UNOSAT News

A month into the Haiti tragedy, the relentless work of the Operational Satellite Applications Programme (UNOSAT) in producing geospatial information to support relief and more recently to estimate damage in view of reconstruction is attracting praise from UN organisations and member states alike. UNOSAT has already completed one mission to Haiti, while the next one is due to commence on 20 February. The work on the ground is done in conjunction with Haiti’s national centre for geographic and spatial information (CNIGS).

UNOSAT produced the first maps in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, when its rapid mapping service was activated on the day of the disaster. Subsequently, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) tasked UNOSAT with the estimate of damaged buildings and percentage of destruction. This work was done in consultation with various important players outside the UN such as the European Commission Joint Research Centre, Sertit of France, DLR of Germany, ITHACA of Italy, and others, and with the support of the US State Department. As a member of the UN Early Recovery Cluster, UNOSAT is now engaged in a coordinated damage assessment together with the World Bank and JRC and counting on the important contribution of Haiti’s CNIGS, which is recovering its material and capacity after having been severely hit by the earthquake. To facilitate the overall damage assessment, UNOSAT, JRC and the World Bank are issuing a joint  geospatial atlas that will form the basis for in-field damage assessment exercises due to start this week with the direct involvement of local experts.

UNOSAT is making a specific effort to help with CNIGS rehabilitation and ensure their participation in the post disaster damage assessment. To this end UNOSAT with the support of UNDP has committed technical assistance and a cash grant.

 

The Institute of Diplomatic Studies of Saudi Arabia requested that UNITAR develop a seminar on International Crisis Management for officers from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia.   In the seminar, which started last week in Geneva, Switzerland, UNITAR is partnering with staff from International Telecommunication Union (ITU), International Labour Organization (ILO),  UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs(OCHA),  UN Development Programme (UNDP), UNITAR Operational Satellite Applications Programme (UNOSAT), World Health Organization (WHO), and World Meteorological Organization (WMO) to present the latest crisis recovery tools and developments in the field of human security, humanitarian response, satellite applications, cybersecurity, health, and migration. The participants also learned communication strategies applied by crisis managers and discussed challenges for multilateral diplomats to the United Nations when covering crisis situations.   More information about training opportunities in diplomacy, including e-Learning courses, can be found here.

 

 

In a change of focus determined by the conclusion of search and rescue operations in Haiti, UNOSAT closed its Rapid Mapping activation and embarked at the request of UNDP on a comprehensive damage assessment analysis over Port-au-Prince and neighbouring cities. The analysis, which builds also on parallel work performed by the European Commission JRC, French company SERTIT, Germany’s DRL/ZKI, Italy’s ITHACA and others, will contribute substantially in firming up the number of buildings affected by the tremor and will lead to a more precise estimate of the resources required to rebuild Haiti.   Geospatial information has become an important part of large scale damage assessments because of its ability to provide rapid, objective information on large territories. The accuracy of the assessment depends essentially on the professionalism and methodology used for the analysis of the satellite images. UNOSAT is using the experience accumulated in previous cases including in Lebanon and the Gaza strip. The work will feed into the initiative called for by the Montreal ministerial conference of 26 January which invoked the need to objectively assess the actual damage before unblocking donor funding.   The US government was particularly vocal on this point. The New York Times reported Secretary Clinton as saying: “We’re trying to do this in the correct order. Sometimes people have pledging conferences and pledge money, and they don’t have any idea what they’re going to do with it. We actually think it’s a novel idea to do the needs assessment first and then the planning and then the pledging.” At the conference, donor nations called for an independent damage assessment, which could begin as early as next week, made up of experts from the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank and the United Nations Development Program. UNOSAT has been already tasked by the latter in this context and will release initial results already this week.   The scale of the disaster prompted several actors to produce geographic info, this gave rise to the need to take stock of diverse sets of data and proceed to an integration of the best available information. Based on the request made by UNDP, UNOSAT applied its methodology to carry out a rapid integration of all available sources. The positive cooperation among all actors involved helped speed up production and avoid duplications. UNOSAT and JRC have maintained very close consultation during the process. Other actors lent essential support as well, from swisstopo of Switzerland, to Google, to the US OFDA.   See www.unitar.org/unosat to have access the various products

 

In a constant effort to update information derived from high resolution satellite imagery regarding the impact of the Haiti quake, UNOSAT has released last night two new maps illustrating the situation of IDPs and the density of bridge and road obstacles in the capital city Port-au-Prince.

Since the inception of this emergency, UNOSAT has concentrated on specific high value mapping over Haiti due to the fact that general mapping has been offered by a number of other partner entities especially from Europe, some of which supported by the International Charter Space and Major Disasters, an international agreement among space agencies allowing the distribution of free satellite data in case of major natural disasters.

The latest UNOSAT maps are:

Overview of IDP Concentrations in Port-au-Prince and Carrefour, Haiti (Update2) - This map presents an overview of temporary shelter locations of displaced Haitians in Port-au-Prince and Carrefour, as identified in satellite imagery recorded on 13 January 2010. These IDP locations range in size from small clusters of survivors (approx 20-50) to large concentrations numbering in the low thousands. Locations are commonly situated in open areas away from unstable buildings, in parks, sport fields, church compounds and grassy medians of main roads. Four case examples are show in the imagery.

