Satellite-Detected Damage to Cultural Heritage in Cabo Verde

UNOSAT analysis FL20250812CPV identifies possible damage to traditional terraced agricultural fields near Cova, Ribeira Paúl and Torre Natural Park in Santo Antão, Cabo Verde. The assessment compares very high-resolution satellite imagery from 16 August 2025 with a baseline from 9 February 2025, also detecting water and mud flows. This preliminary, unvalidated analysis was produced by the United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT).

Use Cases

• Train geospatial computer vision models to detect damage to traditional terraced agricultural fields from satellite imagery.
• Analyze patterns of water and mud flows within and around a natural park to assess natural disaster impact on cultural heritage sites.
• Compare pre-event and post-event very high-resolution satellite imagery for change detection in agricultural landscapes.
• Support UNESCO Tentative List site monitoring by identifying threats to areas with Outstanding Universal Value, such as specific agricultural terraces.

Strengths

• Analysis is based on very high-resolution satellite imagery, enabling detailed observation.
• Provides a direct temporal comparison between two specific dates: 9 February 2025 and 16 August 2025.
• Focuses on a culturally significant feature: traditional terraced agricultural fields under UNESCO consideration.

Limitations

• The analysis is preliminary and has not been validated with ground truth data.
• The dataset scope is limited to a specific 1.3 km area west of Cova, Ribeira Paúl and Torre Natural Park.
• Available only in geospatial file formats (GEODATABASE, SHP), requiring specialized GIS software for use.

Provenance

Source

United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT).

Collection Method

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

Time Range

Satellite imagery from 9 February 2025 and 16 August 2025.

Freshness

Last updated on 24 March 2026, with underlying satellite data from August 2025.

Geography

Area near Cova, Ribeira Paúl and Torre Natural Park, Santo Antão, Cabo Verde.