Satellite-Detected Cultural Heritage Damage Near UNESCO Site

16 August 2025 high-resolution satellite imagery reveals potential damage to traditional terraced agricultural fields and water-mud flows near a UNESCO provisional list site. This preliminary analysis by the United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT) compares imagery from 16 August 2025 with a baseline from 9 February 2025. The dataset is provided in geospatial formats (GEODATABASE, SHP) for disaster assessment.

Use Cases

• Map potential damage to traditional terraced agricultural fields using change detection between the two satellite image dates.
• Analyze the spatial extent of detected water and mud flows within and around the park area.
• Support UNESCO World Heritage monitoring by correlating detected changes with the site's Outstanding Universal Value criteria.
• Validate preliminary satellite-based damage assessments with ground truth data for the specific 1.3 km west location.

Strengths

• Analysis is based on high-resolution satellite imagery, enabling detailed feature observation.
• Provides a direct temporal comparison between two specific dates (9 February 2025 and 16 August 2025).
• Focuses on a culturally significant area listed on the UNESCO provisional list.

Limitations

• The analysis is preliminary and explicitly noted as not yet validated on the ground.
• The dataset's spatial coverage is limited to a specific area approximately 1.3 km west of a park.
• The specific data volume (rows/features) and attribute columns are unknown from the input.

Provenance

Source

United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT)

Collection Method

Change detection analysis comparing high-resolution satellite imagery from two dates.

Time Range

Imagery from 9 February 2025 and 16 August 2025.

Freshness

Data last updated on the platform on 24 March 2026, with imagery from August 2025.

Geography

Area approximately 1.3 km west of a park, near a UNESCO provisional list site (specific location not named).