Report to International Charter Space and Major Disasters. Activities during April 2011

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1 Report to International Charter Space and Major Disasters Activities during 2010 April 2011

3 Introduction The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) Operational Satellite Applications Programme (UNOSAT) has provided direct operational assistance and practical geo spatial technology solutions since 2003 when the UN first had access to trigger the International Charter Space and Major Disasters (Space Charter). During 2010, UNOSAT continued to further develop its support to the humanitarian community. Collaboration with the Space Charter is an important element in this work, and has yielded wide acclaim among the UN user community as well as implementing organizations and partners in the field. In 2010, UNOSAT was actively involved in 14 Space Charter activations. This involvement included triggering the Space Charter on behalf of UN sister agencies in our role as UN User Intermediary, but also to take on the role as Project Manager (PM) for individual calls and to derive maps, analysis and geographic vector data based on the available satellite imagery from the Space Charter. Space Charter activities specific cases in 2010 The table below shows which Space Charter activities UNOSAT was actively involved in during Note that the devastating Haiti earthquake in January 2010 is not included. A special section is devoted to this case later in the report. During 2010, UNOSAT activated the Space Charter based on requests from UN OCHA, UNDP, WFP and the joint OCHA/UNEP unit on environmental emergencies. Table 1: UNOSAT Space Charter activities 2010 Country Disaster type Month Charter triggered via UNOSAT UNOSAT Charter PM Requestor Ukraine Technical/chemical 2 Yes Yes OCHA/UNEP Uganda Landslide 3 Yes Yes UNDP Pakistan Landslide 5 No No OCHA Pakistan Storm 6 Yes Yes OCHA Pakistan Floods 6 Yes Yes OCHA Myanmar Floods 6 Yes Yes UNDP Pakistan Floods 7 No No OCHA Sudan Floods 9 No No OCHA Benin Floods 10 No No OCHA Vietnam Floods 10 Yes Yes UNDP Myanmar Storm 10 No No WFP Philippines Storm 10 Yes Yes OCHA Thailand Floods 10 No Yes ARDC* Colombia Floods 11 Yes Yes OCHA * UNOSAT took on the role as PM for call on floods in Thailand following request from Space Charter Executive Secretariat in support to ARDC. Figure 1 below shows the percentage breakdown of disaster types in which UNOSAT worked in a Space Charter setting during It is clear that floods constituted the majority of calls supported by UNOSAT. 1

Figure 2 shows the requesting entities of UNOSAT support. OCHA is by far the most frequent requestor, which is also logical in view of its mandate to coordinate humanitarian affairs.

4 Figure 2 shows the requesting entities of UNOSAT support. OCHA is by far the most frequent requestor, which is also logical in view of its mandate to coordinate humanitarian affairs. Figure 1: Disaster types Figure 2: Requesting entities The support received from Space Charter members has been excellent for the various calls in which UNOSAT has been involved. As a programme of UNITAR, UNOSAT looks forward to continued collaboration and work with the Space Charter to further evolve the use of satellite technologies to 2

make sure that this valuable data resource is used to its fullest potential, including optimal triggering mechanisms and distribution of satellite image derived data and information, be it maps or

Examples from selected activations To illustrate the variety of work done in a Space Charter context during 2010, three cases as discussed below.

5 make sure that this valuable data resource is used to its fullest potential, including optimal triggering mechanisms and distribution of satellite image derived data and information, be it maps or GIS ready vector data for use in professional software or in tools such as Google Earth and Microsoft Bing. Examples from selected activations To illustrate the variety of work done in a Space Charter context during 2010, three cases as discussed below. These are Ukraine tailing pit dam potential spillover, Uganda landslide and Pakistan floods. The joint UNEP/OCHA environmental emergencies unit requested Space Charter activation in support to the UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team deployment to a tailing pit in Ukraine. The tailing pit dam was in imminent danger of collapsing following rain and snow fall and poor maintenance of the tailing pit dam complex. There was also hazardous waste stored in the area and so an overspill could have serious consequences for the population in the area. This call was a good example of close interaction with a relatively small team of UN experts prior to, during and after their mission. The maps and analyses produced were instrumental to plan and conduct the field samples and to work in collaboration with the local government. The UNDAC mission was done in close coordination with a EC deployment, creating good synergy for the use of the Space Charter products. When a landslide hit a remote area in Uganda, little information from the affected villages was available. UNDP initiated a field mission from Kampala in collaboration with OCHA, UNHCR and other actors. Close to 100 people were reported dead and the landslides, following heavy rains, caused significant damage to infrastructure. UNOSAT also worked 3

