GeoCodis Ltd. is a high-tech Slovenian company specialising in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Earth Observation (EO), and Geo-information Systems (GIS). The company, established in 2014, has headquarters in Slovenia with branch offices in Canary Islands, Spain, and Uganda. The team of EO-specialists and software developers has developed tailored AI models that enable efficient analysis of large datasets, providing clients with a competitive edge. In the field of Earth Observation, GeoCodis has played a key role in numerous projects that transform satellite data into applicable solutions. Whether addressing water resource monitoring, urban development, or land use management the company leverages raw geospatial data to support critical decision-making processes across various domains. GeoCodis already collaborated with major organisations such as the European Space Agency (ESA), the EU the German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ) and others commercial clients.

The challenge

Droughts are becoming more frequent and severe, with widespread impacts on agriculture, water supply and ecosystem health. Yet, governments and agencies struggle to track the impact and effectiveness of drought management policies in real time. Without accurate and timely insights, decisions often remain reactive rather than proactive. In many places, persistent dry spells and soil-water deficits undermine both agriculture and water security: over the past few decades, Slovenia has experienced at least seven major agricultural droughts, many of which caused hundreds of millions of euros in damage.

The satellite solution

To address this challenge, GeoCodis, through the DriDanube consortium and in line with the Clim4Cast project, developed the DroughtWatch portal. It provides users with spatial and temporal view of several drought-related datasets and indices, including vegetation and drought indices, precipitation and temperature datasets and integrates estimated drought impacts, using satellite data and analytical tools.

The platform brings together information from several sources developed within Clim4Cast project and EUMETSAT products. Indices such as heat index, daily evapotranspiration, soil drought intensity, soil moisture deficit, thermal climate index and others shows both current conditions and long-term trends in an easy-to-use interface. Users can explore how drought is developing, compare today’s situation with historic data and quickly see where risks are growing, helping them make faster and more informed decisions. The portal is mostly used to assess droughts, heat waves and potential forest fire conditions and supports proactive planning across sectors.

The results

Using DroughtWatch, government agencies and civil protection organisations benefit from earlier detection of emerging drought hotspots, better coordination, and more strategic planning. The tool has improved situational awareness, reduced reliance on fragmented data, and enabled more efficient resource allocation. As a result, Slovenian Environmental Agency (ARSO) is using the portal mainly to monitor droughts and report on possible developing droughts in SE Europe region due to its role as host of Drought management centre for SE Europe. The portal allows visual and numerical comparison of various drought-related indices as well as generation of timeline animations. It currently profits from ARSO and other regional institutions’ involvement in recent projects such as Clim4Cast and Eumetsat’s LSA SAF. DroughtWatch is designed in the way that inclusion of new sets of data layers is relatively straight forward and expected as regional cooperation evolves and requires new information.

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WASDI is a joint venture of FadeOut Software and LIST based in Luxembourg that provides a cloud-based platform for accessing, processing, and analysing Earth observation data. Their mission is to democratise the use of satellite information by enabling users — from experts to non-specialists — to easily transform raw data into actionable insights. By integrating advanced cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and geospatial technologies, WASDI supports applications related to environmental monitoring, disaster management, land and water resource assessment, and sustainable development. Their platform offers a collaborative environment where users can process data, develop and share applications, and deliver services without needing complex infrastructure.  

Luxembourg Red Cross 

The Luxembourg Red Cross is a humanitarian organisation dedicated to protecting and supporting people affected by crises, both in Luxembourg and internationally. Through its Humanitarian Aid unit, it provides rapid emergency assistance in situations of conflict, natural disasters, and population displacement, delivering essential services such as shelter, water and sanitation, medical support, and protection. Beyond immediate relief, the organisation strengthens community resilience through long-term recovery and development programmes. 

The challenge

The growing frequency and severity of disasters demands fast and informed responses. Yet, many crisis-affected areas remain hard to access and difficult to monitor. Limited observation in remote regions and the complexity of assessing natural hazards can delay critical decisions and intervention when time matters most. Humanitarian teams in the fields — often without satellite-data expertise — need simple, effective and friendly tools that turn data into clear, actionable information. 

At the same time, recurrent emergencies, lack of budget and challenging logistics continue to strain operational capacity. These realities have pushed the International Department of the Luxembourg Red Cross to invest in innovation, research and strategic partnerships.  

The satellite solution

To address this challenge, the Luxembourg Red Cross, WASDI and LIST developed a platform through the WFP Humanitarian Innovation Accelerator (HIA) programme: RISE (Remote Imaging Support for Emergencies). This user-friendly tool was designed for non-experts and directly meets field needs focusing on flood and damage assessment, giving access to clear, usable information and supporting rapid decision-making. 

By selecting an area on the map, users receive the latest available EO data, automatically processed into clear, ready-to-use hazard maps. It also leverages satellite image archives from multiple sources, enabling robust risk evaluation and comparison over time, as well as revisiting old hazards. Thanks to EO satellites, RISE displays near-real-time intelligence on floods, droughts and other risks, enabling faster and better informed decisions. 

Fully automated and accessible worldwide, RISE is a complementary tool that allows humanitarian teams to assess events, understand impacts and support more people.  

The results

Red Cross Madagascar have conducted a validation exercise that demonstrated that using RISE led to an 84.6% reduction in response time and an 89.97% decrease in operational costs compared to standard methods. For the Luxembourg Red Cross, the platform reduced reliance on in-person data collection, enabled faster coordination, saved budget, decrease the number of people put at risk in the exercise, and proved intuitive and adaptable to real-world field conditions. RISE serves as a complement to field expertise, helping responders carry out their work more effectively.  

Key to this impact is clear communication between users and service providers and an intuitive interface that makes complex geospatial data immediately usable for operational decision-making. 

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