On 11 November 2026, the Italy Pavilion at COP31 in Antalya (Türkiye) hosts the side event “Earth Observation for Climate Transparency: Copernicus Services and IRIDE for climate reporting”. The event is organised by ISPRA, the Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research. It looks at how satellite data and Earth Observation services can support climate transparency, emissions monitoring and the implementation of the Paris Agreement. It also covers how these services reach users, from national institutions to communities exposed to climate risks.
Flood Early warning as a climate service: the SLAPIS Sahel experience
In the Sahel, climate change adds to deep social and agro-ecosystem vulnerability, and this makes the impacts of extreme weather events worse. Early warning therefore plays a central role in both disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation. The talk (see presentation) of Vieri Tarchiani, Senior researcher at the National Research Council of Italy (CNR) presents the results of the SLAPIS Sahel project, funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS). The project builds on decades of Italian cooperation in the region. It strengthened the operational capacity of the National Meteorological Services of Niger and Burkina Faso to deliver hydrometeorological early warnings, including in cross-border settings. Whithin SLAPIS Sahel, competence was co-produced with the African partners on hydrological, hydraulic and meteorological modelling. It aimed at operational autonomy, stronger institutions and early warning services that last over the long term.
Antonella Tornato (ISPRA) will present “Governance at the national level: the contribution of the National Copernicus User Forum and National Collaboration Programmes for the Copernicus Services”. She will outline Italy’s national strategy for encouraging dialogue among institutions, the scientific community and the private sector. The strategy aims to collect user needs and support the uptake of Copernicus services for environmental and climate policy. Her talk also covers the National Collaboration Programmes that Italy has launched with the entities entrusted with developing the Copernicus Services.
Marina Vitullo (ISPRA) will discuss Article 13 of the Paris Agreement, the Enhanced Transparency Framework. She will cover the opportunities offered by the Copernicus services and by IRIDE, Italy’s national satellite constellation. The European Space Agency (ESA) will explain how global observations from space can support national greenhouse gas inventories.
When and where: Italy Pavilion, COP31, Antalya (Türkiye), 11 November 2026 11.30
Note: the event will not be live-streamed. A recording will be made available later through ISPRA’s channels.
