UCL Geography Secures NCEO Funding to Boost Environmental Research

As part of a £101 million programme funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), NCEO researchers, including Professor Mat Disney and colleagues, will receive £8.6 million over the next five years to advance their work in terrestrial remote sensing and environmental monitoring. 

The Department has been deeply involved in NCEO since its creation in 2009, specialising in the use of remote sensing technologies to monitor vegetation and improve the accuracy of environmental data. 

Science Minister Lord Patrick Vallance unveiled this new wave of funding, which will drive cutting-edge research into global environmental changes—from forest health to air pollution monitoring. 

Professor Disney’s contribution will focus on enhancing the precision of satellite measurements, particularly of forest carbon, and developing innovative methods for mapping and understanding ecosystems. 

One of the key areas of research will be the use of terrestrial lidar, UAVs, and spaceborne instruments to assess forests. These efforts will play a crucial role in missions like the European Space Agency’s BIOMASS mission, set to launch in 2025. By ensuring the accuracy of satellite data, the team will help improve our understanding of global forest carbon stocks. 

The team are currently developing new techniques to model crop yields at fine scales using satellite data. This research will also refine how we measure tree and forest characteristics—such as height, size, and structure—across diverse regions, including the UK, Angola, and Brazil. 

The new NCEO funding will not only support Professor Disney’s work on national research capabilities but will also foster collaboration with other leading NCEO teams. Key projects will include the advancement of forest carbon mapping from space and international initiatives like GEO-TREES, aimed at improving the reference data for forest monitoring. 

Looking ahead, Professor Disney and his colleagues will embark on a research expedition to Peru in spring 2025, where they will gather new forest data to support their studies. 

More information 

• Read the announcement by NCEO 
• Visit Professor Disney’s Academic Staff Profile 

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