She referred to technological solutions that support mosquito control projects, such as IoTs, stating “To create predictive models, we need data… In addition to the data that comes from remote sensing of the earth, which is freely accessible, there is also field data, which gives us the actual mosquito populations… There are new technologies provided by the Internet of Things (IoT) networking. With remote sensing we can detect a lot of things, but not everything… In this case we also use radar images. At the same time we are also working with IoTs pilot water sensors that we use in the field and give us the information when water enters an area. So combining the satellite data with the sensors will help us to identify in space and time when and where water is present and therefore the potential for mosquito growth.”
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Sandra Gewehr’s interview in “Naftemporiki” on the impact of climate change on the spread of mosquitoes and the diseases they transmit
“Greece is at the epicentre of West Nile virus, but remote sensing is a catalyst in detecting and treating mosquitoes”
Sandra Gewehr, Director of Research and Development of Ecodevelopment and President of the European Mosquito Control Association (EMCA), was interviewed by NAFTEMPORIKI on the occasion of her participation on Tuesday 9 July 2024 at the 44th annual conference “International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium – IGARSS 2024” of the IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society.
Finally, she stressed the need for adequate and reliable information and awareness-raising of citizens, as she said “Public interventions have some limits. The tiger mosquito, for example, breeds primarily where the public does not have access, namely in our private space. That is why it is important to bring the citizens into the game. There are protection measures that the citizens can take so that mosquitoes can be prevented from breeding, for example covering cesspools or not leaving water in the pots from the potting soil.”
Zero mosquitoes is not possible, so we must always take personal protection measures to avoid being exposed to the risk.
Read the full interview here.