NASA launches program in the Eastern Mediterranean at Cyprus' initiative

The U.S. space agency (NASA) is coming to the Eastern Mediterranean at the initiative of Cyprus and Greece through the Mediterranean Regional Information Network (MedRIN). The main goal is Earth surface monitoring from satellites.

According to Philenews, this is part of two NASA programs aimed at ensuring the continuous provision of Earth surface observations from both satellite sensors and field studies, to support sustainable land resource management at both local and national levels.

The MedRIN program was established in July 2018, initially involving representatives from Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, Israel, Malta, Italy, and France. Six years after its inception, MedRIN now includes more than 100 scientists from various Mediterranean European countries, the Middle East, and North Africa.

The coordinators of the network in Europe are Cypriot professor Diophantos Hatzimichalis and his Greek colleague Ioannis Gitas, while the program is overseen in the U.S. by Dr. Florian Max Schwandner and Vince Ambrosia from NASA.

According to the Cypriot coordinator, the main goal of the regional MedRIN network is to "strengthen cooperation on Earth observation and sustainable management among its members to address issues affecting Mediterranean countries through joint strategic synergy and the implementation of collaborative research projects."