About this time, I expected to be returning from the IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium (IGARSS) that was to be held in Brussels, Belgium, with many stories about the trip and thinking about discussions I had with colleagues. However, once again, we found ourselves attending the conference online and, in many cases, recording presentations that originally were intended to be given live. The continued threat of COVID-19 forced this necessity, which, however, did enable many us to avoid the heavy rains and flooding that swept through portions of Belgium, The Netherlands, and western Germany and resulted in severe damage and lost lives. While it was not a substitute for an in-person event, having a virtual meeting ensured that our presence did not exacerbate the emergency. I would like to take a moment to congratulate Ramon Hansson, Joost Vandenabeele, Michal Shimoni, and the entire IGARSS 2021 local organizing committee for their hard work and excellent results. The key notes, morning special events, and lively discussions made for a great experience and opportunity to network.

中文翻译：

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聚焦IGARSS和全球活动【总裁致辞】

大约在这个时候，我希望从将在比利时布鲁塞尔举行的 IEEE 国际地球科学与遥感研讨会 (IGARSS) 回来，带着许多关于这次旅行的故事和思考我与同事的讨论。然而，我们再次发现自己在线参加了会议，并且在许多情况下，录制了原本打算现场进行的演示。COVID-19 的持续威胁迫使这种必要性，然而，这确实使我们许多人能够避免席卷比利时、荷兰和德国西部部分地区并导致严重破坏和丧生的大雨和洪水。虽然它不能代替面对面的活动，但召开虚拟会议可确保我们的出席不会加剧紧急情况。我想花一点时间祝贺 Ramon Hansson、Joost Vandenabeele、Michal Shimoni 以及整个 IGARSS 2021 当地组委会的辛勤工作和出色的成绩。重要的笔记、早上的特别活动和热烈的讨论为交流提供了很好的经验和机会。