GIS Helps Paraguay’s Space Agency Prepare for the Future

Paraguay—tucked between Brazil, Argentina, and Bolivia—is a lush, landlocked country in the heart of South America known for its natural beauty. The country also faces urgent challenges from natural disasters, and a future that calls for sustainable land use planning and furthering education in science and technology for a younger generation.                 

To help address these issues, the Agencia Espacial del Paraguay (AEP)—the Paraguayan Space Agency—launched GEOLab, its Earth observation and geographic information system (GIS) laboratory. Although the lab had satellite data, it lacked the geographic context to answer key questions like where wildfires would likely spread or what farmland was at risk. That’s where GIS came in, providing staff with tools to capture, manage, analyze, and map data. GEOLab has become a national hub for geospatial innovation, with GIS supporting the country’s efforts in disaster response, land management, and education.

With support from Esri-led trainings, as well as other training opportunities, the GEOLab team learned to analyze imagery, build spatial methods, and standardize workflows using ArcGIS Pro, a powerful desktop application for spatial analysis and mapping, and ArcGIS Online, a cloud-based platform for sharing maps and collaborating across agencies. These tools helped modernize the lab’s technical and operational work.

By embracing ArcGIS technologies, GEOLab strengthened its capabilities in satellite data analysis, remote sensing, and visualization. This led to new methods and standardized processes for monitoring farmland, simulating floods, estimating wildfire damage, mapping vegetation coverage, and guiding land decisions.

With their expanded technical capabilities, GEOLab staff began applying ArcGIS technologies across a range of national priorities. In collaboration with Paraguay’s National Emergency Secretariat and National Service for Plant and Seed Quality and Health (SENAVE), as well as Japan’s International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Japanese consultants, GEOLab staff used ArcGIS Pro to generate geospatial products that supported real-time decision-making and long-term planning.

These tools support daily hot spot reports, burn area estimates, and flood monitoring. This empowered the National Emergency Secretariat (SEN) with its monitoring, response, and planning capabilities in preparation for critical events.

Some of the key tools used by GEOLab included ArcGIS Web AppBuilder for building interactive web applications, and ArcGIS Dashboards and ArcGIS StoryMaps for visualizing spatial data and communicating insights to stakeholders. For mobile data collection, staff relied on ArcGIS Survey123, which enabled field-based surveys and real-time reporting.

Advanced spatial modeling was carried out using ArcGIS Spatial Analyst, which supports terrain analysis, site suitability modeling, hydrologic modeling, and pattern detection. For imagery analysis, GEOLab used ArcGIS Image Analyst for ArcGIS Pro to perform detailed interpretation and geospatial analysis across various types of satellite and aerial imagery.

As team member skills grew, GEOLab staff began sharing their knowledge across government agencies by hosting workshops and establishing partnerships that supported faster, data-driven policy decisions. This included promoting the use of satellite data and GIS tools within SENAVE, the Directorate of the Military Geographic Service (DSGM), and the Comptroller General of the Republic.

GEOLab’s impact has also extended into education. Through its GEOLab New Generations program, staff partnered with institutions including the Faculty of Applied Sciences School at the National University of Pilar (FCA-UNP), Centro Educativo La Amistad, Colegio Héroes de la Patria, and Colegio Politécnico de la Cooperativa Capiatá. The program teaches geospatial skills and encourages young people to learn about space science and technology. Through training, workshops, and classroom support, GIS became part of lessons for both students and teachers.

The Paraguayan Space Agency and its GEOLab earned a Special Achievement in GIS Award at the 2025 Esri User Conference, garnering international recognition for geospatial innovation. The agency’s story is a testament to the power of GIS to transform public management, empower a younger generation, and protect the environment in Paraguay.