Speakers Bio & Abstract

Biography
Philip Briscoe, Marketing Director, has 18 years’ experience in the technology sector. Most recently, he was Marketing Director at Helveta, natural resources traceability software provider, and prior to that he has held senior management roles for a broad range of companies from start-ups to international market leaders including Systems Union, AMS Inc., SDL International, Cape Clear and TIS Software. Philip holds a BA (Hons) in European Business Studies and a Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) post-graduate diploma.Abstract
Using Earth Observation to map, measure and monitor peatland for South West Water in the UKFor South West Water, understanding the underlying structure and integrity of peatland within its catchment is crucial for restoration planning. The identification and subsequent blocking of drainage ditches allows the moor to hold more water and to release it more slowly, thereby reducing flood risk and improving water quality. Working with partners in its Upstream Thinking Programme, South West Water is restoring raw water sources and keeping them free of pollutants using better land management techniques to improve water quality and quantity at its source - reducing the cost of water treatment.

In conjunction with a European Space Agency (ESA) project started in 2015, Rezatec is applying its Earth Observation analytics to provide South West Water with comprehensive Landscape Intelligence maps for Exmoor and Bodmin Moor. Processing a variety of Earth Observation data such as optical, near-infrared, thermal and Lidar, Rezatec derives high-value Data Products, accessed via an online portal, that allow the company to understand the location, structure, and function of peatland in its drinking water catchments. These Data Products such as a peatland integrity index, a water quality index and a restoration prioritisation index, are visualised intuitively as geospatial maps, making them easy-to-understand for science and non-science users.