Globally, consistent hydrological records remain scarce, particularly in remote and data-sparse regions. This limitation hinders our ability to track, quantify, and understand one of Earth’s most vital resources—freshwater. Remote sensing presents a transformative opportunity to bridge these data gaps. Over recent decades, a wide array of sensors has been developed to monitor key components of the terrestrial water cycle, including precipitation, soil moisture, evaporation, atmospheric humidity, lakes and reservoirs, rivers, and groundwater, with growing efforts also focused on water quality.
Our Technical Committee is dedicated to advancing the use of remote sensing to enhance knowledge of hydrological resources in a changing environment. By uniting experts in remote sensing, hydrology, water resources, and climate sciences, we aim to address critical science questions such as the following:
- What are the spatiotemporal variations and long-term trends of key water budget components across different scales?
- How can remote sensing observations improve hydrological, Earth system, and data-driven modeling capabilities?
- How can advanced remote sensing algorithms enhance the monitoring of hydrological extremes such as droughts and floods?
- How can current and future satellite missions support hydrological and water management applications and decision-making?