The United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT), recognized by the Economic and Social Council in its resolution E/2021/L.221, provides satellite imagery-based analysis, training and capacity development to the United Nations system and Member States across their territories.

Through its Emergency Mapping Service (EMS), UNOSAT provides United Nations agencies, Member States, and other international humanitarian organizations with cost-free satellite imagery analysis to support humanitarian assistance in response to major disasters and crises worldwide. With 24/7 year-round availability, the team of experienced analysts ensures timely and tailored delivery of satellite imagery-derived maps (both live web and static maps), reports, and data ready for direct inclusion in geospatial data for evidence-based decision making and operational planning.

UNOSAT is recognized as a principal partner of the International Charter Space and Major Disasters for the benefit of United Nations agencies and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). In addition, UNOSAT leads the Satellite Mapping Coordination System (SMCS), which is a web-based tool of the Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System (GDACS) pertaining to the planning of satellite data acquisition over areas of interest to prevent overlapping mapping efforts, hence facilitating horizontal coordination between different mapping organizations providing satellite analysis and maps during major disaster events.

The partnership between UNOSAT and OCHA in Myanmar yielded several significant outcomes that demonstrate the exceptional return on investment that satellite imagery mapping services provide to humanitarian operations:

1.Enhanced Assessment Planning and Resource Optimization

UNOSAT's damage assessments directly informed OCHA's Multi-Sector Initial Rapid Assessment (MIRA) framework, creating an evidence-based prioritization system that maximized the efficiency of limited assessment resources: 

Strategic Prioritization Framework:
• Priority 1: Areas with visible destruction, but with humanitarian access constraints
• Priority 2: Accessible areas with visible destruction
• Priority 3: Areas with minimal visible damage

Roberto Colombo emphasized the operational impact: 

It's one of the times that I've used more the UNOSAT mapping product to really help me to define where those locations were. Using the level of destruction what we see from the sky, we can prioritize where to send first responders.

OCHA faced the challenge of prioritizing among over 2,000 potential assessment locations with limited resources. Roberto Colombo explained how UNOSAT's damage analysis became one of several key criteria used alongside security assessments, logistical feasibility assessments, and population density data to select 700 priority sites for field teams.

Using the level of destruction what we see from the sky, we can prioritize where to send first responders,

Colombo noted, emphasizing how satellite-derived information helped optimize resource allocation within existing operational constraints.

2. Strengthened Humanitarian Coordination and Information Sharing

UNOSAT's damage assessments became a key component of inter-agency coordination, addressing a critical information gap in Myanmar's complex operational environment. OCHA's Field Information Services created a unified web platform that integrated UNOSAT's damage points with other humanitarian data, significantly expanding access to critical intelligence beyond traditional satellite imagery users.

Eric Allen Jr. noted the multiplier effect of integrating UNOSAT products into OCHA's information sharing and planning:

We use it for planning purposes, for assessment planning... Those situational updates went to the regional office and then the regional office will send it to the Country Office... many of the figures that UNOSAT provided went into those situational updates.

Additionally, OCHA shared the UNOSAT analysis results and maps in PDF format with colleagues in the field every time something was published. This dual-format approach proved essential when connectivity issues plagued field operations, as Eric noted: 

Myanmar reminded us that we still need accessible formats like PDFs. That was the only way colleagues in the field, including all clusters, were able to access critical information when digital systems failed.

The UNDP analysis integrated advanced satellite imagery-derived building damage classifications (destroyed, damaged, and possibly damaged) from UNOSAT and Copernicus with Microsoft's building footprint, height, and floor count data from the Global Human Settlement layer.

The remote sensing paints a very concerning picture. It’s critical that we rapidly verify on the ground this view from on high. We need to get patients and the displaced back under solid roofs and start to repair critical infrastructure, 

-Titon Mitra, UNDP Resident Representative in Myanmar, said from Sagaing, speaking during a mission to the earthquake epicentre.

3. Support for Humanitarian Response Planning

UNOSAT's satellite analysis contributed to the evidence base that informed the Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP) Earthquake Flash Addendum, which requested $275 million USD to reach 1.1 million people with urgent aid, the satellite-based analysis provided critical damage intelligence for areas inaccessible to ground teams, complementing population exposure models and field assessments to build a comprehensive picture of humanitarian needs.

