Geoinformation for Disaster and Risk Management - ISPRS

Support from Space: The United
Nations Platform for Space-based
Information for Disaster
Management and Emergency
Response (UN-SPIDER)
Robert Backhaus, Lorant Czaran, Natalie Epler,
Michael Leitgab, Young Suc Lyu, Shirish Ravan,
David Stevens, Peter Stumpf, Joerg Szarzynski,
Juan-Carlos Villagran de Leon
United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA)
W
Why Space-based Information for Disaster
Management?
During a disaster, situational awareness can mean
the difference between life and death. Satellites
provide reliable and rapid communication,
observation and positioning tools, especially when
crucial on-the-ground infrastructure is damaged.
Risk assessment, disaster mitigation and prevention
also benefit greatly from space-based data. In
general terms, applying space technology to support
disaster management in its various aspects, requires
the application of suitable spectral ranges of
electromagnetic radiation for observation and
imaging, atmospheric sounding, radio
communication, navigation and positioning, while
taking advantage of the orbital positions of satellites.
Images from earth observing satellites are used to
produce maps of disaster areas for overview
information and damage assessment, and to provide
specific data layers for applications in Geographic
Information Systems (GIS), e.g. for early warning,
risk and vulnerability mapping.
Figure 1: Flooded farm land and infrastructure in northern Namibia in January 2010
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