Density of Bridge & Road Obstacles in Port-au-Prince and Carrefour, Haiti (Update2) - This map illustrates the relative spatial density of major road and bridge obstructions in Port-au-Prince and Carrefour, as identified in satellite imagery recorded on 13 January 2010. A total of 691 obstacles were identified, almost all due to collapsed buildings and related debris, in only a few cases were the obstructions the result of landslides. Of this total, 224 were likely completely blocked to motorized traffic and 467 were partial obstructions restricting vehicle access. Four case examples of specific road obstructions are shown in the imagery.

Both maps as well as other UNOSAT products on Haiti can be downloaded freely here.

The earthquake that rocked Haiti on Tuesday this week caused unprecedented consequences on the population and the urban areas of Haiti. Many United Nations staff and peacekeepers remain unaccounted for in Haiti, and many are reported to be trapped in UN buildings that collapsed in the earthquake, UN officials say. A former UNITAR staff member was among those present in the UN building at the time of the quake.   Upon request by several agencies, UNITAR has mobilised the UNOSAT programme to support immediate response and early recovery planning with satellite derived maps and analyses. UNOSAT, which operates a 24/7 humanitarian rapid mapping service since 2003, works in cooperation and coordination with several other entities worldwide that are doing their best to produce adequate geospatial information to facilitate emergency response in Haiti.   With the support of the US Government and the French Space Agency CNES, UNOSAT is producing information according to the specific needs of a number of users on the ground, while a variety of general mapping products are becoming available from the private sector and several geographic services and entities. The International Space Charter is also part of the global effort being deployed at this time. UNOSAT is also working in partnership with Google.   To read more about satellite derived geographic information in relation to this disaster click here   To view the map produced by UNOSAT, click here  

 

UNITAR’s commitment to reduce the carbon emissions per unit of training delivered by 50% by 2012 was cited as an example of climate-friendly action within the United Nations system in a report entitled;” Moving towards a climate neutral UN: the UN system’s footprint and efforts to reduce it.”   The report which also indicates 1.7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide as the greenhouse gas footprint of the UN system was coordinated and compiled by the UN Environment Management Group (EMG) and launched during the UN Climate Change Convention meeting held in Copenhagen on the 15 December 2009, in response to the determination of the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon to make the UN system climate neutral.   Achim Steiner, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and Chair of the EMG, said “it’s incumbent on every country and every organization including the UN to first measure, and then measure down, its environmental impact.”   In December 2008, UNITAR promulgated its first generation 2008-2009 Climate Neutral Policy and Strategy and Carlos Lopes, Executive Director of the Institute, emphasized that “enhancing the use of technology-supported learning, such as e-learning and video-conferencing, is an important dimension of our strategy to become carbon neutral and can be an effective complement to traditional learning approaches, such as face-to-face training”   Click here to view the full Report

 

2009 marks a year that will leave no one indifferent. As the world was entering into a recession and a rather grim economic forecast, UNITAR had to pursue its objectives and work even harder to attain them, achieving a 36% budget growth over the 2008-2009 biennium compared to the previous one. As 2009 now comes to an end, we take the time to look back at some of the milestones and events that took place during this not so common year.   Early in 2009, UNITAR showed its responsiveness on global issues by provide satellite imagery during the Gaza conflict and the situation in the Gulf of Aden. This involvement was quickly recognized and picked up by the international media which strongly increased the visibility of the Institute and UNOSAT more specifically. This was sign of what was to come later during the year as UNOSAT supported the international humanitarian community on many other occasions and even linked a partnership Google.   2009 marks the year when UNITAR took the chairmanship of the Global Migration Group (GMG) in the second semester with the objective of revitalizing the group through learning activities and support of the global inter-governmental process of dialogue, sharing and practices on international migration and development. In October 2009, about 1700 participants assisted to a high level lecture by Mikhail Gorbachev, former Soviet Union President, and UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, on resetting the nuclear disarmament agenda. The third edition of the Geneva Lecture Series (GLS), which was organised in conjunction with the UN offices in Geneva, proved to be a great success and received media coverage from around the world.   By year end, UNITAR signed an agreement to open a new representational office in Brazil to strengthen the Institute’s presence in Latin America in order to better respond to beneficiaries’ needs in the region. This represented a milestone in the expansion of the institute which will become effective in 2010.   It is also important to mention all of UNITAR’s core activities that have been improved and even better delivered to our beneficiaries around the world. The emphasis the Institute has put on technology-based learning has proved to be correct and will further be enhanced in 2010, contributing to UNITAR’s climate neutral policy. Not to mention the 2010-2012 Strategic Plan that has been released serving as the Institute’s blueprint for the next biennium. On the communication front, UNITAR made an appearance on social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, and even created its own channel on YouTube.   When reflecting on some of the milestones described above and the many more activities conducted by UNITAR in the course of the past year, one can’t prevent from thinking that the Institute had a quite fulfilling year. All these achievements were made possible by the hard work and passion that animates UNITAR’s staff and collaborators. With the momentum garnered in 2009 and the new Strategic Plan, rest assured UNITAR is more than ready to respond to the needs of its beneficiaries and take on the many challenges that await us all in 2010.   Happy Holidays!

