The European Space Agency project “Earth Observation for Sustainable Development” for Urban Development (EO4SD-Urban) is collaborating with the World Bank/GEF “Global Platform for Sustainable Cities” (GPSC) programme to provide geo-spatial products for selected Cities. In particular, the GPSC has an overarching aim to provide a knowledge platform for partner cities, as well as relevant networks and institutions to support the cities via: i) knowledge transfer activities that support urban investments and sustainability initiatives; ii) a global network for collaborative engagement, tapping into and complementing existing efforts; and iii) long-term, systematic engagement with cities, financial institutions, and organizations for transformational impact (GPSC Programme Booklet, 2016).

In this context, the first set of products (including maps of and Land Use/Land Cover, Urban Green Areas and Informal Settlements) and the related City Operations Reports were provided to GPSC for the Cities of Bhopal and Vijayawada in India. These are presented in the February 2019 GPSC Newsletter Issue.