UN-SPIDER Updates August 2018

UN-SPIDER is working with the Viet Nam Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), the Viet Nam Disaster Management Authority (VNDMA) and the Disaster Management Policy and Technology Center (DMPTC) to promote the use of space-based information in disaster management.

From 13 to 17 August 2018, a team of experts led by UN-SPIDER visited Viet Nam upon… Read more

UN-SPIDER and the National Secretariat for Science and Technology of Guatemala (SENACYT) joined forces to conduct a seminar on the use of science, technology and innovation in disaster risk reduction and response efforts. The seminar was conducted in Guatemala City on 24 July 2018 as part of the week-long CONVERCIENCIA 2018 event organized by SENACYT. The seminar brought together experts from… Read more

The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) has activated the International Charter “Space and Major Disasters” for Typhoon Bebinca in Viet Nam, which is expected to make landfall on 17 August. UNOOSA activated the Charter on behalf of the Vietnam Disaster Management Authority.

Meteorologists have forecasted wind speeds up to 90 kph and up… Read more

The European Space Agency (ESA) launched the much-awaited Aeolus satellite into orbit on 22 August. It will provide data expected to improve weather forecasting and contribute to better disaster management.

Aeolus - the “Keeper of Winds” in Greek mythology - aims to track and profile global wind better. Aeolus uses the Active Doppler Wind Lidar (DLR)… Read more

In May 2018, Planet joined the International Charter “Space and Major Disasters” as an approved data contributor, providing the Charter with 3.7 million Planetscope data from the largest fleet of miniature Earth imagery satellites operated by Planet. Planet's constellation of microsatellites will add to the Charter's ability to respond effectively to calls after… Read more

The United Nations (UN) Statistics Division and the World Bank have published a new guide aimed at supporting nations worldwide, in particular, developing nations, in better utilizing geospatial data in the decision-making process. The “Integrated Geospatial Information Framework”, launched on 24 July 2018, provides a strategic guide on establishing national geospatial… Read more

A break in the heat wave that hit Europe in the summer of 2018 is giving a reprieve to many people who had been suffering from the heat. However, great damages to the vegetation and harvest remain. In Germany, the Association of Farmers … Read more

The International Charter “Space and Major Disasters” has been activated for floods in Venezuela on 15 August and in India on 16 August.

Floods in Venezuela

In Venezuela, persistent heavy rain and swollen rivers have caused severe flooding, which has affected over 10,000 people in the Venezuelan provinces of Amazonas, Apure, Bolivar and… Read more

A new European Space Agency (ESA) project aims to allow developing countries to have greater access to powerful Earth observation tools in order to reduce risks linked to natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods or volcanic eruptions.

ESA’s Earth Observation for Sustainable Development initiative (EO4SD) will encourage International… Read more

The Japanese Aerospace Exploration Authority (JAXA) has released a collection of good practices in disaster emergency observation using data captured by the Advanced Land Observing Satellite-2 "DAICHI-2" (ALOS-2) from 2014 to 2017. The publication showcases the contributions of space technology to disaster risk reduction and demonstrates Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR)… Read more

The International Charter “Space and Major Disasters” has been activated on 6 August after a 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck the island of Lombok, Indonesia.

At least 98 people have been killed and 10,000 have been evacuated after a 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Lombok, destroying buildings and cutting power. The neighbouring islands of… Read more

The African Union (AU) Commission signed a Cooperation Arrangement with the European Commission (EC) in Brussels on 12 June 2018 to facilitate AU’s access to Earth observation data from the Sentinel satellites of the Copernicus Programme.

Under the agreement, the AU Commission, African public users and African disaster management agencies will be able to access… Read more

According to a recent report published by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), space-based information can play a key role in the monitoring of agricultural droughts and forest fires. The "Building Mountain Resilience: Solutions from the Hindu Kush Himalaya" report examines the changing problems facing the Himalayan region of South Asia and… Read more