The Dutch Caribbean (i.e., Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustasius and Sint Maarten) is disproportionately affected by climate change related threats, such as sea-level rise, salt-water intrusion, severe weather events and biodiversity loss. The Dutch Caribbean, as recognized 'Small island states', represent a unique ecological importance, hosting 20% of the world's biodiversity, while being severely under pressure through climate change and sea-level rise, leading these islands to have an increased climate change vulnerability. Adaptation to climate change and variability is thus urgently needed; transitions are constrained due to the islands' limited ability to monitor solutions.
What is Earth Observation?
Earth Observation is the gathering of information about Earth’s land, oceans, and atmosphere using satellites, aircraft, and other sensors. In particular, satellite EO has great potential for addressing challenges at the Dutch Caribbean by providing information across multi scales. For example, EO can detect much information on essential variables related to climate change, including clouds, aerosols, GHGs, land use and land cover changes (LULCC), water and energy flux, and sea level change. A lot of these satellite observations are open access and provided through the European Copernicus programme. In addition to this, the Netherlands Space Agency (NLSA) offers very high-resolution Earth Observation data for the Dutch Caribbean (Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba) via the national satellite data portal accessible via www.satellietdataportaal.nl.
Together, these data are used to understand how our environment and societies are changing over time. They can be used to help the region’s societal, environmental, and economic ambitions. Think of: environmental protection, energy, managing urban areas, regional and local planning, agriculture, fisheries, health, transport, climate change, civil protection, tourism – and more.
In the previous EO4DC-2026 thesis lab, students worked with great success on
- Assessing the social in-equalities of urban heat stress on the islands
- Entrepreneurial opportunities of using EO to identify flood risks
- Measuring boundaries around conversion protected area’s
- Decoding the economic impact of washed up sargassum on the beaches
- Mapping shallow corals for managing the reefs around the islands
For more information, please find the outcomes and recommendations of these studies here.
MAIN CHALLENGE
Within this new thesis lab we continue where these students have left off by exploring
How can satellite information, applications and services be scaled across the Caribbean islands to facilitate sustainable transitions?
Themes
For this Thesis Lab, we approach this challenge from 4 themes, for which we invite students to apply. Students are encouraged to explore and use Copernicus data and services, as well as the very high-resolution EO data in the Satellite Data Portal.
1 – Social impact
2 – Business opportunities
3 – Law and policy
4 – Case studies
See booklet with Individual thesis themes
On-site research
We encourage students to reach out to local partners on the Dutch Caribbean and co-design research questions and co-create solutions. While no scholarships are available within the LDE thesis lab to support travelling, we encourage students to have a look at https://www.rijksdienstcn.com/onderwijs-cultuur-wetenschap/koninkrijksbeurs.
TU Delft students can also become part of the Learning Community "Sustainable environments Curacao".
Caseholder
The Netherlands Space Agency (NLSA) is the governmental Space Agency of the Netherlands. NLSA’s task is to advice upon and realise the national space policy. It hosts the Satellite Data Portal to stimulate use of Earth Observation data that is now also including the Dutch Caribbean.
Knowledge partners
NLSA collaborates with a wide range of organizations inside and outside academia that are directly or indirectly connected to our mission and vision. For example, Deltares, Marmoris, and Greenpeace. Depending on the exact topics of the thesis assignment, the appropriate experts and contacts from the Dutch Caribbean, Dutch space industry, and Dutch ministries, as well as Dutch universities are contacted and involved.