Satellite imagery and GIS – practical tools for Emergency

Shelter Cluster

Einar Bjorgo

What is UNOSAT?

• The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) Operational Satellite Applications Programme - a unique UN programme entirely dedicated to providing satellite based solutions to the UN, local governments, international organizations and NGOs

• Supports early warning, crisis response, human rights, sustainable recovery, vulnerability reduction and local capacity building

UNOSAT mission is to deliver integrated satellite-based solutions for human security, peace and socio-economic development, in keeping with the mandate given to UNITAR by the UN General Assembly since 1965.

• Humanitarian: Rapid mapping in support to disaster management and relief, human rights

• Development: Local capacity building, projects

• Training and awareness raising: Customized, from user-perspective

Three main pillars

UNOSAT works across clusters, for example:• Emergency Shelter Cluster• Emergency Telecom Cluster• Early Recovery Cluster

Satellite imagery support to Cluster approach

Food and nutrition Crop production

  Vegetation cover

  Food distribution

Water and sanitation Surface water

  Ground water

  Water pollution

  Hydrographic network

  Waste management

Health Hospitals

  Temperature (air, water)

  Humidity

  Lakes and rivers

  Field assessments

Emergency shelter Pre-disaster identification

  Post-disaster assessment

  Distribution density

Early recovery and reconstruction Baseline data

  Pre-disaster situation

  Debris analysis

Cluster Example theme Cluster Example theme

IT/Telecommunication Radio coverage

Logistics Roads

  Bridges

  Rivers

  Ports

  Airports

  Snow cover

  Land slides

Camp management Location planning

  Camp layout

  Shelter detection

  Registration

Protection Firewood availability

 Theatre of operations and international borders

  Damage assessments

Education Local capacity building

  School (re)location

Clusters used in South Asia Earthquake operation. Source: Humanitarian Information Centre, Islamabad

• Common baseline information about where• Common reference system for area of interest

– the map• Sharable data – can be used by various actors

inside ESC• Link to other clusters• Satellite images for up-to-date maps• Emergency assessments of destroyed

buildings• Reconstruction or re-localization planning• Progress monitoring• Re-use and update from relief to development

Why are geographic information and satellite imagery useful for ESC?

UNOSAT support to humanitarian emergencies

UNOSAT support to humanitarian emergencies2003 - 2007

Rapid Mapping technical methodology - Damage assessment: Earthquake and

conflicts

• For conflicts and earthquakes: Only level 5 damage fully detectable in imagery, some level 4 can be identified

Rapid Mapping technical methodology - Damage assessment example: Earthquake,

Indonesia

Photos by UNOSAT

Image copyright: Digital Globe distributed by EURIMAGE

Damage visible in post-EQ image is assessed to be of level 5.

Field verification, interaction, data upload

• UNOSAT sends expert to the field to verify imagery analysis

• If UNOSAT not in the field, field verification is provided by partners, e.g. OCHA FIS, UNDAC, others

A B

A

B

Pre Post

Image interpreted target locations

Damage level classification 5

Examples

Becora Camea, Dili, East Timor

7 September 2005 10 September 2006

Buildings burned between the two dates

ESC related maps for specific emergency

Pre-disaster image

Copyright: DigitalGlobe

Post-disaster image (6 May 2008)

Copyright: DigitalGlobe

Severe coastal erosion (missing houses)

missing missing houses

destroyed houses houses

Earthquake, Sichuan Province, China - 12 May 2008

Landslides as seen in satellite imagery, source: UNOSAT/NSPO

Image date:14 May 2006

Beichuan north

Earthquake, Sichuan Province, China - 12 May 2008

Collapsed infrastructure as seen in satellite imagery, source: UNOSAT/NSPO

Image date:14 May 2008

Beichuan north

Earthquake, Sichuan Province, China - 12 May 2008

Collapsed infrastructure as seen in satellite imagery, source: UNOSAT/NSPO

Image date:14 May 2008

Beichuan north Landslide

Destroyed buildings

Destroyed bridge

Online mapping

Ivory Coast

info@unosat.org

+41 76 487 4998 (24/7 hotline)