Socio-ecological safety towards natural and technological disasters: Earth observations and ecological monitoring for water quality analysis

This paper examines the possibilities of using Earth observation techniques and applicable capabilities for coupled analysis of risks. The techniques are concerned with sustaining the socio-ecological safety of river basins and coping with drastic losses of landscape and bio-productivity and natural and anthropogenic disasters, such as floods and pollution. The research aims to improve oriented policy making and assist robust ecological management strategies for the development of the Western Bug river basin in Ukraine. Ecosystem changes are critical for evaluating disasters and their consequences. Analysing landscape vulnerability is possible by using satellite data to detect plant changes and to monitor vegetation indexes coupled with ground data and ecosystem models.