultancy company (Zoersel, Belgium, www.avia-gis.com)