Combining space and citizen-generated data for cultural heritage under threat

Kateryna Boichenko¹, Katerina Zourou², Bente Lilja Bye², Stefania Oikonomou¹, Thanasis Koukoulis³, Charalambos Chatzidiakos³,

¹ Web2Learn, ² Space4CC, ³ National Observatory of Athens (NOA)

Conference “Culture in Modern and contemporary times: research, preservation, socialization”, November 23-24, 2023, online

Plan of today’s talk

1. Setting the scene: Cultural heritage in a changing world
2. The value of space data in cultural heritage safeguarding
3. Cultural heritage-space sectors’ collaborations
4. Our perspective: Focus on citizen participation
5. The Space4CC project
6. Future plans

Cultural heritage in a world in transition...

Environmental degradation & climate change

Extreme weather conditions and radical shifts in natural heritage landscapes pose an immediate threat to cultural heritage sites and monuments worldwide.

© Stavros Petropoulos, Alaska, for Onassis Foundation

Armed conflicts…a challenge to cultural heritage

Images source: Unsplash

In this challenging context, space data become a key to cultural heritage safeguarding

Image source: Unsplash

Why space data and Earth Observations for cultural heritage?

Boichenko et al., Culture in modern and contemporary time Conference, online, 23-24 November, 2023

• Critical conditions on the ground impede onsite mapping and documentation of cultural heritage sites’ status.
• Available imagery that enhances monitoring of sites and contributes to their safeguarding.
• Identifying environmental and climate-related threats (e.g. wildfires, floods, etc.)
• Conflicts as triggers of environmental degradation!

Cultural heritage organisations and the space sector

• UNESCO- European Space Agency (ESA) collaboration to safeguard World Heritage (e.g., Open Initiative partnership, 2003).

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• ICOMOS launched on January 2023 the International Scientific Committee on Aerospace Heritage (ISCoAH).

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• Since 2016, CIPA has established its Task Group on Earth observation in cultural heritage documentation.

Boichenko et al., Culture in modern and contemporary time Conference, online, 23-24 November, 2023

BUT is it all about Space and Data?

Remote sensing and Earth Observations are meant to benefit societies.

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But is there a way citizens and

communities can contribute?

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Image source: Unsplash

Our perspective: Focus on citizen participation

In crises (e.g. conflicts), citizen-based in situ data are crucial for rapid information and action taking.

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Designing citizens’ role in cultural heritage safeguarding by:

• leveraging the power of digital technologies as monitoring tools;
• recognising in situ citizen-generated data (e.g. photos);
• ensuring they are open access available to communities involved;
• acknowledging citizens’ contribution.

Boichenko et al., Culture in modern and contemporary time Conference, online, 23-24 November, 2023

Space4CC: a project and a startup

• Triggered by the Russo-Ukrainian war
• Scope: Develop a decision tool for cultural heritage management in conflict areas.
• Geographical focus: Ukraine
• An idea awarded in two European hackathon competitions (#EUSpace4Ukraine hackathon 2022, myEUspace competition 2023)
• A start-up since February 2023
• collaboration with the National Observatory of Athens (NOA), experts in Earth observations and space data
• hackathons as capacity building and networking events
• Jupiter Notebook Competition (Sept. 2022); Social hackathon (May 2023); Hatathon Ukraine (Sept. 2023); NASA SpaceApps challenge (Oct. 2023), DigiEduHack (Nov. 2023)

https://space4cc.eu/

Our trajectory

February 2022

Outbreak of Russo-Ukrainian war

July 2022

#EUSpace4Ukraine hackathon

Challenge: Ukrainian cultural heritage threats

September 2022

Europeana Conference online session

February 2023

Cash prize at the myEUspace Competition

October 2023

ENA grant to present Space4cc project

Boichenko et al., Culture in modern and contemporary time Conference, online, 23-24 November, 2023

Technological innovation

Space4CC deploys:

• space-based (Copernicus, Galileo, EGNOS);
• in-situ (air quality sensor networks, environmental data, SaveEcoBot)
• citizen-generated data (images of sites)

that are interoperable across disciplines!

Our tool will:

a) provide a holistic view on direct & indirect impacts to cultural heritage sites;

b) integrate citizens’ observations, empowering thus communities.

Our tool at the MVP stage (demo)

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https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tbCo2Eyesc5Hh6dIB3diXbTnOO16V692/view?usp=drive_link

Future plans

• Release of the Space4CC tool in the market.
• Expansion of its geographical scope and area.
• Engage with communities on the ground to further investigate opportunities for civic engagement in cultural heritage safeguarding.

Image source: Unsplash

References

1. European Commission, Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture, (2022). Strengthening cultural heritage resilience for climate change : where the European Green Deal meets cultural heritage, Publications Office of the European Union. https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2766/44688
2. UNESCO. (2021). Monitoring world heritage from space. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000380737
3. ESA. (June 24, 2003). Satellites to focus on UNESCO World Heritage sites. https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/Satellites_to_focus_on_UNESCO_World_Heritage_sites
4. OECD. (n.d.). Promoting the protection of cultural heritage in conflict-affected areas. https://www.oecd.org/development-cooperation-learning/practices/promoting-the-protection-of-cultural-heritage-in-conflict-affected-areas-ad7be986/
5. ICOMOS. (February 13, 2023). New ICOMOS ISC on Aerospace Heritage. https://www.icomos.org/en/89-english-categories/home/121302-new-icomos-isc-aerospace-heritage

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Thank you!

email: space4cc.services@gmail.com

website: https://space4cc.eu/

Youtube: Space4CC

Twitter: @space4cc

Get in touch!

Boichenko et al., Culture in modern and contemporary time Conference, online, 23-24 November, 2023