As climate change and environmental threats put Europe’s cultural landscapes at risk, Copernicus provides freely accessible Earth observation data, such as high-resolution imagery and ground-motion monitoring, to track landscape dynamics, detect geohazards, and support conservation of heritage sites.
Copernicus data helps archaeologists uncover ancient landscapes and monitor threats to heritage sites. For example, Sentinel‑1 SAR revealed subtle ground displacements at UNESCO sites in Cyprus after a 2015 earthquake, while comparisons of pre‑ and post‑event imagery support conflict damage assessments.
Forests overlapping with World Heritage landscapes are increasingly at risk from fires, pests, and climate change. Copernicus satellites track vegetation stress, deforestation, and fire damage, providing data to guide their sustainable management and protection.