10 YEARS OF IMAGING EUROPE

SPOT VEGETATION

Marine pollution
Of all oil and refined products, 90% transit through European seas. However agricultural, domestic and industrial discharges still contribute more to marine pollution than oil spills.
2007 Black Sea oil spill killed 30,000 birds. Source: wikimedia.org

Forest fires
Each year, about 500,000 hectares of forest are burned down. These fires not only cause casualties, but also a yearly economic loss between 500 and 2,500 million EUR.
The 2007 forest fires in Greece killed 87 people. Source: wikimedia.org

Air pollution
Since 1990 Europe has put great effort in lowering atmospheric pollution. The concentration of air pollutants, with the exception of fine particles and ozone, is diminishing steadily.
Above world average NO2 density in 2003-2004. Source: Heidelberg University

Emerging diseases
Due to climate change and globalisation, the incidence of vector-borne diseases such as bluetongue, chikungunya, malaria and tick-borne encephalitis is likely to rise in Europe.
Asian tiger mosquito can transmit dengue. Source: Susan Ellis, Bugwood.org

People on the move
Europe is the second destination of choice after America for people longing for a better life. In 2005, 1.8 million migrants accounted for 85% of Europe’s population growth.
Over 500,000 illegal migrants enter Europe each year. © REUTERS/JUan Medina