Research

Research themes

In order to ensure that new knowledge and innovation in space and resource management and in the provision of geospatial data lead to societal benefits, the ITC Research Programme is formulated as a number of interlinked research themes.

Each research theme encompasses profound knowledge in three domains: earth observation and geoinformation processing technologies relevant to the thematic field; the geospatial processes playing a role in the thematic field; and the way in which the community associated with the thematic field can access and exploit new knowledge and innovation.

In each theme, research is carried out by a group led by one of ITC's professors. Each group typically comprises several expert staff members and a number of graduate students carrying out research for a PhD degree in the framework of the Graduate Programme.

 


 

  • Biodiversity in fragmenting landscapes

    Biodiversity in fragmenting landscapes more

    The BIOFRAG research theme models, maps and explains the distribution of biodiversity and their associated habitats. In particular, the research theme focuses on monitoring and explains changes in biodiversity caused by biotic and abiotic factors. BIOFRAG activities are focussed on the Mediterranean region (Southern Europe, North Africa, Middle East, Caucasus)...

  • Carbon cycle and climate change

    Carbon cycle and climate change more

    The greenhouse effects and the carbon cycle, in particular carbon emissions and carbon sequestration, are at the heart of climate change, one of the most pressing problems the earth is facing. Global instruments like the UNFCCC, Kyoto Protocol, CDM, and IPCC reports all address these, resulting in an explicit link with the International Environmental Agenda...

  • Disaster management

    Disaster management more

    The Disaster Management research focuses on the consequences of "geohazards", both those that cause both rapid disasters which have a shock effect and slow-onset disasters which result in a strain or negative trend in our environment. Geological hazards such as earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, landslides, as well as hydro-meteorological hazards (flooding, mudflows, cyclones) can be seen as causing rapid disasters, whereas land degradation and desertification, soil erosion and soil degradation can be seen as causing slow disasters.

  • Earth systems science

    Earth systems science more

    This research theme in earth system science strives to develop algorithms for modelling earth observation data supported by field measurements and subsurface imaging to understand earth processes. In particular, the research theme aims at contributing to a better understanding of the application of earth observation data and geoinformation science to georesources management (exploration and exploitation), environmental geosciences and geodynamics.

  • Food security and environmental sustainability

    Food security and environmental sustainability more

    Food Security is a key individual right, but still far from being reality in many parts of the tropics (Millennium Development Goal 1). Trade and food-aid has widened the gap between net importers and net exporters of agricultural commodities and has reduced the need for countries to be self-sufficient. As (particularly urban) populations increase, the land area put to agricultural production increases worldwide, mainly in Africa and Latin America. This goes at the expense of the environment. Hence MDG 7 (Environmental Sustainability) is also at stake, and may be partly incompatible with MDG 1.

  • Governance and integrated spatial assessment

    Governance and integrated spatial assessment more

    Integrated Spatial Assessment refers to Integrated Surveying as a mandate that ITC possesses already for a long time. Survey analysis aimed at monitoring and scrutinizing multi-attribute characteristics of spatial phenomena produced by earth observation. In combining Governance and Integrated Spatial Assessment, the worlds of Public Policy and Public Administration, and Geospatial information (GIS) are united.

  • Informed multilevel governance of urban regions

    Informed multilevel governance of urban regions more

    The prime research objective of Informed Multilevel Governance of Urban Regions is to attain better governance (e.g., more openness, participation, legitimacy, accountability, effectiveness, equity, coherence, efficiency, better outcomes) in urban-regional contexts by means of geo-information and communication technologies. 'Governance' refers to the rules, processes (including participatory decision making processes) and behaviours of actors (governments, public sector, civil society, private sector) that affect the way power is exercised in an urban-regional context.

  • Land administration for informed governance

    Land administration for informed governance more

    The central research question of this theme is how to improve land administration systems for poverty reduction and growth. Several concepts ask for explanation.

  • Managing water scarcity

    Managing water scarcity more

    Water scarcity is likely to increase due declining water input (e.g., by climate change) and increasing water consumption. Eventually this also leads to the degradation of water quality (e.g., by contamination). Water scarcity can affect both surface and groundwater resources. Recent technological advances in remote sensing (including hydro-geophysics), in automated techniques of ground data acquisition and in data integration techniques allow us to model and therefore to manage water resources better. This research theme focuses on development of such tools and strategies.

  • Spatial data infrastructure technology

    Spatial data infrastructure technology more

    Worldwide, the information age is firming its grip on societies, on the operation modes of industry and government, and on the lives of private people. Players in the spatial data industry are seeking to optimize their competitive advantage by putting on the market unique knowledge products, and allowing them to be easily and time-efficiently exploited by their clients...

  • Spatio-temporal data integration and visualisation

    Spatio-temporal data integration and visualisation more

    Many of the most important challenges facing science, business, and society have a fundamental geo-component. These challenges range from understanding regionally varied impacts of global environmental change, through tracking diffusion of avian flu and responding to natural disasters, to adapting business practice to dynamically changing resources, markets and geopolitical situations. For these and many other challenges reference to location - and time - is the glue that connects disparate data sources.

  • Stochastic methods for image mining and data quality

    Stochastic methods for image mining and data quality more

    Modern remote sensing images are of an increasing quality, in terms of spatial and temporal resolution, spectral quality and variety of sensor types. Despite this growth, there is a limit to the precision, resulting in uncertainty. The topics of uncertainty are changing, though, as new questions are being posed and different information is collected as compared to images collected in the past...

  • Sustainable urban-regional dynamics

    Sustainable urban-regional dynamics more

    The prime research objective of the research theme Sustainable Urban-Regional Dynamics, is to investigate and subsequently attain a more sustainable urban/regional development of large groups of LDCs cities and their functional urban regions ('hinterlands'). The concept of sustainability (spatial-, environmental-, economical-, and social sustainable developments) is the central focus in this research and is dedicated to mainly two types of urban regions: those in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America that are coping with informal hyper growth; and those of Latin America, and South and SE Asia that are coping with dynamic economic growth.

  • Utilisation of sensor developments for efficient topographic mapping

    Utilisation of sensor developments for efficient topographic mapping more

    Up-to-date and reliable geo-information is indispensable for a wide variety of tasks such as land administration, water management and the management of natural resources and urban areas. All these tasks require the availability of digital elevation models and/or core spatial data such as the outlines of buildings and roads. This research theme focuses on the development of methods to improve the cost-effectiveness of this kind of topographic mapping, making use of the latest sensor technology. Considering applications in urban areas, the emphasis is on large-scale geo-information and data acquisition from airborne and sometimes terrestrial platforms.

  • Water cycle and climate

    Water cycle and climate more

    Security of water resources (floods, droughts, water scarcity, water usage, water quality, water-ecosystem interactions, water-climate interactions etc.) is emerging as one of the key problems of the 21st century. The UN Millennium Declaration called upon all members of the UN “to stop the unsustainable exploitation of water resource by developing water management strategies at the regional, national and local levels which promote both equitable access and adequate supplies”. Improving water management can make a significant contribution to achieving most of the Millennium Development Goals established by the UN General Assembly in 2000, in particular those with regard to poverty, hunger, child mortality, maternal mortality and major diseases.