6 closely with UNICEF, as several schools may have been affected. The GPS coordinates of school locations provided to UNOSAT did not match with observed buildings in the satellite imagery and hence initiated an activity within UNICEF to ensure better location data on schools are collected so as to be better prepared in case of disasters. UNOSAT also shared the GIS vectors for landslide extent with several actors, who found it useful to incorporate these into their own GIS and/or use in Google Earth. The Pakistan floods of 2010 were one of the most comprehensive Space Charter activations UNOSAT has been involved in. UNOSAT s total involvement, including follow up requests, stretched over three months. A total of 23 analytical reports and maps were produced by UNOSAT, but as importantly, a geo database with flood analysis was shared with all relevant actors. This was immensely appreciated by the user community, both within the UN, among NGOs and among Government officials. Another important factor was the collaboration with Google. With the access to Google MapMaker data, baseline geographic data on roads, railroads, places and more was available at a very low scale, i.e. high level of detail. This unprecedented access to similar scale baseline data over large areas made the Space Charter products even more useful to the humanitarian community. UNOSAT s flood analyses were validated in the field by Pakistani officials and found to be accurate in addition to the products being highly valuable, reliable and dependable. Haiti earthquake During the first hours after the earthquake, UNOSAT was reviewing together with OCHA s Field Coordination Support Section which areas were most affected and how the humanitarian community as a whole could best benefit from the Space Charter. However, since the Space Charter bad been requested triggered by the peacekeeping operations in Haiti, UNOSAT and OCHA aborted the triggering process. Instead, UNOSAT decided to work complementarily, and not in competition, with value adding entities involved in the use of Space Charter data. It was clear that the event needed very high resolution imagery over a large area and UNOSAT coordinated closely with the Space Charter PM from CNES concerning complementary data and assessments. UNOSAT focused in the first days on road obstacles and location of Internally Displaced People (IDPs). Later, upon specific request by UNDP, 4

UNOSAT took the initiative to establish a collaborative effort with the European Commission (EC) Joint Research Centre and the World Bank for the development of a major damage assessment campaign in

7 UNOSAT took the initiative to establish a collaborative effort with the European Commission (EC) Joint Research Centre and the World Bank for the development of a major damage assessment campaign in support to the Poster Disaster Needs Assessment and Recovery Framework (PDNA), a Government led process supported by the UN, World Bank and EC. Input from Space Charter data derived analysis was used to initially guide the detailed joint UNOSAT/EC JRC, World Bank assessment based on aerial photography from Google and the World Bank. A technical workshop on methodologies and lessons learned took place in Geneva in late April This workshop revealed the need for value adding entities; in particular those funded by European Commission sources, to better standardize products and reduce the high level of duplications evident following the Haiti earthquake. Awareness raising and outreach Information on the objectives and mechanisms of the Space Charter is part of the standard slides in any UNOSAT presentation related to natural and technological disasters, and also part of the general UNOSAT presentation. Hence, the Space Charter is presented to a wide audience every year, ranging from Ministers to Heads of Agencies to operational entities within the UN system and beyond. With increased collaboration with Asian partners, UNOSAT is ensuring an increasing number of regional actors are well informed about the Space Charter. Presentations have included top level political leadership in Washington DC, but also at for example early responders, such as those part of the International Search And Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG). 5

UNOSAT has promoted the Space Charter within the context of the Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System (GDACS), where UNOSAT is the coordinating partner on maps and satellite imagery working

Outreach activities also took place towards a relatively new group of users, namely the volunteer crisis mappers community during the 2010 Crisis Mappers Conference in Boston.

With more and more actors and projects using space technologies related to natural disasters it is important that facts, rules and mechanisms concerning the Space Charter are clearly communicated.

A few quotes on UNOSAT Space Charter work in 2010 To illustrate the diverse user base and feedback from operational users of Space Charter products, a small selection of feedback received in 2010 is

8 UNOSAT has promoted the Space Charter within the context of the Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System (GDACS), where UNOSAT is the coordinating partner on maps and satellite imagery working closely with the international early response community under the overall coordination of UN OCHA. Outreach activities also took place towards a relatively new group of users, namely the volunteer crisis mappers community during the 2010 Crisis Mappers Conference in Boston. Additional outreach include that to the Global Shelter Cluster partners, the UNDAC stakeholders and other operational actors directly involved in disaster response. With more and more actors and projects using space technologies related to natural disasters it is important that facts, rules and mechanisms concerning the Space Charter are clearly communicated. UNOSAT does its best to ensure this and work towards reducing the confusion that some users have about the Space Charter s role and how to access it. A few quotes on UNOSAT Space Charter work in 2010 To illustrate the diverse user base and feedback from operational users of Space Charter products, a small selection of feedback received in 2010 is provided below: Once again, we would like to extend our warmest appreciation from all the colleagues here, and I believe from other DRM stakeholders too, to UNITAR team for helping us with clear maps throughout the emergencies. Bui Viet Hien (Ms.),Programme Analyst (Disaster Risk Management), United Nations Development Programme, Vietnam Thank you very much for the support given. This is much appreciated. Guido Pizzini, GIS Officer, WFP Many thanks for your help. Please continue to map the situation keeping in view the situation in building in Hyderabad as well and we have alerts for Larkana as well. Your analysis helps us in the field to move our resources objectively. Fawad Hussain, UN OCHA, Pakistan UNOSAT has been integral part of the Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System (GDACS) since its establishment in As such UNOSAT is elementary in providing maps and satellite images to the international disaster response community. Thomas Peter, Manager, Emergency Relief Coordination Centre, OCHA Thanks for providing the UNOSAT map, its flood exent and all GIS files. [ ] Instead of developing new flood extent maps, flood extent from UNOSAT has been used which was found quite comprehensive, accurate, updated and was covering the whole flooded area. UNOSAT work is highly valuable, ralieable 6

9 and dependable and its sharing is highly appreciated. We have verified many of its parts in the field and find it accurate. Dr. Bashir Ahmad, Director, National Resources Division, Pakistan Agricultural Research Council. 7

Information management, needs assessment, mapping

Information management, needs assessment, mapping WHY WAS REACH CREATED? REACH WAS CREATED IN RESPONSE TO TWO CRITICAL GAPS IN THE HUMANITARIAN SYSTEM 1 2 GAPS BETWEEN THE SUPPLY AND DEMAND OF HUMANITARIAN