'The sky is not the limit' - GIS analysis of Sentinel-2 imagery for heritage protection and management

This article aims to demonstrate the potential of Sentinel-2 and GIS for heritage monitoring, protection and management. Applications of remote sensing in heritage strategies have been explored for decades. However, new possibilities were opened up with the launch of the European Union's Earth Observation Programme Copernicus. Systematic and frequent global coverage of land surface offered by one of its products – Sentinel-2, provides an almost instant insight into sudden events and long- term processes that affect heritage around the world. Following new developments in remote sensing, GIS provides tools to integrate data for their effective processing, analysis, interpretation and dissemination of results. We will explore the potential and limitations of those datasets and tools using UNESCO World Heritage sites from Sudan as case studies. In particular, we will tackle issues related to interpretation of changes around heritage sites, attempt to estimate their recent conditions and identify existing and/ or potential threats.