ID: 2049
Presenting Author: Sylvain Leblanc
Session: 689 - Earth Observation for Impact Assessment
Status: pending
EO4CE-2 advances Earth Observation in Canada’s impact assessments with standardized datasets, improved access, and practical applications for transparent, data-driven, and sustainable decisi
The Earth Observation (EO) sector has rapidly expanded in data acquisition, analytics, and delivery, supported by open-access policies and reduced costs. Yet engagement with Impact Assessment (IA) practitioners shows EO adoption remains limited by barriers in awareness, usability, and analytical capacity.
Integrating EO into Canada’s impact assessment framework is vital to balance economic growth with environmental responsibility. Launched in 2024/25 by Natural Resources Canada’s Canada Centre for Mapping and Earth Observation (CCMEO), the Earth Observation for Cumulative Effects – Phase 2 (EO4CE-2) program enhances the availability and use of EO-derived environmental products for regional and project assessments.
At its two-year mark, EO4CE-2 has produced standardized, high-quality datasets capturing long-term trends through decadal satellite imagery and advanced AI. These products support analysis of land use, vegetation, water, ice, and terrain stability, improving predictions of environmental change and project impacts.
This presentation will highlight EO4CE-2’s progress, its impact on the IA landscape, and the path forward for embedding EO into Canada’s regulatory and decision-making processes. It will showcase key case studies demonstrating practical EO applications in regional assessments and share lessons learned from the program’s first two years, showing how EO4CE-2 strengthens evidence-based, transparent, and sustainable impact assessment.
Dr. Sylvain G. Leblanc is a remote sensing scientist with Natural Resources Canada with great experience in mapping and validation vegetation. He leads a liaison activity in the EO4CE2 prog
Coauthor 1: Darren Janzen
Coauthor 2: Sylvia Thomas