Joint Board of Geospatial Information Societies United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs Geoinformation for Disaster and Risk Management Examples and Best Practices Joint Board of Geospatial Information Societies United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs Geoinformation for Disaster and Risk Management Examples and Best Practices Editors: Orhan ALTAN, Robert BACKHAUS, Piero BOCCARDO, Sisi ZLATANOVA With a preface by Margareta Wahlström Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction Book design: Gerhard Kemper Published by: Joint Board of Geospatial Information Societies (JB GIS). Launched at the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), Vienna, Austria on 2 July 2010. Copyright © Joint Board of Geospatial Information Societies (JB GIS) 2010 United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) 2010 All rights reserved by: Joint Board of Geospatial Information Societies This publication is the result of the collaboration of many scientists who are c/o International Federation of Surveyors (FIG) dedicated to the implementation of geospatial information for risk and disaster Kalvebod Brygge 31–33, DK-1780 Copenhagen / management. DENMARK Tel. +45 38 86 10 81 /Fax +45 38 86 02 52 E-mail: [email protected] DISCLAIMER www.fig.net/jbgis The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do Published in English not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the secretariat of Copenhagen, Denmark the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries ISBN 978-87-90907-88-4 regarding its economic system or degree of development. Excerpts may be reproduced without authorization, on condition that the source is indicated. Views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the United Nations Credits to title photos: DLR (Germany) Office for Outer Space Affairs, the United Nations and its Member States. i ii Preface Each year, disasters arising from storms, floods, volcanoes and Pearthquakes cause thousands of deaths and tremendous damage to property around the world, displacing tens of thousands of people from their homes and destroying their livelihoods. Developing countries and Margareta Wahlström poor communities are especially vulnerable. Many of the deaths and Special Representative of the Secretary-General property losses could be prevented if better information were available on the exposed populations and assets, the environmental factors in for Disaster Risk Reduction disaster risk, and the patterns and behaviour of particular hazards. Increasingly, this information is becoming available with the help of technologies such as meteorological and earth observation satellites, communication satellites and satellite-based positioning technologies, coupled with hazard modelling and analysis, and geographical information systems (GIS). When integrated into a disaster risk reduction approach, and connected to national and community risk management systems, these technologies offer considerable potential to reduce losses to life and property. To do his requires a solid base of political support, laws and regulations, institutional responsibility, and trained people. Early warning systems should be established and supported as a matter of policy. Preparedness to respond should be engrained in society. The primary aim of this booklet is to explain to governments, decision * About UN-SPIDER: In its resolution 61/110 of 14 December 2006 the United Nations General makers and disaster professionals the potential uses of geoinformation Assembly agreed to establish the United Nations Platform for Space-based Information for Disaster technologies for reducing disaster risks and losses, based on the Management and Emergency Response (UN-SPIDER), which has as its mission statement: "Ensure that knowledge and experience of experts in these fields. In July 2009, the all countries and international and regional organizations have access to and develop the capacity to Joint Board of Geospatial Information Societies and UN-SPIDER* jointly use all types of space-based information to support the full disaster management cycle". The UN- invited individuals and groups to contribute articles for the preparation SPIDER program is achieving its aims by being a gateway to space information for disaster of the booklet, describing their research work and experiences on the management support, by serving as a bridge to connect the disaster management and space application of geospatial technologies as a contribution to a decision communities and by being a facilitator of capacity-building and institutional strengthening, in support forum. The Booklet covers all regions of the world and all particular for developing countries. aspects of disaster risk and its management. We commend this booklet to UN-SPIDER is being implemented as an open network of providers of space-based solutions to support you in the hope that improved application of geospatial information will disaster management activities. Besides Vienna (where UN-OOSA is located), the program also has an support better understanding and action to reduce the number and office in Bonn, Germany and will have an office in Beijing, China. Additionally, a network of Regional impact of disasters in future. Support Offices multiplies the work of UN-SPIDER in the respective regions. iii iv Preface by JBGIS The Joint Board of Geospatial Information Societies (JB GIS) is a coalition of The JBGIS and its members take great pride in their contributions of geospatial leading international geospatial societies which has as its primary goal to speak information and technologies for disaster management and emergency on behalf of the geospatial disciplines at an international level, especially to the response. There is a broad range of examples of applications of geospatial data PUnited Nations and other global stakeholders. Its second goal is to coordinate for this purpose described in this booklet including: the application of high activities between the geospatial professional societies and scientific resolution satellite data for monitoring of the size and growth of the refugee organisations. The JB GIS is a co-operative network which exists through the camps; the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for a global disaster support of its member organisations. For more information please refer to the alert and coordination system, to audit recovery after the Indian Ocean Tsunami, (http://www.fig.net/jbgis/). and mapping volcanic eruptions; the use of satellite images for forecasting potential health effects caused by dust storms, rapid mapping of flooding in The current members of the JB GIS are the: flood prone areas, fire detection, earthquake damage assessment, topographic ?Global Spatial Data Infrastructure (GSDI) Association mapping and disaster recovery; the application of global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) such as GPS for detecting structural deformation during IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society (IEEE-GRSS) ? construction, and for a low cost landslide monitoring system; using satellite ?International Association of Geodesy (IAG) radar data for monitoring changes in the ground surface structure of the volcano; and using a communication chain for transmitting rainfall and river International Cartographic Association (ICA) ? level data for warning of the danger of flooding. These examples demonstrate ?International Federation of Surveyors (FIG) the breadth of current applications of geospatial information and provide directions on future applications of geospatial technologies for disaster International Geographic Union (IGU) ? management and emergency response. ?International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) International Map Trade Association (IMTA) ? We trust that this booklet will provide impetus for emergency relief teams, local ?International Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS). administrators and international coordinating response teams to further develop applications of geospatial information and technologies for disaster International Steering Committee for Global Mapping (ISCGM) ? management and emergency response. Mark Cygan Michael G. Sideris William Cartwright Stig Enemark Keith Ferries Orhan Altan Abbas Rajabifard Chair, JBGIS Pr. of IAG Pr. of ICA Pr. of FIG Pr. of IMTA Pr. of ISPRS Pr. of GSDI v vi Introduction National governments, international organizations and research institutions However, the knowledge about the full range of the application potential of Iworldwide have set to work to improve disaster management in all its phases: geospatial technologies is the domain of specialists in the geosciences. mitigation, preparedness, relief and response, and recovery and reconstruction. Therefore, the Ad-Hoc Group on Risk and Disaster Management was formed in Many governments have put the formation of a hazard-resistant and disaster- 2008, with Orhan Altan as chairman, within the Joint Board of Geospatial coping society on their political agenda as an important factor of sustainable Information Societies. It is the goal of the Ad-Hoc Group to create and foster economic development and better quality of civil life. In this respect, the knowledge transfer between international geo-science bodies working on awareness of new geospatial technologies and their successful utilization in disaster and risk management with different technological