The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and the Centre for Space Science and Technology Education for Asia and the Pacific (Affiliated to the United Nations) are launching a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on “Geospatial Applications for Disaster Risk Management”. This MOOC is a free and flexible online training programme available to everyone who wants to enhance their capabilities related to the use of geospatial and Earth observation technologies in disaster risk management.
During the challenging times of the COVID-19 outbreak, MOOCs are an effective way of reaching a large number of participants to share knowledge. The proposed MOOC aims to strengthen efforts of disaster management professionals to contribute to achieving the targets of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement stemming from the 21st Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Registration for the MOOC opened on 13 October, the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, and will close on 13 November 2020.
The MOOC is structured into two tracks consisting of several modules:
| Tracks | Track-1 (Basic) | Track-2 (Advanced) |
| Who can attend | Professionals interested in enhancing awareness of the latest trends in disaster risk management and how geospatial and Earth observation technologies contribute to it. | Professionals interested in sharpening skills in use of geospatial and Earth observation technologies in all phases of disaster management. Track 1 is a prerequisite for participating in Track 2. |
| Track-1 to Track-2 | Candidates completing Track- can either leave the training programme or continue with Track-2. | Track-2 can only be undertaken if Track-1 is completed |
| Track overview | Module 1: Overview of disaster risk management (DRM) and the relevance of geospatial technologies Module 2: Earth observation and disaster management | Module 3: Earth Observation and geospatial intelligence for disaster management Module 4: EO system and Hydro-meteorological disasters Module 5: EO system and geological disasters Module 6: EO system and environmental disasters |
| Certification | Candidates completing Track 1 will receive a certificate for completing the Basic Module | Candidates completing the basic and advanced module will receive a certificate for the entire MOOC |
| Assessment | Each module ends with a self-assessment. The completion of the self-assessment allows participants to access other modules. | |
| Language | All lectures and training materials will be in the English language. | |
| Duration (including videos, assignments and quizes) | Track 1 and Track 2 training modules are of 12 hours duration each. With a flexible schedule, the MOOC can be completed anytime during the duration the course remains open. Registration opens 13 October 2020. | |
| Course fee | Free | |
Participants in the MOOC will:
- Access to experts from institutions and practitioners around the world
- Networking with a global network of experts and policymakers
- Insight into international frameworks related to disaster management, sustainable development and climate change from organizations such as the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), and mechanisms like the International Charter ”Space and Major Disasters”
- Unleash the potential of open datasets and tools needed for disaster risk management
- Access to the methodologies for effective utilization of space-based and other geospatial information for disaster risk reduction and emergency response
Course content
Track 1: Basic Module
Remarks by Dr. Simonetta Di Pippo, Director, UNOOSA
Remarks by Dr. K. Sivan, Chairman, ISRO
Introduction to Track 1: Dr. Prakash Chauhan, Director, CSSTEAP
Session 1: Overview of disasters, causes and impact – Dr. Sanjay Srivastava, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, Thailand
Session 2: Concept of DRM, disaster management terminologies, methods and tools – Prof. Talbot Brooks, Delta State University, USA
Session 3: International cooperation for promoting space technologies in disaster management – Dr. Shirish Ravan, United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, Austria
Module 1 Self-assessment
Module 2: Earth observation and disaster management
Session 4: Geospatial technologies to support disaster risk management – Dr. SP Aggarwal, Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, ISRO, India
Session 5: Earth observation systems for disaster management – Dr. Valerie Graw, Ruhr-University Bochum (RUB), Germany
Session 6: National/regional disaster support systems/mechanisms:
International Charter Space and Major Disasters: Jens Danzeglocke, German Aerospace Center
Copernicus EMS (ESA): Dr Annett Wania, Joint Research Centre, European Commission
India Disaster Management System: Dr. P.V.N. Rao, National Remote Sensing Centre, ISRO, India
Module 2 Self-assessment
Use cases
Case 1: Landslide hazard mapping – Dr. P.K. Champati Ray, Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, ISRO, India
Case 2: Flood hazard mapping – Mr. C.M. Bhatt, Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, ISRO, India
Case 3: Use of very high-resolution satellite images for post-disaster damage assessment – Mr. Abhineet Jain, MAXAR
Case 4: Case study on vulnerability assessment – Dr. Stefan Kienberger, University of Salzburg, Austria
Track 2: Advanced Module
Introduction to Track 2: Dr. Shirish Ravan, United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs
Module 3: Earth Observation and Geospatial Intelligence for Disaster Management
Session 1: Fundamentals of remote sensing, Overview of EO systems and data availability – Ms. Shefali Agrawal, Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, ISRO, India
Session 2: Geospatial intelligence for crisis management – Prof. Talbot Brooks, Delta State University, USA
Assignment: Open source Earth observation data and software (weblinks to UN-SPIDER Knowledge Portal, Copernicus Open Access Hub, etc.)
Module 3 Self-assessment
Module 4: EO system and Hydro-meteorological disasters
Session 3: Flood mapping, monitoring and modelling – Dr. KHV Durga Rao, National Remote Sensing Centre, ISRO, India
Session 4: Drought mapping, monitoring & forecasting – Dr. Giriraj Amarnath, International Water Management Institute, Sri Lanka
Assignment: Links to the UN-SPIDER Recommended Practices for flood and drought mapping (UN-SPIDER Knowledge Portal, IIRS)
Module 4 quiz
Module 5: EO system and geological disasters
Session 5: Landslides mapping and monitoring – Dr. D.P. Kanungo Central Building Research Institute, India
Session 6: Earthquake-induced post-disaster damage assessment – Dr. P.K. Champati Ray, Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, ISRO, India
Assignment: Links to the UN-SPIDER Recommended Practices for landslide and earthquake damage assessment (UN-SPIDER Knowledge Portal, IIRS)
Module 5 Self-assessment
Session 7: Forest degradation and forest fire monitoring and damage assessment – Dr. Arijit Roy, Indian Institute of Remote Sensing of ISRO
Session 8: Land degradation and soil erosion assessment and monitoring – Dr Ajai, Space Applications Centre, ISRO, India
Assignment: Links to the UN-SPIDER Recommended Practices for landslide and earthquake damage assessment (UN-SPIDER Knowledge Portal, IIRS)
Module 6 Self-assessment
System requirements
Minimum Browsers Requirements: Google Chrome 11, Firefox 4, Safari 5, Internet Explorer 8
Recommended Settings:
- Make sure that the browser is set to accept cookies
- JavaScript must be enabled
Course Coordinator and contact point: Mr. C.M.Bhatt, Centre for Space Science and
Technology Education in Asia and the Pacific (CSSTEAP), Affiliated to the United
Nations (Email:isat
iirs [dot] gov [dot] in)
