Project Description
The GIECA project (Geospatial Intelligence for Environmental Compliance and Assessment) aims to improve how environmental crimes are detected and investigated across the EU using modern technology. New tools like satellite images, remote sensing, and artificial intelligence now make it easier to monitor environmental changes and spot illegal activities.
However, many authorities still struggle to choose the best methods for specific investigations. There’s also a need to help legal professionals—especially judges and prosecutors—understand how satellite data and geospatial tools can be used as reliable evidence in court.
GIECA works to close this gap by showing how these technologies can be used in real cases, building skills within agencies, and supporting smarter decisions in environmental enforcement.
First Phase(2022-2024): GIEDA
The first phase of the project was called GIEDA (Geospatial Intelligence for Environmental Damage Assessment). It focused on finding good methods to detect and assess environmental damage using satellite data. A special workshop with the Copernicus GEOINT4ENV project showed how these tools have already helped in real-life cases.
This phase also introduced how drones and AI can add more detail and help with inspections.
In 18-19 April 2024 a project team meeting was held in the Azores (Portugal) to plan and discuss current and future project activities. It was followed by two virtual meetings, to discuss results and finalize project reporting. Survey about the use of geospatial intelligence approaches to produce evidence and support the assessment and ascertainment of environmental damage, aimed at identifying real cases of environmental legal judgments and administrative procedures, was setup and disseminated to target audience at European level.
Project activities were presented at:
- 4 Networks Conference 2023, IMPEL initiative – 28-29 September 2023
- Environmental Crimes Workshop 2024, ESA-JRC initiative – 11-12 June 2024
- KCEO Deep Dive on Compliance Assurance, EC-JRC initiative – 20 June 2024
The first report, titled Geospatial Intelligence for Environmental Damage Assessment, was produced during the initial phase of the project. It presents findings on the use of geospatial intelligence techniques—particularly Earth observation and geostatistical analysis—for environmental protection. The full report is available under the 'Project Outputs' section in the menu on the right.
Next Phase(2025-2027): GIECA
The second phase, GIECA, builds on the first phase by:
- Identifying the best ways to investigate different types of environmental crime,
- Helping environmental agencies learn how to use these tools,
- Raising awareness among prosecutors and judges about how geospatial data can be used as legal evidence,
- Studying more real cases to improve future investigations.
This phase aims to make the use of geospatial intelligence more common and effective in environmental law enforcement across the EU.