{"id":72123,"date":"2021-07-06T08:02:00","date_gmt":"2021-07-06T08:02:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/?p=72123"},"modified":"2024-02-27T13:54:18","modified_gmt":"2024-02-27T13:54:18","slug":"using-satellite-imagery-for-emergency-disaster-response","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/news\/using-satellite-imagery-for-emergency-disaster-response\/","title":{"rendered":"Using satellite imagery for emergency disaster response"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Over the past 35 years, there has been almost a fivefold increase in the number of recorded disaster events, which include geohazards such as landslides, earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic activity. In the immediate aftermath of these disasters, the timely use of satellite imagery can help to substantially reduce further humanitarian impact and loss of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since 2008, BGS has responded to international calls for satellite-based, disaster situation maps to aid relief efforts and, later, to help build resilience to future events. Working remotely, we rapidly create maps and deliver advice required by a range of stakeholders including governments, international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and local relief teams working on the ground. In some cases, remote working is also followed by targeted fieldwork.<\/p>\n\n\n\t\t\t

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\u2018There is no such thing as a natural disaster.\u200a Disasters result when a hazard affects human settlement which is not appropriately resourced or organized to withstand the impact and whose population is vulnerable because of poverty, exclusion or socially disadvantaged in some way.\u2019<\/p>\n

Mizutori, United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, 2020.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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BGS routinely gathers and pre-prepares global imagery and elevation datasets. When a disaster occurs, we have base data ready and can quickly integrate new imagery and data to respond to disasters using custom 3D geological interpretation environments. BGS \u00a9 UKRI.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t

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Emergency response<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Satellite imagery has wide applicability for the full disaster lifecycle, including response. Satellites capture consistent data of differing spatial and spectral resolutions over large areas (up to thousands of square kilometres) with no risk to human life. These characteristics, along with the complementary nature of optical and radar data, improve what can be monitored over difficult terrain at times when access is made impossible by the disaster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In many cases, satellite imagery is the only timely source of data for emergency response. Recognising these benefits, many satellite imagery providers are making their imagery freely available for disaster response through a variety of mechanisms, e.g. the UN International Charter: Space and Major Disasters<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n

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The full disaster management cycle is shown by the inner two circles. The outer (gold) circle shows the BGS activities that support immediate relief efforts (response). This includes satellite map production and interpretation, which may be followed by fieldwork and published reports (post-disaster). The last step of the cycle may include the delivery of data products and training in preparation for future events (pre-disaster). BGS \u00a9 UKRI; adapted from\u00a0The International Charter Space and Major Disaster\/ESA GSE RESPOND.<\/p>\n

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BGS emergency response timeline<\/h2>\n\n\n\t\t\t
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2008 \u2014 Montserrat: volcanic eruption<\/h5>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

he International Charter: Space and Major Disasters was activated to acquire satellite observation data covering the eruption event of the Soufri\u00e8re Hills volcano on the Caribbean island of Montserrat on 29 July 2008. Earth observation data, provided rapidly by BGS and the University of Reading, was a crucial piece of evidence used by scientists in advising government on the post-eruption state of the volcano. As a result, people who had been evacuated following the eruption were able to return to their homes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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2011 \u2014 Japan: earthquake and tsunami<\/h5>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

On 11 March 2011, a M9.0 earthquake caused a devastating tsunami along a 500\u00a0km length of the eastern shoreline of Honshu Island, Japan. The earthquake itself caused relatively little damage, but the resulting tsunami caused a great loss of life and damage. BGS used satellite imagery to quickly determine where the tsunami had inundated and to help decipher its flow paths and assess the damage caused. Soon afterwards, BGS staff joined an international team studying sediments laid down by the tsunami. The research led to a better understanding of the impact of future tsunamis and how they will affect lives and livelihoods. This work also improved international collaboration on this key topic.<\/p>\n

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2015 \u2014 Pakistan: earthquake and landslides<\/h5>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

On 26 October 2015, a M7.5 earthquake struck north-west Pakistan. The earthquake caused damage to more than 100 000 houses, which led to a significant loss of life. Landslides blocked roads, which further hindered relief efforts. BGS provided a limited response for the FCDO<\/a>, DfID<\/a> and Civil Contingencies Secretariat<\/a>, which included a briefing document on \u2018Any information on landslide and risk of future landslides\u2019.<\/p>\n

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2015 \u2014 Nepal: earthquake and landslides<\/h5>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

The 2015 earthquake sequence in Nepal, including the M7.8 Gorkha earthquake of 25 April and the M7.3 Dolakha aftershock of 12 May, triggered several thousand landslides. BGS led the UK response to an urgent UK Government request to provide advice on landslide hazard and impacts. Imagery from the International Charter: Space and Major Disaster (and from other suppliers) was used to deliver \u00a0) to UK Government, to help coordinate and inform our response on the ground, and to relief organisations (e.g. World Food Programme; MapAction; UNOSAT) to help plan and deliver aid. Subsequently, BGS also led the UK Government-funded project to monitor landslide activity throughout the following six months when the monsoon hit Nepal.<\/p>\n

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\u2018In the name of ESA congratulations\u2026 BGS is really tackling an important piece of work in the context of DRM [disaster risk management] in Nepal.\u2019<\/p>\n

European Space Agency<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2018Thank you, and all your team for all the fantastic work you are doing on producing imagery following the two earthquakes in Nepal and for future monsoon work [….] and as always BGS give excellent products, which I have put in front of ministers at every opportunity.\u2019<\/p>\n

Cabinet Office Civil Contingencies Secretariat<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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2016 \u2014 Ecuador: earthquake<\/h5>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

