On 3 October 2016 the Copernicus Emergency Management Service was activated at the request of the European Commission' services for Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection.
The President of the National Emergency Commission of the Dominican Republic activated the Inter-Institutional Geo-Spatial Information Team (EIGEO) to generate relevant information to support emergency relief efforts in areas affected by hurricane Matthew in the Dominican Republic and in Haiti.
On 3 October 2016 the International Charter Space and Major Disasters was activated due to Hurricane Matthew in Haiti. The request for activation was due to heavy rain and winds reaching up to 145 mph. Haiti, a country susceptible to floods, has already experienced the consequences of the storm with three deaths, missing fisherman and several thousands of people evacuated.
The activation of the Charter was requested by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) on behalf of the Pacific Disaster Center, the latest being nominated as Project Manager for this Charter activation.
On 17 November 2014, the Convention on Satellite-based Environmental Monitoring in Haiti (SEAS-Haiti) was signed by representatives of France and of Haiti.
At the agreement's core is the implementation of a technological platform for sustainable environmental management in Haiti and the Caribbean, using satellite imagery for research, training, innovation and sustainable development.
OCHA led the humanitarian response to Haiti’s devastating earthquake in January 2010, which killed 217,300 people and affected 2.1 million Haitians. Tens months later, with the country still struggling to recover from the earthquake, a cholera outbreak added to Haiti’s woes.
After four years of field research and analytic support provided to the Republic of Haiti and multiple partners there, the Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN) has launched the Haiti GeoPortal, as CIESIN reported on their website.
The International Charter: Space and Major Disasters was activated twice in the context of Hurricane Sandy - the largest Atlantic tropical storm system on record. UNITAR/UNOSAT on behalf of UNOCHA activated the mechanism on 29 October 2012 for Haiti. Hurricane Sandy tore through the Caribbean between 26-28 October, leaving a reported 51 dead in Haiti and another 15 missing. The country's housing and terrain are particularly vulnerable to flooding, and the refugee camps from the 2010 earthquake have also been affected by the storm.
Crowdsource Mapping aims at an improved disaster management: The idea is to collect data from as many on-site sources as possible and translate that real-time data into maps. Being aware of the surrounding and the infrastructure, locals can render accurate geo-referenced information or comment on existing data and thereby help disaster managers expand the information they need for emergency operations.
Crowdsource Mapping aims at an improved disaster management: The idea is to collect data from as many on-site sources as possible and translate that real-time data into maps.
UN-SPIDER's Regional Support Office CATHALAC (Water Center for the Humid Tropics of Latin America and the Caribbean) conducted a satellite-based analysis of floodings caused by the lakes Azuei in Haiti and Enriquillo in the Dominican Republic. As indicated recently by the Associated Press (AP), the expansion of these lake has caused flooding of neighboring farmland, and consequently, significant damage in both countries