Background

I studied biology at the University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands, and obtained an MSc degree in 1979. Main subjects: Ecology, Vegetation science and Rural Survey. As part of my MSc study I followed the Rural Survey course in 1977-78 at the International Institute for Aerospace Survey and Earth Sciences (ITC), Enschede, with specialisation in vegetation and rangeland surveys. At the Netherlands Institute for Research of the Sea (N.I.O.Z.), Texel, The Netherlands, I followed in 1975 a course in Marine biology.

Especially thanks to what I learned at ITC, I was able to start my career in Remote Sensing and GIS in 1979. My first job was to make a vegetation and landscape map in the Yemen Arab Republic (YAR). After mapping the vegetation of the coastal dunes in Holland I went back to YAR for rangeland studies. For the FAO I worked in regional forestry projects in Guinea and Thailand. After working in a watershed project, I started to work at ITC in 1991.

Expertise

Remote Sensing; Geographical Information Systems; Forest Cover Monitoring; Vegetation, Land use and Landscape Mapping; Coral Reef Mapping; Rangeland Survey; Land Evaluation; Land Suitability Classification; Watershed Management; Environmental Impact Assessment; Digital Image Processing; Training in Aerial Photo Interpretation and Remote Sensing; Organizing Courses.

Knowledge field/theme (spearheads)

• Land cover and natural vegetation survey and monitoring, using remote sensing and geographical information systems.
• Survey and monitoring vegetation and/or land cover in forests, savannah, rangelands and wetlands, using remote sensing and geographical information systems.
• Application of landscape ecological knowledge in spatial analysis with remote sensing and GIS techniques for the management of natural areas.
• Survey and monitoring of marine benthic communities (corals and mussel beds), using remote sensing and geographical information systems.

Activities in education

• NRM Remote Sensing & GIS core modules
• NRM Ecology and vegetation
• NRM PM fieldwork group project

Activities in research

• Detection of mussels with satellite image
• Wetland and coral reef mapping
• Comparing vegetation mapping accuracies from different satellite images

Example of 3D land cover changes

In cooperation with Landschap Overijssel a development scenario for the natural vegetation on the Lemelerberg was constructed. An aerial photo mosaic of August 2005, derived from Google, was used to construct a flight path over the area in 3D. A map of 1900 was used to construct an aerial image to show an historical view. Based on proposed changes by Landschap Overijssel in the area, an image of the future was compiled.
  Lemelerberg movie: 3D land cover changes from 1900 to 2005 and future scenario (Shockwave Flash)

Activities in project services

Eduard Westinga can be reached at: westinga@itc.nl

Publications

ISI Journal Articles

Westinga, E. and Hoetjes, P.C. (1981) The intrasponge fauna of Spheciospongia vesparia, Porifera, Demospongiae, at Curaçao and Bonaire. In: Marine Biology, 62(1981), pp. 139-150. Full text | Full text

de Lange, L. and Westinga, E. (1979) The distinction between lemna gibba L and lemna minor L on the basis of vegetative characters. In: Acta botanica Neerlandica, 28 (1979)2-3 pp. 169-176. Full text

Other Refereed Journal Articles

Xing Yan-qiu, Wang Li-hai and Westinga, E. (2004) Assessment of degraded mattoral land using remote sensing imagery in Guadalteba area, Spain. In: Journal of forestry research, 15(2004)2, pp. 145-149.

Conference Proceedings (full papers)

Westinga, E. (2004) 50 years monitoring land cover and use of the Phu Wiang watershed, Thailand. In: ACRS 2004 : Proceedings of the 25th Asian conference on remote sensing, ACRS 2004 Silver jubilee: November 22-26, 2004, Chiang Mai, Thailand. Chiang Mai : Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA), 2004. pp. 940-945. Full text

de Gier, A., Westinga, E., Beerens, S.J.J., VanLaake, P. and Savenije, H. (1999) User requirements for the sustainable management of forests : with the emphasis on remote sensing. In: Proceedings of the XXI IUFRO world congress, 7-12 August, Kuala Lumpur. 9 p.

