UN-SPIDER
August 2010
Updates
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UN-SPIDER News
1.
SpaceAid support to flood relief in Pakistan
The UN-SPIDER SpaceAid Framework has continued to provide assistance to Pakistan’s Space and Upper
Atmospheric Research Commission (SUPARCO) in response to the devastating floods that covered large parts
of the country. An extensive satellite imagery availability and tasking table is being continuously updated on
the UN-SPIDER Knowledge Portal ( ). SUPARCO, a UN-SPIDER Regional Support Office, has been able to access crucial post and pre-disaster satellite data. This information is being
used by Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and relief organizations to assist response
efforts and assess damages. SpaceAid is UN-SPIDER’s framework to facilitate fast and efficient access to space-
based information for countries, international and regional organizations. This includes all types of information
provided by earth observation satellites, communication satellites and global navigation satellite systems.
SpaceAid support can be accessed by the UN-SPIDER National Focal Points (NFP) and UN organizations. Users
can request the support through a hotline that can be accessed through telephone, e-mail or fax. This
framework is operational on a 24 hours a day/7 days a week basis in order to respond timely to a disaster.
2.
UN-SPIDER strengthens Technical Advisory Support in the Philippines
UN-SPIDER met in July with Filipino officials to review and strengthen support for their National Disaster
Coordinating Council (NDCC) and member agencies. UN-SPIDER Programme Officer, Mr. Shirish Ravan,
conducted a half day meeting with NDCC and member agencies who were involved in emergency response to
the 2009 Typhoon disasters. Facilitating access to space-based information for disaster risk reduction, post
disaster missions and contingency plans for the country would ensure the Philippines with provisions of space-
based and geo-information. Mr. Ravan also explained how the existing response support mechanisms can be
accessed through UN-SPIDER’s SpaceAid Framework. As UN-SPIDER’s National Focal Point in the Philippines,
NDCC was offered technical advisory support aiming at establishing a mechanism/framework in the country for
effective use of space-based information for disaster management. UN-SPIDER also proposed to work with end
users; not only during emergency response but also in the pre-disaster phase such as preparedness planning.
Technical Advisory Support is one of the prime activities of the UN-SPIDER programme at the country level in
order to identify the existing capacity to use space-based information, analysing the institutional network to
support disaster management through space-based information and to find out the limiting factors. TAS aims
at enabling the government to overcome current limitations regarding the use of space-based information for
managing disasters by providing all possible opportunities and resources
3.
UNOOSA and JBGIS Publish Booklet on “Geoinformation for Disaster and Risk Management - Best
Practices and Examples”
This landmark booklet published by the Joint Board of Geospatial Information Societies (JBGIS) and the United
Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) outlines the potential uses of geo-information technologies to
reduce the impact of natural or manmade disasters and risks. It brings together concise scientific contributions
from experts around the world and creates a decision support forum based on their knowledge. The articles in
the booklet cover natural disasters like earthquake, flood, volcano outbreak, tsunami, landslide, dust storm and
wildfire, as well as societal issues like health care, refugee camps, urban sprawl and traffic infrastructure
security. Case related regional studies are complemented by presentations of global information systems.
Download the booklet here >>
Community News
4.
Disasters covered by Sentinel Asia in August
Sentinel Asia, the Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF)-led initiative for supporting disaster
management activities in the Asia-Pacific region by applying web-GIS and space-based technology, has
supported five disasters in the month of August. The corresponding satellite imagery has been uploaded to
Sentinel Asia’s website. They cover floods in Vietnam, two volcano eruptions in Indonesia, mudslide in China,
and floods in the Upper Indus Basin area in India. Sentinel Asia started observing the floods in Pakistan on 31
July and is providing related satellite data on its Web GIS online application.
For further information >>
5.
International Charter Space and Major Disasters activated five times in August
The activation of the International Charter Space and Major Disasters was requested by the US Office of
Foreign Disaster Assistance on 1 August to provide support to the flood response in Pakistan. Six days later, the
Rescue Service of the Czech Republic requested support, also due to floods. The following three requests were
received from China: one from the China Meteorological Administration to support the response efforts to a
massive landslide, and two from the China National Committee for Disaster Reduction due to debris flow in
South-Western China.
For further information >>
6.
