Earth observation data allows researchers to view many territories in a comparable format and scale up analysis, but without local knowledge it does not provide a complete picture, Francesca Elisa Leonelli, representative of the European Space Agency, said during the event "Transformation of Informal Settlements" within the framework of World Urban Forum 13 in Baku.
She noted that satellite data enables comparison across different territories and helps identify general patterns, but in the case of informal settlements such approaches are limited due to strong local specificity and diverse conditions.
"That is why remote sensing data cannot fully replace ground-based information, but should complement it within joint analytical models," she said.
Leonelli emphasized that one of the key tasks of space agencies is to ensure comparability and consistency of data, while also accounting for the need for highly detailed information that satellite systems cannot always provide.