After the workshop the German Space Agency (DLR) has organized in September 2011, the Joint Research Centre (JCR) hosted a follow-up meeting in Ispra in April 2012, during which the International Working Group on Satellite Based Emergency Mapping (IWG-SEM) was officially established.
Over the last decade, the use of earth observation satellites has become more and more important to support disaster management and emergency relief, with an increasing number of players involved from governments, academia, industry, NGOs and internet communities. Taking into account this matter, IWEG-SEM was created with the following mission statement:
'Establish best practices between operational satellite-based emergency mapping programs to stimulate communication and collaboration to include definition of map product generation guidelines, coordination of expertise and capacities, building of training curriculum, participation in common exercises, and reviewing relevant technical standards and protocols and to work with the appropriate organizations to define professional standards for emergency mapping.'