SAFER activated for floods in Pakistan
Late July 2010, heavy rain caused record flooding in Pakistan, especially along the Kabul River in the north-
western part of the country. The main city of the area, Peshawar, is isolated by water. On the 31st of July, 800
deaths and thousands of affected people were reported by authorities. Material damage is also considerable
and access to a lot of urban areas is impossible. The European Commission has allocated 30 million Euros to
help people affected by this major disaster. SAFER flood extent maps and other situation maps have been
produced by SERTIT and by DLR/ZKI.
For further information >>
7.
Flood mapping for Pakistan by the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD)
Maps produced by ICIMOD are directly supporting the response efforts. ICIMOD, which is the International
Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, is a regional knowledge development and learning centre
serving the eight regional member countries of the Hindu Kush-Himalayas - Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan,
China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan. ICIMOD has taken up rapid response mapping for the flood
affected areas in three provinces with the support from Sentinel-Asia partners and the request received from
UN-SPIDER SpaceAid to support SUPARCO, Pakistan. A wide range of flood products focusing on different
aspects of flood impact have been generated on a daily basis to support the space-agency and other relevant
teams involved in disaster management. These products and a near real-time interactive map viewer are
accessible online.
For further information >>
8.
Planet Action to support more projects
This year, Planet Action will support additional projects while following up on current projects and their results
on the ground. Planet Action donates satellite imagery, geographic information and technology support to local
projects that investigate and assess climate change focusing on human issues, drought & desertification, water
resources, forestry, biodiversity, oceans, ice, and awareness. New project proposals can be submitted on-line.
For further information >>
9.
China launches "Mapping Satellite-I"
China launched a new mapping satellite, "Mapping Satellite-I", from the North-western Jiuquan Satellite
Launch Centre on Aug. 24. It was developed by Dong Fanghong Satellite Co., Ltd. under the China Aerospace
Science and Technology Corporation, and will mainly be used to conduct scientific experiments, carry out
surveys of land resources, perform ground mapping and in many scientific experiments.
For further information >>
10.
New maps of Central America for Risk Management
GfK GeoMarketing's new maps of Central America comprise 100 map layers - a significant increase from the 70
layers available in the previous edition. A map of Mexico's two-digit postcodes is now available for the first
time. Administrative boundaries have been comprehensively updated and reflect the latest status of 2,456
municipalities and 32 states. The maps now feature around 3,500 cities and municipalities, organised into five
population size categories with coverage down to a size bracket of under 10,000 inhabitants. The 2010 maps of
Mexico also depict the most important streets and bodies of water, providing a detailed cartographic basis for
all possible applications in the insurance industry.
For further information >>
11.
FAO launches real time fire monitoring website
Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) launched a new online portal on fire
information and real time monitoring to help countries to control fire effectively and protect property and
natural resources. The new Global Fire Information Management System (GFIMS) detects fire hotspots from
satellites operated by the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The system could be used
by forest managers and fire fighters, as well as agencies involved in agricultural and natural resources
monitoring. The subscription is free of charge. The system only requires a functioning email address. Initially
GFIMS has been launched in three languages - English, French and Spanish. The monitoring system is hosted at
the FAO's Natural Resources Management and Environment Department.
For further information >>
Upcoming UN-SPIDER Outreach Activities
Information on upcoming UN-SPIDER outreach activities can be obtained from the events section of the
UN-SPIDER Knowledge Portal:
Upcoming UN-SPIDER events
4
th
United Nations International UN-SPIDER Bonn Workshop on Disaster Management and Space
Technology: “The 4C – Challenge: Communication – Coordination – Cooperation – Capacity Development”,
Bonn, 12-14 October 2010
The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), through its UN-SPIDER Programme (United
Nations Platform for Space-based Information for Disaster Management and Emergency Response) together
with the German Aerospace Center (DLR) are organizing the above mentioned workshop to promote the access
and use of space-based technologies and solutions for disaster management and emergency response within
relevant communities. There will be a specific session on satellite communication technology, on international
support mechanisms and SpaceAid, an overview on space technology in support of risk and disaster
management, and finally an overall session focusing on the growing UN-SPIDER network. Registration is already
closed but if you would still like to attend please send an e-mail to: For more information:
Upcoming events supported by UN-SPIDER
Benefiting from Earth Observation - Bridging the Data Gap for Adaptation to Climate Change in the Hindu
Kush-Himalayan Region; Kathmandu, Nepal, 4-6 October 2010
The main objective of this international symposium is to foster regional and international cooperation to
promote the use and access to earth observation for improved scientific knowledge and understanding for
adaptation to climate change in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan region. In particular we are supporting the “Pre-
symposium workshop on space based information for disaster preparedness and risk management” which will
take place on 2-3 October 2010. If you are attending do let us know so we can meet.
