It is crucial to be able to observe Earth from above, in order to asses the planet's health and how it is responding to the effects of human-caused climate change.

(Image credit: Roberto Machado Noa via Getty Images)

FRASCATI, Italy — Observing Earth from space provides a much-needed insight into the evolution of our planet's health. This is particularly important in the face of climate change , as environmental degradation, food insecurity and extreme weather events can all reveal themselves in stark images taken from high above our planet's surface.

Simonetta Cheli is the director of Earth observation programs at the European Space Agency (ESA) and the head of the European Space Research Institute (ESRIN) in Frascati, Italy. With nearly 40 years of experience in the field, she is one of the world's leading experts on Earth observation.

Harry is a U.K.-based senior staff writer at Live Science. He studied marine biology at the University of Exeter before training to become a journalist.…