 

UNITAR’s UNOSAT programme is prominently featured in a new publication on the role of information and social networks in emergencies and conflicts. The report looks at innovative solutions throughout the disaster cycle, from emergency preparedness and alerts to recovery and reconstruction. UNOSAT’s use of satellite imagery provides the UN family, its implementing partners and Member States with objective and timely information, an activity fully in-line with the theme of this report.

In addition, UNOSAT was invited by UN Dispatch to write a blog to complement the launch of the report. This blog, “Satellites to the rescue”, can be found here
 
The complete UN Foundation & Vodafone Foundation report can be found here

More than 4,000 people have been affected by heavy rains and consequent floods in Uruguay during the second half of November. UNOSAT was requested by UNDP to provide satellite imagery maps and analyses to assist the UN Country Team as well as national actors. The most affected area was in the province of Artigas on the border with Brazil.

 

UNOSAT activated its Humanitarian Rapid Mapping capacity, including triggering of the International Charter Space and Major Disasters, for which UNOSAT has the official status as “UN User Intermediary”. The Humanitarian Rapid Mapping service may be activated 24/7 by any UN agency and office worldwide and it comes at no cost for the humanitarian community thanks to predictable donor support.

UNOSAT presented the results of its latest research and applications project conducted in cooperation with the University of Geneva. In a talk at the “7th Swiss Geosciences Meeting, Neuchatel 2009” UNOSAT trainee and volcano expert Sebastien Biass presented a methodology likely to help decision makers to deal with volcanic ash fallouts during catastrophic events in densely populated areas. Volcanic ash plays an important role during volcanic disasters, especially when related to explosive activity. Because of a constant increase of population density around volcanoes, better knowledge of hazards, vulnerability and risks, and better geospatial information, are necessary to governments and planners to produce efficient emergency planning and effective response. UNOSAT work in this domain was developed in 2009 around a numerical model for producing probabilistic hazard assessment emerged from studies at the Geneva University. The methodology incorporates this hazard assessment into a GIS method using fuzzy modelling to draw comprehensive and tangible exposure-based risk maps. Free and global datasets were used to assess the exposure of buildings, vegetation and agriculture, airports, road network and other critical infrastructures. The methodology was applied to the Cotopaxi volcano (Ecuador), which was selected as a case study for developing and testing the method.   For more info : Unosat@unitar.org

Last week Tropical Storm Ida caused weather instability and heavy rains throughout Central America. Nicaragua and El Salvador were the most affected countries with 130 deaths, unconfirmed number of missing people, and thousands homeless in Salvador and some 23,000 people affected and thousands evacuations in Nicaragua.

The United Nations dispatched an emergency coordination and assessment team to the region (UNDAC) and OCHA requested UNOSAT to activate its Rapid Mapping service to help evaluate the damage inflicted by the storm and coordinate relief on the ground. To respond to this request UNOSAT has triggered the International Charter Space and Major Disasters, an international agreement between ESA and various national space agencies that allows the United Nations to benefit from free and rapid satellite data to produce geographic information in the aftermath of major natural disasters.

UNOSAT is engaged in supporting the UN system during emergency respond actions through its Humanitarian Rapid Mapping Service. The service may be activated 24/7 by any UN agency and office worldwide and it comes at no cost for the humanitarian community thanks to predictable donor support. UNOSAT has relied on free data generated by the Charter for the benefit of the UN for almost 25% of its rapid mapping activations since the United Nations have been given access to the Charter Space and Major Disasters in 2003.

 

As the international community steps up efforts to bring relief to people displaced by conflict in Yemen, UNOSAT has released a new IDP analysis report on the IDP camps in Sa’adah, Yemen. This analysis report is based on the most recent very high resolution satellite imagery available, acquired in October 2009. UNITAR/UNOSAT will provide updated analysis as new satellite imagery is acquired. The IDP shelter count was obtained from automated building extraction methods.

This analytical report is part of the UNOSAT Humanitarian Rapid Mapping Service provided to the entire humanitarian community and it is free of charge. It can be downloaded here.

UNOSAT was invited to participate to the first International Conference on Crisis Mapping organized by the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative (HHI) and the Department of Political Science at John Carroll University (JCU). The conference took place in Cleveland, Ohio, 16-18 October 2009 with the purpose to bring together the most engaged practitioners, scholars, software developers and policymakers at the cutting edge of crisis mapping to define the future of the field along with best practices and lessons learned.

Over 60 organizations were represented and multiple partnerships were formed on specific projects during the conference. UNOSAT gave an ignite talk on the UN’s use of satellite imagery during crises and chaired the roundtable discussion on satellite crisis mapping.   View the UNOSAT presentation video  

  Direct link to video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmwPBg30z6M&feature=player_embedded   Additional Links:   View the International Conference on Crisis Mapping (ICCM) website View UNOSAT website