Creation of a methodology for mapping habitats in Serbia, ecological continuities and the evolution of the state of the habitats

The IGIS project, worth 16 million euros, is a cooperation project between France and Serbia to equip the country with technology allowing the mapping of its territory using Spot satellite data. The goal is not only to provide tools but also to train professionals from the Serbian Republic Geodesy Institute (RGZ) in the methods developed by Astrium and IGN France.

In this project, we were responsible for the environmental component that involved creating and teaching a methodology for mapping habitats in Serbia and predicting their evolution over the next ten years.

Biotope collected existing data through consultations with local stakeholders and bibliographical summaries, analysed them and then confirmed them through field surveys. These data were then cross referenced with information derived from satellite images and correlations identified to develop software automating data processing. We then devised a data verification methodology, conducted the verification mission and provided a week of training to RGZ professionals.