Portugal Scientist Wins Seize The Beauty Planet Imagery Contest

The results of the sixth edition of the international “Seize the Beauty of our Planet” contest have been announced. Online voters and a jury comprising representatives of Earth observation organisations selected twelve satellite images that most powerfully depict the intricate relationship between cities and the natural environment. The first place on the podium went to a scientist from Portugal.

The theme of this year’s competition – “Cities and Nature” reflects the growing need to take action to protect the areas inhabited by a majority of the Earth’s population. According to the UN projections, by 2050 nearly 70% of the global population will reside in urban areas, while in Europe this proportion is expected to exceed 83%. 

Today’s urban areas increasingly struggle with shrinking green spaces, rising temperatures, air pollution, water scarcity, extreme weather events, and chaotic spatial development  – challenges that shape everyday life for their inhabitants and demand better integration of nature within the urban fabric. Cities  –  key hubs of innovation and development  –  are simultaneously becoming focal points of mounting environmental pressure. This stems from their rapidly increasing greenhouse gas emissions, which already account for 75% of the global total. 

The entries submitted to the contest capture the challenges of today’s cities: from Copenhagen retreating from encroaching waters, through Manila grappling with pollution and chaotic urbanisation, to Longyearbyen, the Arctic settlement where thawing permafrost lays bare the accelerating pace of global warming. The top three winners are: 

• 1st place: „Copenhagen’s Golden Veins of Urban Life: A Model for Climate-Ready Cities” by Lukumon Lateef (Portugal).

The description provided by the author: “This Sentinel-2 image of Copenhagen, Denmark, home to about 1.4 million urban residents, shows how green life weaves through one of Europe’s most liveable capitals. The image composite, created from the infrared and blue bands, highlights vegetation in vibrant golden yellow tones, depicting the city's extensive network of parks, street trees, and other urban vegetation. This stands out against the light blue patterns of urban structures (buildings, roads, and rail corridors) and the deep blue of surrounding waters, including Copenhagen Harbor and surrounding channels. The image captures the balance between a thriving urban area and its green infrastructure, which demonstrates how urban design and nature can coexist”.

“I chose Copenhagen because it consistently ranks among the world’s most environmentally forward cities, and the Sentinel-2 imagery instantly reveals why: its network of parks, tree-lined streets, and urban vegetation reflects a city designed with nature at its core. This confirms Copenhagen’s commitment to sustainability and serves as a global model for a climate-resilient urban environment” – says Lukumon Lateef, GIS Analyst and Remote Sensing Specialist. “I joined the contest because it was an opportunity to show, through satellite imagery, how thoughtful urban planning and natural systems can coexist” – he adds.

• 2nd place: “Vancouver – Harmony of People and Nature” by Kamil Onoszko (Poland).

The description provided by the author: “Vancouver, a Canadian city, where urban life coexists in harmony with nature. The satellite image reveals the balance between city, river, ocean, and mountains, showcasing a space that promotes well-being and high quality of life.”

"I chose Vancouver because it consistently ranks among the happiest cities in the world, as confirmed, for example, by the latest Happy City Index 2025 (Institute for Quality of Life)” – explains Kamil Onoszko, Deputy Forest District Manager of the Giżycko Forest District in Poland. “The city is renowned for its breathtaking natural landscapes. The key to this success is its innovative urban policy, which places the residents' quality of life at its core, manifested through the creation and maintenance of an abundance of green spaces and parks. Vancouver harmoniously combines intensive economic growth with a deep commitment to environmental stewardship, setting an example of a welcoming and sustainable place to live" – he adds.

• 3rd place: “Just A River Apart” by Ankur Negi (India)

The description provided by the author: “Nature sometimes dictates man’s boundaries. The river Congo separates two capital cities: to the south of the river lies Kinshasa, capital city of the Democratic Republic of Congo; to the North lies Brazzaville, the capital city of Congo. From a bird’s-eye view, the two cities appear as one—only the meandering of the Congo River separating them into two."

“I chose this particular image because it captures, with striking clarity, how human boundaries are often shaped and sometimes dictated by nature. Water bodies, mountains, and other geographic features have long influenced the way we draw our boundaries, and this image illustrates that influence across international boundaries” – highlights Ankur Negi, a GIS professional specialising in urban climate and disaster management.  “In a time when climate change is redefining coastlines, disrupting cities, and challenging how we view our cities, the image serves as a reminder that nature ultimately sets the terms” – he adds.

Global engagement for the protection of ecosystems

In this edition, the contest not only presented remarkable satellite images, but also encouraged the international community of researchers, urban planners, and environmental specialists to consider the effects of urbanisation on the natural world. At a time of rapid urban expansion and increasingly frequent extreme events driven by climate change, examining densely developed areas and their influence on local ecosystems becomes significant. 

The focus on the relationship between cities and nature underscores the growing need for responsible spatial planning and landscape conservation –  fields in which high-quality satellite data can play a crucial role. Local governments and municipalities are now using satellite data not only to monitor environmental change, but also to support long-term spatial planning, enabling them to better prepare their cities for the future. High-quality Earth observation data is becoming indispensable for designing greener, more climate-resilient urban landscapes.

The awarded images were created using data from the European Copernicus programme, sourced from the Copernicus Sentinel satellites and processed on EO platforms, such as CREODIAS, Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem, WEkEO, CODE-DE and EO-Lab. Satellite data help monitor phenomena such as the disappearance of green areas, changes in water retention, the expansion of urban infrastructure and risks associated with extreme weather events.

The winners were chosen through a two-stage voting process: 12 finalists were selected by the public in an online vote, and the final top three were chosen by the competition’s Jury, consisting of outstanding experts in science, technology, and Earth observation: Simonetta Cheli, the European Space Agency (ESA); Lothar Wolf, the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT); Dr Marta Wachowicz, the Polish Space Agency (POLSA); Emmanuel Pajot, the European Association of Remote Sensing Companies (EARSC); Prof. Katarzyna Dąbrowska-Zielińska, the Polish Institute of Geodesy and Cartography (IGiK); and Dr Jędrzej Bojanowski, CloudFerro.

Towards a sustainable future with CloudFerro cloud services

As the organiser of the contest, CloudFerro continues to build and support a vibrant international community of users, bringing together scientists, creators, public institutions, and environmental practitioners. The winning images beautifully reflect this shared spirit, showing how technology, creativity, and environmental awareness can come together to inspire meaningful change.

CloudFerro has been strengthening Europe’s Earth observation capabilities for years by delivering cloud computing services to the EU’s largest projects, such as the Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem and Destination Earth - both are crucial to Europe’s data strategy.  The former is the world’s largest repository of Earth observation data, providing free and immediate access to data for all interested users, while the latter aims to create a digital model of our planet, enabling the simulation and monitoring of natural phenomena with unprecedented accuracy. 

The company places great emphasis on sustainability and environmental protection. This applies both to the process of building its own cloud computing infrastructure and delivering cloud services, the choice of colocation, and participation in various projects aimed at mitigating the effects of climate change. One element of this strategy is the annual ‘Seize the Beauty of our Planet’ competition and the promotion of satellite data use. 

The full list of winners along with a gallery of the winning works is available here. The winning images will be published in a calendar for 2026 that will be distributed to Earth observation organisations in Europe.