Flood

A methodology for satellite based flood detection developed (Brakenridge et al, 2007) at Dartmouth Flood Observatory (DFO) was modified at the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission and implemented on an automatic operational basis. The technique uses AMSR-E passive
microwave remote sensing data of the descending orbit, H polarization, 36 GHz band which is sensitive to water surface changes. The sensor revisits every place on Earth once per day and can therefore provide a daily temporal resolution. Sensor data is available 24 hours after acquisition.
Thresholding the signal of water surface change allows the detection of riverine inundation events. The comparison of gauging and satellite measurements show a significant correlation in the increase of river discharge on-site and changes in the observed signal of the sensor. Thus the technique for the detection of flood events in ungauged and inaccessible remote river channels is feasible from…

Near real-time global flood models do not adjust lake levels and river flow rates to reflect effects of dams. Incorrect data can leave surrounding communities vulnerable to potential flood disasters. Adjusted flood models that properly account for downstream releases can help to mitigate the effects of future floods. Using Jason-1, Jason-2 and Envisat altimeters a comparison with in-situ data for a study site demonstrated the usefulness of satelitte altimetry data for measuring reservoir heights, thus providing information on water storage changes.

Intense and continuous rains brought on by tropical depression TD17F caused flooding in large parts of Fiji.In some places more than 300 mm of rain fell in less than 24 hours since the early hours of 30 March and subsequent flash flooding caught many by surprise. So far three deaths have been reported.

As of 31 March 2012, 49 evacuation centers (of which 31 schools) with in total more than 3700 people, approximately half of which are children, have been operational in Ra (4), Tavua (5), Ba (14), Lautoka (10), Nadi (8) and Sigatoka (8).The situation is considered worse than the recent flooding in January 2012,as more areas are flooded. Deterioration of the situation can be expected as further weather systems accompanied by heavy rains are expected to affect Fiji.

The International Charter Space and Major Disasters was activated by UNOOSA on behalf of the OCHA Sub…

The UN-SPIDER Regional Support Office (RSO) in Romania is hosted by the Romanian Space Agency (ROSA).  The cooperation agreement between ROSA and UNOOSA was signed on occasion of the 52nd COPUOS, 4 June 2009.

Established in 1991, by the Government Decision no. 923/ 20 Nov 1995, ROSA is an independent public institution.

The mission of the Agency:

• to coordinate the national space research and applications programs
• to promote space development
• to be the Government representative in the international space cooperation
• to develop specific project oriented research

ROSA is authorized to establish research and development centres oriented on specific objectives of the Romanian Space Programme.

The Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) of Pakistan and the United Nations Office of Outer space Affairs (UNOOSA) signed the cooperation agreement on the establishment of a UN-SPIDER Regional Support Office (RSO) on the occasion of the 47th Scientific and Technical Subcommittee sessions on 12 February 2010.

SUPARCO, the national space agency, was established in 1961 as a Committee and was granted the status of a Commission in 1981. SUPARCO is mandated to conduct R&D in space science, space technology, and their peaceful applications in the country. It works towards developing indigenous capabilities in space technology and promoting space applications for socio-economic uplift of the country.

Address:

Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO)
Islamabad Highway,
Islamabad-44000 Pakistan

http://www.suparco.gov.pk/

Mission/Objective:

To…

The Asia Disaster Reduction Center (ADRC) and the United Nations Office of Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) signed the cooperation agreement on establishment of the ADRC UN-SPIDER Regional Support Office (RSO) on the occasion of the 52nd session of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) on 4th June 2009.

Namibia's President Pohamba declares floods emergency

Namibia's President Hifikepunye Pohamba has declared a state of emergency following serious flooding in the north of the southern African country.

More than 20 people are reported to have drowned and some 10,000 displaced, many from the town of Oshakati.

The BBC's Frauke Jensen in the capital Windhoek says livestock have been lost, crops destroyed and roads washed away.

There has been heavy rainfall since January, causing water levels to rise in the Zambezi and Okavango rivers.

Two years ago, more than 90 people were killed by floods in Namibia.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12913487

The flood already exceeds the 2009 flood, which was then considered to be the highest in known history. Reports from upstream (Angola) indicate that more water is expected and the Namibian Meteorological Services predicted more rains next week.

Contacts

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The focus of this study was to thoroughly exploit the capability of very high-resolution (VHR) satellite imagery such as Ikonos and QuickBird for disaster mitigation. An efficient automated methodology that detects damage was implemented to derive the rich information available from VHR satellite imagery. Consequently, the detected results and the VHR satellite imagery are attractively presented through a fly-over animation and visualization. The aim is to assist the field-based damage estimation and to strengthen public awareness. The available Ikonos and QuickBird data captured after the Bam, Iran, earthquake in December 2003 was employed to demonstrate the competence of the automated detection algorithm and fly-over animation/visualization. These results are consistent with the field-based damage results.

Little is currently known about the potential role of satellite imagery for monitoring and assessing the recovery phase of the disaster management cycle. The impacts and aftermath of Hurricane Katrina provide a unique opportunity to explore recovery at a time when commercial high-resolution remote sensing platforms offer an optimal resolution for such studies. The spatial, spectral and temporal signatures of the recovery process are currently being explored based on field and imagery based observations along the Gulf of Mexico Coastline of the United States.
The work seeks to document and describe characteristics of the recovery process through time. A NHC Quick Response Field Grant supported field deployment to collect benchmark (9 month post-event) ‘ground truth’ datasets for informing the remote sensing analysis and validating results. During the nine day deployment within the Hurricane Katrina impact area, the field team documented a range of…