DUBAI: Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) today announced the launch of a scientific interactive platform that will provide scientific analysis of environmental phenomena and their impact on the UAE’s natural resources. The platform is the first of its kind in the region focused on in-depth environmental studies based on remote sensing systems, image processing, GIS and artificial intelligence with analytical reports added on a regular basis. This platform allows its users, especially the scientific community to utilize the data collected from scientific research and studies done by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre.
The scientific platform includes scientific analysis and research reports that will be provided periodically to government entities. The platform covers a plethora of topics such as monitoring the UAE’s natural environment and their impact on natural resources such as water (hydrosphere), air and vegetation, monitoring changes on the coasts and studying phenomena that have implications for marine life such as the effect of red tide and others. In this regard, 20 analytical reports have already been completed and are included in the scientific platform.
The scientific platform is characterized by the interactive feature available for all its scientific reports. The feature allows the users of the platform to identify environmental changes in a particular area over a specific period of time through interactive maps, identify the changes, compare them with another time period, and ultimately come up with a specific scientific interpretation. This interactive trait also enables you to track the characteristics of a particular environmental phenomenon, so that users can obtain accurate statistics on the proportions of changes and identify their positive or negative impact.
His Excellency Yousuf Hamad Al Shaibani, Director General, Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre, said: “The new platform does not only benefit the scientific community, but also contributes to the UAE’s vision of building a competitive, sustainable by encouraging innovation, research and development, and promoting strategic decisions made by key UAE entities. The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre, under the wise leadership of the UAE, has always sought to provide innovative solutions that benefits the scientific community. Through our projects, we are developing local talent, and opening new horizons for scientific research entities to enhance the quality of their work.”
“The urgent need for scientific research and development has become more than a necessity dictated by the current situation under the influence of globalization. It is also necessary for us to keep pace with the progressive approach undertaken by some of the most scientifically developed nations, where technology and scientific research take centre stage,” he added.
Scientific methodology
Government entities can benefit from the scientific platform from different perspectives, because of the availability of diverse scientific topics. The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre has adopted a scientific methodology to certify these reports. The first step is identifying the environmental phenomenon through the Centre’s advanced tools and technologies, followed by developing the hypothesis of the phenomenon based on the expertise of the specialized team. The next step is validating the hypothesis by subjecting it to tests based on international standards, and placing it under long trial periods under various variables. The results of the data obtained are then displayed through graphs to facilitate analysis, leading to the conclusion, which is done by linking the data and converting them into information of scientific value. The last stage involves drawing up an integrated analytical study which is necessary to enable decision makers to make informed decisions. In addition to the reliability of these studies, they are highly specialized, as they cover numerous scientific subjects and the quality provided is difficult to obtain from other sources.
“The scientific platform contributes significantly to supporting the growth of strategic sectors of government entities, especially as the launch of the platform highlights the UAE’s efforts to support the smart transformation journey and integrate innovative technical solutions. The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre has adopted a progressive ideology that supports this vision of the UAE,” said Saeed Al Mansoori, Head of Application Development & Analysis Section, MBRSC.
He further added, “In the first phase, 20 analytical reports on different environmental phenomena will be made available on the platform. Through this scientific platform, we will be able to meet the scientific needs of all stakeholders at any time and from anywhere, especially for key decision makers. We will strengthen the local and international scientific community by working towards a future that ensures the growth of environmental studies in the UAE. In the coming years, we will have an advanced sector specializing in all kinds of environmental scientific research and analysis that will have a profound impact on the development of the UAE’s infrastructure.”
The benefits of this platform can be extended to other entities and institutions that are not directly linked to environmental studies such as real estate developers, universities and educational institutions, so that they can benefit from the space technologies owned by the Application Development & Analysis Section at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre, including the provision of integrated solutions that meet their needs according to the nature of each entity’s activity.
Strategic partnerships
The Application Development & Analysis Section at MBRSC is looking to expand the use of its outputs and extend cooperation to all government entities. The department is holding regular meetings with government departments to find out the nature of their activities and provide integrated solutions that meet their needs.
In addition, the Centre is working with the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority to exchange data and technical information about the environment. The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre is also in the process of launching other applications that serve the scientific community and provide necessary reports to answer urgent scientific questions, which will support the strategic decisions of government entities. This was part of the Centre’s efforts to accommodate the increasing demands of government entities in providing scientific applications and studies to help them in the field of their activities.
What lies ahead for the Application Development & Analysis Section
The Application Development & Analysis Section at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre aims to develop intelligent systems and applications that benefit the scientific community in the UAE by providing innovative software solutions based on remote sensing technologies, image processing and geographic information systems. Recently AI technologies have also been incorporated into the software development and digital data processing. The Section also provides periodic and specialized analytical reports, dealing with various environmental aspects such as monitoring environmental and human phenomena and their impact on natural resources such as water, air quality and vegetation, monitoring changes on the coastal areas and studying phenomena that have implications for marine life such as the effect of red tide and others.
The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre uses the KhalifaSat, one of the most advanced satellites in the world, dedicated to earth observation and monitoring, to process high-quality satellite imagery and specialized reports. It was the first satellite that was completely designed and manufactured in the UAE. The UAE has also played a strategic role in the design and manufacture of other satellites including the DubaiSat 1 and 2, which were built by an Emirati team of engineers along with the MBRSC’s satellite manufacturing partner in South Korea.
