OA24555. Remote and in situ environmental surveillance of urban streams to support public health issues

Abstract Issue/Problem Urban streams play an important role in the overall condition of the urban ecosystem and provide ecological services contributing to public health and well-being. Despite this, they are progressively threatened by pollution, habitat degradation, and climate change. This work aims to create and present a monitoring framework that combines advanced remote sensing, in situ measurements, GIS, and citizen science to assess the health of urban streams and their implications for public health. Results Remote sensing technologies and in situ monitoring techniques combined with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) can be used to map pollution sources, assess land use and its impact on each ecosystem, and identify high-risk areas for public health. The main goal of ecosystem health assessments is to evaluate water quality (e.g., contaminants), species biodiversity (e.g., diatoms, riparian vegetation), and soil health using geophysical mapping. In addition, involvement of the local communities and citizen scientists in the monitoring procedures can enhance data collection and public engagement. This framework also embraces the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) principles. Lessons Remote sensing and GIS can effectively identify pollution hotspots and consequently areas vulnerable to environmental and health risks, while in situ sensors and measurements provide high-precision detection of pollutants, thus complimenting remote sensing and GIS. Citizen engagement raises public awareness about the importance of urban stream health and provides information from the people that are immediately affected by the stream’s degradation. Targeted interventions and evidence-based policy development are made possible by the FAIRification of data, which facilitates information sharing between the environmental and health sectors. Acknowledgment: This work is supported in part by EU H2020 Project OneAquaHealth GA101086521. Key messages • Surveillance of urban can provide a great opportunity to monitor the effects of their degradation and address any public health issues connected to them, such as waterborne diseases, antimicrobial resistance, and exposure to pollutants. The merging of remote sensing, in situ monitoring, and GIS into a consolidated surveillance framework offers a powerful tool for protecting urban stream health. By coupling technological precision with community engagement, this approach not only produces high-quality environmental and health data but also creates a shared sense of responsibility among stakeholders. • By integrating the FAIR principles, the data remain accessible and useful along all the collaborating disciplines, enabling in that way, timely interventions and better policy responses. In an era of fast urbanization and increasing climate pressures such interdisciplinary monitoring is essential for ensuring the resilience of water systems that support both ecological integrity and public health. Topic Environmental Mapping, GIS, One Health.