Sea level rise poses a unique and significant challenge in terms of adaptation, as it involves addressing both slow-onset changes and an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme sea level events (Pörtner et al. 2023). Due to unavoidable sea level rise, the risk to coastal ecosystems, people, and infrastructure will continue to increase beyond 2100 (Calvin et al. 2023). Wetlands are...
Sea level rise poses a unique and significant challenge in terms of adaptation, as it involves addressing both slow-onset changes and an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme sea level events (Pörtner et al. 2023). Due to unavoidable sea level rise, the risk to coastal ecosystems, people, and infrastructure will continue to increase beyond 2100 (Calvin et al. 2023). Wetlands are critical ecosystems due to their functions and the services they provide, and they play a key role in mitigating the effects of climate change (Mitsch et al. 2013; Ministère de la transition écologique et de la cohésion des territoires 2022). Despite covering only 5–8% of the Earth's surface, these ecosystems are considered to be among the most effective carbon sinks. For instance, wetlands store twice as much carbon as forests yet cover only 3% of the Earth's surface (compared to 30% for forests) (Ministère de la transition écologique et de la cohésion des territoires 2022). In addition to global consequences such as rising sea levels, climate change can lead to an increase in extreme weather events at the local level. These consequences can include coastal and inland flooding, droughts and coastal erosion. Wetlands act like sponges, storing water in the soil or on the surface, and can therefore significantly mitigate the consequences associated with these events. Nevertheless, they are sensitive to such phenomena. Combined with other sources of stress and disruption associated with human activities, 50% of wetlands have now disappeared worldwide (Xu et al. 2019). A similar trend was observed in France between 1960 and 1990 (Ministère de la transition écologique et de la cohésion des territoires 2022). It is therefore crucial to understand and protect these ecosystems to ensure they can withstand the effects of climate change. In this context, satellite imagery is an invaluable tool. The global coverage and repeatability of satellite acquisitions enable these critical areas to be mapped and monitored. The full-scale depoldering experiment offers to EO4Wetlands a unique opportunity to monitor this restoration process by taking advantage of the complementarity between different wavelengths and observation scales (in situ and satellite). The project aims to provide end-users with a wetland monitoring tool that brings together all wetland data obtained from in situ sensors and satellites.
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