To support EUMETSAT Land Surface Analyses of Satellite Application Facilities (LSA SAF) Program in user services and training activities for the NMSs in the region of Southeastern/Eastern Europe (SE/EE) and other regions of interest, a user group has been established in 2010 (CGMS-38, 2010): Satellite Applications in Land surface analyses Group for Eastern Europe (SALGEE). The main aim of EUMETSAT SALGEE Project is to complement the activities of LSA SAF for progression of using satellite based techniques for the target region to take full advantage of remotely sensed data on land, land-atmosphere interactions and biosphere applications. The progress of using satellite technology goes through validation of satellite products based on Meteosat information, development and widespread of new, innovative and multidisciplinary approaches and their application for target regions. One of the main SALGEE objectives is to establish mechanisms and environment where scientists and user community provide feedback to product developers at EUMETSAT, LSA SAF, NOAA/NASA. The second main objective is aimed to foster an integrated approach for research and operational activities in meteorology/climatology in support to the quantification of biogeophysical and biochemical cycles and related land surface processes, in combination with information from in situ data, model outputs and satellite observations. The progress in using satellite products, especially LSA SAF products for land surface applications is reported at the biannual SALGEE thematic workshops. Up to now 5 international workshops are organized with particular emphasis on variety of drought and fires related aspects. Now NIMH is working to contribute to the organisation of the 6^th workshop scheduled for the autumn of 2019.

NIMH plays a leading role in the region on considered topics. SALGEE project has been implemented since 2010 and during the last five years (2015-2019) the work is focused on the following research projects:

1. Development of a system for drought assessment on vegetated land surface with application of information from meteorological satellites (2014-2015).
2. Operational and climatic assessments of risk of vegetation fires: application of meteorological models and information from meteorological satellites (2014-2015).
3. Analyses and forecast of land surface state, dry anomalies and related meteorological extremes (2016-2018).
4. Thermodynamic modeling of energy-water-carbon cycles in plant systems using Meteosat data and some related practical applications (2019).

Implementation period:    2010 - Current
Project manager:        Assoc. Prof. Dr. Julia Stefanova Stoyanova (Georgieva), Forecasts and Information service department, Remote sensing division
E-mail:             Julia.Stoyanova@***
Funding:     ЕUMETSAT

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*** All E-mail addresses are in the domain meteo.bg