Earth Observation Technologies for Mitigating Urban Climate Changes

Abstract Since 2010 United Nations declared that for the first time in history up to 50% of mankind is living urban areas, implying challenges connected with global changes need be evaluated primarily within systems, using most advanced available technologies. Earth observation nowadays promising field research assisting planners, city managers, and building designers their work improving resilience cope climate change effects, long-term extreme climatic events. Even though deep understanding functioning systems a key factor quality life at all levels, development still poorly monitored globally, reliable comparable satellite data across countries limited, slowing down international comparative research. The Copernicus UE programme, replacing Global Monitoring Environment Security (GMES) recognizes strategic importance emergency management. programme provides global, continuous, autonomous, high quality, wide-area Atmosphere observation. links Space observations ground-based atmospheric collection processing, providing operational services fields environment, ground infrastructures, civil protection, security, supporting implementation large number sectorial transversal public policies. Of six thematic macro-areas present monitoring European lies area land service. enormous continuous generation from allowing construction an accurate up-to-date database state health our cities surrounding environments, materials simply inconceivable only few decades ago.