Witnessing War with Earth Observation: Using Sentinel-2 Data to Assess Environmental Destruction in Gaza
- Paper ID
103088
- DOI
- author
- company
Jordan Space Research Initiative (JSRI); University of Glasgow
- country
Jordan
- year
2025
- abstract
Assessing environmental destruction in war-affected regions presents significant challenges due to restricted ground access, damaged infrastructure, and ongoing security concerns. Traditional field-based data collection is often infeasible in these areas, making Earth Observation (EO) an essential tool for monitoring environmental changes and degradation. The increasing availability of high-resolution and frequent satellite imagery offers a means to assess war-induced environmental impacts remotely, providing critical information for damage assessment, humanitarian response, and long-term recovery planning. This study employs Sentinel-2 satellite imagery to analyze the environmental consequences of war in Gaza, focusing on changes in vegetation and land health. By utilizing environmental indices, we identify and quantify the extent of destruction across different ecological and urban zones. In particular, several environmental indices, including NDVI and NBR, are explored to understand how the war has reshaped the Gaza's environmental landscape. Our results demonstrate the crucial role of EO in environmental forensics, particularly in cases where in-situ data collection is unavailable. By applying image-processing techniques, this study provides a framework for rapid and preliminary environmental impact assessment. Furthermore, we discuss the technical challenges associated with EO-based monitoring in war zones, including cloud cover, sensor limitations, and access to high-resolution commercial datasets. The findings underscore the necessity of integrating satellite-derived environmental data into post-war recovery efforts. EO data can inform restoration strategies by identifying priority areas for reforestation, soil rehabilitation, and water resource management. Additionally, this research highlights the potential of EO in supporting legal and policy discussions regarding the long-term environmental consequences of war. As satellite constellations continue to expand, the ability to remotely monitor and analyze war-related environmental destruction becomes increasingly effective, offering a critical tool for scientists, policymakers, and humanitarian organizations engaged in rebuilding efforts. By demonstrating the potential of EO to fill critical data gaps, this study advocates for the application of remote sensing technologies in post-war environmental assessment. The integration of continuous satellite monitoring into environmental resilience planning can ensure that the long-term ecological impacts of war are documented, understood, and addressed.