Disaster recovery describes the processes of rebuilding infrastructure and restoring livelihoods, as well as economic, physical, social, cultural and environmental assets, systems and activities following the immediate response after a disaster. Recognizing the need to elude the risk of future disasters, the recovery process needs to be used as an opportunity to rebuild the affected areas and communities in a resilient and sustainable way. Therefore, one of the key priorities of the Sendai Framework is “Building Back Better”, which is a holistic concept to create a more disaster resilient community in an effective and efficient way. Earth observation satellites can support the recovery efforts in many ways such as:
- Providing geospatial information on infrastructure and other assets exposed to hazards before events that triggered their damage or destruction.
- Contributing to damage assessments to plan recovery efforts.
- Facilitating the visualization and identification of geographic areas which can be used for recovery that are not exposed to hazards.
- Modelling different recovery scenarios to assist decision-makers identify better alternatives for recovery.
More information on the use of Earth observation satellites to support recovery efforts can be found here.
In recent years the space community has set up several recovery mechanisms to support recovery efforts through the provision of maps and relevant geospatial information derived from satellite imagery. This section of the UN-SPIDER Knowledge Portal provides information about the following recovery mechanisms:
- Copernicus Risk and Recovery Mapping
- CEOS Recovery Observatory
- International Platform for Recovery
