8. Oktober 2025
Space-to-city: satellite data empower urban climate resilience
New research looks to harness Earth observation records to tackle urban heat, flooding and nature-based solutions
As cities worldwide grapple with the consequences of our changing climate four new research projects using satellite-derived observation records have been launched to better understand and adapt to the negative impacts. The new projects contribute to ESA's Climate Change Initiative (CCI) and will be supporting the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) upcoming Special Report on Climate Change and Cities.
Urbanisation’s climate challenge
Cities and urban environments are impacted by, and drivers of climate change. By 2050, urban area is anticipated to expand by over 200% – compared to 2015 levels – and be home to two-thirds of the world's population (IPCC Sixth Assessment Report), making them a hotspot for climate change risks and impacts. Rising temperatures amplified by heat islands, intensifying rainfall that overwhelms drainage systems, and sea-level rise threatening coastal infrastructure are among key climate-related challenges facing urban areas. Despite cities' central role in climate action, current understanding climate change effects across different urban areas is highly uncertain. The need for robust, city-scale evidence to guide adaptation and mitigation strategies therefore is increasingly urgent.
Earth observation bridges knowledge gaps
Satellites provide a unique solution to this challenge. Earth observation offers unparalleled global coverage of key climate components – known as Essential Climate Variables – delivering consistent, long-term data to complement ground-based measurements. ESA's Climate Change Initiative is a major research effort that has been generating global, satellite-based climate data records since 2010. These multi-decade observation based datasets provide new opportunities to better understand climate impacts on urban environments, and – in combination with models – support the planning and action today to prepare for the future.
Turning decades of observations into city-scale evidence
The four new Climate and Cities projects address existing knowledge gaps by combining years of satellite observations of urban-relevant climate variables such as Land Surface Temperature, Sea Level, and Sea State with city-scale models. The research will quantify existing and emerging climate risks faced by urban populations, and inform adaptation strategies.
New research to strengthen effective planning
Four projects now span from African megacities to European coastal areas, each addressing critical urban climate challenges:
Monitoring urban morphology and nature-based solutions: Can satellites detect whether urban parks and green roofs actually cool cities? The MOMO-NBS proof-of-concept study aims to find out by using Earth observation data to spot the impacts of nature-based solutions like urban greening across cities with different layouts. Researchers will investigate how city form affects climate risks and test whether satellite datasets can track nature-based solutions at the city level by combining climate data with urban climate models.
Flood risk assessment in a changing climate for coastal cities: Coastal cities need better flood warnings as seas rise and storms intensify. This project will combine satellite data on sea level and wave conditions with hydrodynamic models to improve predictions of extreme coastal water levels. By focusing on the cities of Hamburg and Beira, the goal is to create a globally applicable method that improves data accessibility and serves as the foundation for assessing flood risk in coastal areas under climate change.
Assessing urban heat with observation‑constrained models: Urban heat poses growing risks, but climate models need better validation. The EO4UrbanClimate project will integrate satellite land surface temperature data into climate modeling frameworks using downscaling techniques, feeding the data into urban morphology models. The purpose is to validate urban climate models with Earth observation data to provide more precise assessments of climate risks at the city scale.
climate.esa.int/EO4Urbanclimate
Climate analysis in African cities: In the face of rapid urbanization and increasing exposure to climate risks across Africa, the CAIAC project tackles an ambitious scope: assessing climate changes across many African cities, both past and future. Researchers will use satellite Earth observation datasets to train process models covering urbanization, flooding, and heat extremes, while also validating model outputs. The deliverable is climate trend analysis for at least one city in every African country, supporting evidence-based planning for heat and flood resilience.
Building the foundation for climate-smart cities
By making these Essential Climate Variable datasets available to researchers worldwide, CCI enables the kind of long-term, consistent monitoring that cities need to understand and respond to climate change. As urban populations continue to grow and climate impacts intensify, this research demonstrates how space-based observations can transform from global climate monitoring tools into practical resources for local climate action. The results will not only inform the IPCC's landmark cities report in 2027 but equip cities today with the evidence base needed to build tomorrow's resilience.