For more information and registration:
The 4th Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction: Incorporating space-based information and
technologies into DRR and CCA; Incheon, Korea, 25-28 October 2010
The main theme of the conference will be Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) through Climate Change Adaptation
(CCA). UN-SPIDER and ADRC, a UN-SPIDER Regional Support Office, are leading a technical session on the 26th
October 2010, from 12:30-14:00, to address the promotion of the utilization of satellite-based information and
technologies for DRR and CCA. The objectives of this session are to recognize the rationale of utilization of the
space technologies for DRR-CCA, to learn of the current use of space technologies for DRR-CCR, and to discuss
how to be able to introduce the technologies into their own countries and what issues and challenges they
could face. The outcomes and recommendations of this session will be addressed by the Ministers at the High-
level Round.
For more information and registration >>
8th International Conference of the African Association of Remote Sensing and the Environment; Addis
Ababa, Ethiopia, 25-29 October 2010
This is one of the two major conferences in Africa in the area of GIS and Remote Sensing and anyone who is
involved in geospatial technology and information should make a point of attending. Once again UN-SPIDER
will be attending and contributing to a disaster management session. If you are attending do let us know so we
can meet.
For more information and registration:
Pacific GIS and RS User Conference; Suva, Fiji, 23-26 November 2010
This is the major geospatial conference for the Pacific region and a great opportunity to network. Each year the
range of GIS&RS technologies presented cover an array of applications including the management of resources
of the small island Pacific nations. Shallow water bathymetry derived from satellite imagery, forest function
maps to identify areas for to be protected, areas identified for developments in flood zones are some of the
applications where the development of GIS&RS in the region have been applied in various sectors. Once again
UN-SPIDER will be attending and contributing bringing expertise in the area of space-based information to
support disaster management. If you are attending do let us know so we can meet.
For more information and registration:
Gi4DM 2011 – GeoInformation for Disaster Management; Antalya, Turkey, 3-8 May 2011
Six editions of these symposia have taken place in Delft, The Netherlands, March 2005, in Goa, India,
September 2006, in Toronto, Canada, May 2007, in Harbin, China, February 2008, in Prague, Czech Republic,
January 2009 and in Torino, Italy, February 2010 and UN-SPIDER has supported five of these academic
gatherings. We will again be supporting the next edition which is being planned to take place in Antalya. The
Gi4DM is coordinated by the ISPRS Ad hoc Committee on Risk and Disaster Management, Working Group 1
(Disaster) of the ISPRS Commission VIII (Remote Sensing and Policies) and Working Group 8 (3D Spatial Data
Integration for Disaster Management and Environmental Monitoring) of the ISPRS Commission IV
(Geodatabases and Digital Mapping).
For more information and registration:
Conferences and Workshops
We maintain a Calendar of Events with upcoming Conferences, Meetings and Events relevant to the area of
space-based solutions for disaster management and emergency response. The Calendar can be viewed at:
The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) implements the decisions of the General Assembly and of the
Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space and its two Subcommittees, the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee and
the Legal Subcommittee. The Office is responsible for promoting international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer
space, and assisting developing countries in using space science and technology. Headquartered in Vienna, Austria,
UNOOSA maintains a website at
In its resolution 61/110 of 14 December 2006 the United Nations General Assembly agreed to establish the "United
Nations Platform for Space-based Information for Disaster Management and Emergency Response - UN-SPIDER" as a
programme within UNOOSA. UN-SPIDER focuses on the need to ensure access to and use of space-based solutions during
all phases of the disaster management cycle.
Document Outline
- UN-SPIDER
- August 2010 Updates
- If you would like to subscribe to this list please visit the following website:
- UN-SPIDER News
- This landmark booklet published by the Joint Board of Geospatial Information Societies (JBGIS) and the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) outlines the potential uses of geo-information technologies to reduce the impact of natural o...
- Upcoming UN-SPIDER events
- Upcoming events supported by UN-SPIDER