Desert ecosystems are among the most vulnerable to climate change, with rising temperatures, decreasing rainfall, and increasing CO₂ affecting their structure and function. Desert-adapted species, specifically endemic plant species, are particularly vulnerable to habitat loss. While some deserts, like middle Sahara, have seen increased summer rainfall due to greater ocean evaporation, this trend may disrupt fragile ecosystems, altering fire, water, and nutrient cycles. Climate change in deserts also impacts neighbouring regions through dust storms, which carry particles and pollutants thousands of kilometres. Due to limited ground observations in remote areas, satellite data is often used, which can be largely biased. Combining ground-based data with AI-enhanced models can improve accuracy, calibrate models, and optimise satellite data, offering better insight into local atmospheric processes.

CiROCCO’s vision is to establish an end-to-end sensing system, composed of a distributed network of cost-effective sensing nodes coupled with state-of-the-art data fusion remote sensing and assimilation modelling techniques. The defined network of sensors will enhance the current lack of ground observation in desert areas offering an operational and in parallel easy-to-maintain and -expand solution. Commercialisation services will ensure the installation’s sustainability and simultaneously the FAIR management of data will support Cross-COPERNICUS ecosystem integration and assimilation services.