Chapter The ESA Ulysses project and the exploitation in the Mediterranean area of Soil Sealing products and indicators

Abstract

Soil sealing, a phenomenon altering soil permeability, significantly impacts the environment, particularly in urban areas and local climates, affecting heat exchange and soil permeability. Monitoring soil sealing is crucial for the Mediterranean coastal regions, where it contributes to desertification alongside soil degradation, drought, and fires.Permanent soil sealing includes features like buildings and paved roads, while reversible sealing involves features like solar panels and early-stage construction sites. The Mediterranean Soil Sealing project, led by Planetek Italia with partners ISPRA and CLS, aims to provide high-resolution maps of soil sealing and reversible sealing from 2018 to 2022, with a spatial resolution of 10 m. The project emphasizes stakeholder involvement, with users ranging from municipalities to international organizations like the UN. Efforts have been made to engage diverse stakeholders from the project's outset, and stakeholders are actively involved in shaping project outcomes. Instead of simply delivering maps, the project will provide users with an interactive dashboard containing indicators and analytics for easy access to information.