From Space to Structure: Advanced InSAR Training for Tajikistan’s Dam Experts

A groundbreaking three-day training workshop titled "Tajikistan Satellite Remote Sensing Training Course" was recently held to empower dam engineers and geoscientists with cutting-edge satellite remote sensing skills. The course focused on the application of interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) technology for monitoring critical infrastructure, with a spotlight on Tajikistan’s three major dams: Rogun, Nurek, and Usoi.

Hosted in collaboration with the Institute of Geology, Earthquake Engineering and Seismology of the Tajikistan National Academy of Sciences, the training brought together specialists and engineers to master the use of APSIS software, a powerful tool for ground motion analysis. Participants explored:

• The discontinuous coherence method for rural coverage compaction

• Advanced APSIS data interpretation techniques

• Key concepts like LOS vs. stereo analysis

• Geological and geotechnical applications of InSAR

• Fundamentals of synthetic aperture radar (SAR)

Interactive sessions and demonstrations tailored to each dam—Nurek, Rogun, and Usoi—allowed attendees to apply satellite remote sensing in real-world scenarios. The seminar sparked enthusiastic feedback, especially from academic participants, who emphasized the importance of expanding InSAR training across the region.

-Why InSAR Matters?!

InSAR technology enables millimetre-precision monitoring of infrastructure such as dams, bridges, and tailings ponds using satellite data. Leveraging historical imagery from the EU Copernicus Sentinel-1 constellation and commercial satellites, InSAR provides reliable insights for forecasting and prioritization.

Since 2022, over 100 satellite images per site have been collected for the Usoi, Rogun, and Nurek dams.

These datasets, combined with high-resolution optical imagery from Pleiades, Pleiades-Neo, and Worldview-2, are available via the MotionMonitor platform for visual interpretation and risk analysis.

The project was led by Geospatial Insight, with data processing by Terra Motion InSAR, APSIS software integration, and geotechnical analysis by the University of Nottingham. The resulting reports formed the backbone of the training, equipping engineers with the tools to enhance dam safety and resilience.