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Monitoring the spatial and temporal extents of permanent and temporary bodies of surface water is important for various applications such as water resource management, climate modelling, and biodiversity conservation. Satellite remote sensing is an effective source of information to detect surface water over large areas and document their evolution in time. Recently, the European Space Agency (ESA) launched freely available SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) and optical sensors (Sentinel-1 & 2) with high revisiting time and spatial resolution. The objective of this paper is to explore the contribution of multi-temporal and multi-source (passive and active) Sentinel observations for improving the detection and mapping of surface waters by applying decision-level image fusion techniques. The approach is tested over Central Ireland using a time series of 16 Sentinel-1 images and a few Sentinel-2 images for the period 2015–2016. Compared to a mono-date approach, the combination of Sentinel-1 & 2 observations provides better accuracy for mapping permanent surface water. Decision level fusion technique allows mapping temporary surface water (such as flooding) with a high accuracy. It also gives the possibility to monitor their dynamics by providing the probability of occurrence of flooded areas at the pixel level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ireland is one of a very small number of countries in the world which does not charge for domestic drinking water supply. Recent developments have indicated that the reintroduction of domestic charges in Ireland is being planned. Ireland has a daily average water usage per person of around 150 litres and an increasing demand for clean water reserves and talks of imminent water metering and charges. This paper investigates the current status of water resources and water supply in Ireland, and assesses the technical, economic and political challenges involved with the reintroduction of domestic water charges accompanied by the implementation of a domestic metering programme. The study highlights the need for a system of water charging and metering in Ireland to ensure more careful management of water resources, to promote more sustainable use of water, and to provide a more stable revenue stream for local authorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]