The collaboration extended across multiple UN agencies and operational partners. Roberto Colombo highlighted specific coordination with key actors: 

We shared this information especially with WFP to help them identify where they could locate warehouses or where they should not be locating warehouses... We guided other partners to say, 'this is what we've done (with UNITAR-UNOSAT), this is a model that we would like you to replicate.

This systematic information sharing contributed to a common operational picture that helped inform humanitarian funding allocation and helped prevent costly duplication of assessment efforts across the humanitarian community.

4. Methodological Improvements and Future Applications

The Myanmar earthquake response illustrated a combined satellite imagery and ground-based damage assessment methodology through the integration of UNOSAT's UN-ASIGN crowd-sourcing application with satellite imagery analysis. This combined approach significantly enhances both the accuracy and completeness of damage assessments.

Over 1,000 geolocated photos were uploaded through UN-ASIGN during the response, creating a robust ground-based validation system that complemented UNOSAT's satellite analysis. Roberto Colombo explained the operational integration:

We use UN-ASIGN, which is also one of the tools supported by UNOSAT, to validate the damage building destruction maps. We'll go to locations where there were clusters and using UN-ASIGN we'll take pictures that would be represented on the UNOSAT website.

This integration between satellite imagery and ground-based validation was made possible by UN-ASIGN's technical capabilities, specifically designed for challenging operational environments. The mobile application enables humanitarian workers to upload geotagged photos with annotations that integrate directly into UNOSAT's live mapping products in near real-time, even over low-bandwidth connections—a critical feature in Myanmar's compromised connectivity environment. This capability enabled field teams to systematically validate satellite-identified damage clusters, effectively ground-check results, and further enhance the reliability and credibility of UNOSAT's live mapping products.

Ground-truthing or ground-checking is the stage that comes after satellite imagery analysis. It involves conducting a formal field survey to check the accuracy of the satellite imagery analysis results. Ground-checking is the current term that is favoured.

5. Return on Investment

When asked about operating without UNOSAT's services, Eric Allen Jr. highlighted the operational advantages: 

We would have to leverage other organizations outside the UN system, which becomes tricky because they have their own mandates. This could delay our initial damage assessment by 3-7 days.

While alternative satellite providers exist, UNOSAT's 20 years of experience serving humanitarian operations and 24/7 availability provide operational efficiencies that translate to faster initial response coordination.

UNOSAT's Competitive Advantages

• UN System Integration: Direct mandate to serve humanitarian operations
• 24/7 Mapping Service: Delivered initial assessments within 24-72 hours at no cost
• Coordination Leadership: Central role in international mapping coordination through the International Charter Space and Major Disasters, and GDACS-SMCS
• Adaptability: Results available in multiple data formats to maximize accessibility
• Predictability: Two decades of consistent service delivery have established UNOSAT as a partner that humanitarian organizations know they can rely on to respond to crisis

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis - UNOSAT's analysis contributed to more effective humanitarian resource allocation through several mechanisms

• Enhanced Assessment Efficiency: Reduced field team deployment time by weeks through improved site prioritization capabilities
• Improved Resource Targeting: Provided valuable information that contributed to humanitarian funding reaching priority areas more effectively
• Accelerated Decision-making: Contributed to faster initial coordination by providing a rapid damage overview
• Reduced Coordination Complexity: Helped eliminate overlapping efforts across multiple agencies through centralized mapping coordination

The Myanmar earthquake response demonstrated once more how time how UNOSAT's satellite imagery analysis enhances humanitarian operations, and how UNOSAT's collaboration with UNOCHA measurably improves emergency coordination.

Recommendations

• Enhanced SAR change detection for rapid damage hotspot identification
• Building footprint integration for advanced infrastructure damage assessment
• API access improvements for real-time data integration with humanitarian partners

This impact story provides concrete evidence that UNOSAT's Emergency Mapping Service contributes to measurable improvements in humanitarian coordination: enhanced response efficiency, improved resource allocation and decision-making, strengthened inter-agency coordination, and, ultimately, more effective delivery of life-saving assistance to vulnerable populations.

As humanitarian needs continue to grow globally while funding remains constrained, UNOSAT's satellite capabilities represent a critical multiplier for humanitarian effectiveness, helping ensure that humanitarian resources achieve maximum impact for those who need it most.