Looyen, W.J, Zeppenfeldt, F.O., Venema, J.C., van der Burg, G., Hoekman, D.H., van der Sanden, J.J., Reichert, P.G. and Westinga, E. (1993) Fame : a forest assessment and monitoring environment scenario. In: Proceedings of the 25th international symposium on remote sensing and global environmental change : 4-8 April 1993, Graz, Austria : Vol. I tools for sustainable development, pp. I-571-I582.

Westinga, E., Bijker, W., de Leeuw, J. and van Wijngaarden, W. (1993) How operational is monitoring land cover or use with remote sensing?. In: Proceedings international symposium operationalization of remote sensing 19-23 April 1993, Enschede, The Netherlands : Vol. 3 / ed. by J.L. van Genderen, R.A. van Zuidam and C. Pohl, pp. 141-148.

Scientific and Professional Publications

Tempfli, K. (editor) , Huurneman, G.C. (editor) , Bakker, W.H. (editor) , Janssen, L.L.F. (editor) , Bakker, W.H., Feringa, W.F., Gieske, A.S.M., Grabmaier, K.A., Hecker, C.A., Horn, J.A., Huurneman, G.C., Kerle, N., van der Meer, F.D., Parodi, G.N., Pohl, C., Reeves, C.V., van Ruitenbeek, F.J.A., Schetselaar, E.M., Weir, M.J.C., Westinga, E. and Woldai, T. (2009) Principles of remote sensing : an introductory textbook. Enschede, ITC, 2009. ITC Educational Textbook Series 2, ISBN: 978-90-6164-270-1. Full text

Westinga, E., Bijker, W., van Dijk, K., Savenije, H., Heering, J., Looyen, W.J. and Overbosch, E. (1999) Design of the user needs assessment study : user requirements study for remote sensing based spatial information for the sustainable management of forests : also as e-book. Enschede, ITC - BPC, 1999. Technical document : User requirements study for remote sensing based spatial information for the sustainable management of forests 2, Full text

de Gier, A., Westinga, E., Beerens, S.J.J., van Laake, P.E. and Savenije, H. (1999) Final report : user requirements study for remote sensing based spatial information for the sustainable management of forests : also as e-book. Enschede, ITC - BPC, 1999. Technical document : User requirements study for remote sensing based spatial information for the sustainable management of forests final, Full text

Westinga, E., Bijker, W., van Dijk, K., Savenije, H., Symons, H., Heering, J. and Nobbe, E. (1999) User needs assessment for spatial forest information : results and analysis : user requirements study for remote sensing based spatial information for the sustainable management of forests : also as e-book. Enschede, ITC - BPC, 1999. Technical document : User requirements study for remote sensing based spatial information for the sustainable management of forests 4, Full text

Bijker, W., Westinga, E., Janssen, L.L.F., Looyen, W.J, Algra, T., Verduyn, F., Heijstek, J., Venema, J., Börger, J., Overbosch, J., Hoekman, D.H., van Halsema, D. and van Konijnenburg, R. (1999) User requirements versus existing capabilities : user requirements study for remote sensing based spatial information for the sustainable management of forests : also as e-book. Enschede, ITC - BPC, 1999. Technical document : User requirements study for remote sensing based spatial information for the sustainable management of forests 7, Full text

Westinga, E., Looijen, W.J., Hoekman, D.H. and Racaut, C. (1993) Consultation on user needs for RESPAS. Delft, Beleidscommissie Remote Sensing (BCRS), 1993. BCRS Report : 1993 93-15, ISBN: 90-5411-089-9.

Westinga, E. and Thalen, D.C.P. (1980) A survey and problem analysis of the rangelands in the Rada district. Arnhem, ILACO, 1980.

Presentations

Westinga, E. and Lasry, F. (2006) Rwanda forest cover mapping : abstract. Presented at the 2006 international conference on space technology and geoinformatics, in conjunction with national conference on mapping and geo-informatics 2006, 5-8 November 2006, Pattaya, Thailand. 18 p. Full text

Bijker, W., Skidmore, A.K., Hussin, Y.A. and Westinga, E. (1997) Scale and purpose : forest monitoring means different things to different organizations. Presented at VIII symposio Lantinamericano de percepcion remote, Merida, Venezuela, 2-7 November 1997, 6 p.