BGS played a leading role in building an inventory of landslides and advising on the associated hazards following the M7.8 Ecuador earthquake on 16 April 2016. Landslide situation analyses were produced for a number of areas in Ecuador, providing valuable advice to the UK Government and international agencies. A variety of satellite imagery (obtained via the International Charter: Space and Major Disasters) was used to create maps of landslides active since the earthquake.<\/p>\n

\u2018558 landslides were detected by our partners from the British Geological Survey using data provided by UNOSAT. This information is made available for the recovery efforts to rebuild after the earthquake, thus helping to bridge the data gap from emergency situation to reconstruction.\u2019<\/p>\n

United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR)<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

BGS was included in the group that won the USGS-NASA Pecora Award<\/a> in 2017 for \u2018outstanding support to the global community during times of crisis\u2019. The award recognised the project management and mapping products provided by BGS as part of several responses worldwide.<\/p>\n<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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2017 \u2014 Sierra Leone: landslides<\/h5>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

On 14 August 2017, heavy rain fell in the Sierra Leone capital, Freetown, which triggered a catastrophic landslide that travelled 6\u00a0km through the city to the sea. A national emergency was declared; more than 3000 were left homeless, hundreds of buildings were buried or completely destroyed and over 1000 fatalities were recorded. The International Charter (264)<\/a> was activated on behalf of the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) Sierra Leone Office and BGS immediately provided maps and advice. The recently elected President approved a new Mudslide Prevention Inter Agency Committee to tackle the issue of landslides and urban development.<\/p>\n

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\u2018The [2018] Sierra Leone Multi-City Hazard Review and Risk Assessment<\/a> would not have been possible without the dedication and support of different partners and stakeholders at national and local levels, who contributed both time and expertise.\u2019<\/p>\n

Ove Arup & Partners International Ltd (report authors) on behalf of The World Bank.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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2018 \u2014 Philippines: typhoon and landslides<\/h5>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Following the activation of Charter 586, Typhoon Mangkhut in Philippines<\/a>, in September 2018, BGS scientists produced a landslide inventory, which mapped 263 landslides. The inventory was prepared in rapid mapping mode based on satellite interpretation, which focused on areas near roads, buildings and rivers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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2018 \u2014 Indonesia: earthquake, tsunami and landslides<\/h5>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A large M7.5 earthquake in Palu, Sulawesi, Indonesia, on 28 September 2018, triggered liquefaction flows and coastal landslides leading to tsunami. The BGS study assessed \u2018before and after\u2019 high-resolution optical imagery to establish inundation limits and coastline changes. Fieldwork was then undertaken to assess coastal landslides as sources of the tsunami.<\/p>\n

This work was funded through a NERC urgency grant<\/a>. BGS worked with the Indonesian Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT), who assisted with data collection, fieldwork and logistics. The impacts of this work included a strengthening of research partnerships, increased understanding of tsunami mechanisms and, therefore, better-informed tsunami generation models.<\/p>\n<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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2018 \u2014 Anak Krakatau: tsunami<\/h5>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

The volcano Anak Krakatau (\u2018Child of Krakatoa\u2019), located between Java and Sumatra, collapsed on 22 December 2018, causing a devastating tsunami that killed hundreds of people and displaced tens of thousands more living on the coasts of Indonesia.<\/p>\n

BGS earth observation staff used satellite data to assist the fieldwork, which required the collection of laboratory samples and to understand the interactions between eruptive activity and sector collapse at Anak Krakatau. Satellite data was the only consistent source of data between June and December 2018. This data provided evidence of relatively low-intensity Strombolian activity, which prevented any fieldwork on the ground. This low-intensity activity was a precursor to the final collapse, which halved the original size of the island.<\/p>\n

The work was funded by Global Geological Risk Platform of the BGS NC-ODA grant NE\/R000069\/1:\u00a0Geoscience for Sustainable Futures<\/em> and two NERC grants: NE\/S003509\/1 and NE\/T002018\/1<\/p>\n<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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2019 \u2014 Mozambique and Zimbabwe: Cyclone Idai<\/h5>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Tropical Cyclone Idai made landfall on 14 March 2019 through Beira City, central Mozambique. Heavy rains, flash flooding and landslides caused extensive damage to key road routes and bridges before cutting off many affected areas. BGS was approached by the FCDO (DfID at the time), which was leading the UK humanitarian response to the event. We supplied UK Government with a rainfall-triggered landslide hazard classification based on satellite data. Our results were passed to the EU Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) for use by civil protection teams.<\/p>\n<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\t

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Debris from the Freetown landslide, including huge boulders. Freetown, Sierra Leone, 15 August 2017. BGS \u00a9 UKRI.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t

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Map of over 3000 active landslides in Nepal, produced by BGS and Durham University and other agencies. Published 8 May 2015. BGS \u00a9 UKRI.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t

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Preliminary co-seismic landslide inventory map for Portoviejo, Ecuador.<\/a> BGS \u00a9 UKRI.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t

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Practice change<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the immediate aftermath of geohazard events, rapid response is necessary, so preparing and establishing workflows, processes and output templates is crucial. For example, prior to events, preparation of susceptibility maps facilitates pre-positioning for potential future events. After events, mobile data-capture systems are used in the field to quickly and accurately record information on the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n

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National Minerals Agency staff working through a BGS-led training exercise in hazard mapping, Sierra Leone. BGS \u00a9 UKRI.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t

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The BGS-led METEOR<\/a> project takes a step-change in the application of earth observation. This project not only looks at exposure to hazards; it also addresses multi-hazards and their impacts on lives and livelihoods. The project has released exposure data that we developed for 44 countries, which will help our international disaster planning and responses for events in the future. We are specifically working with two countries, Nepal and Tanzania, to provide robust data at national scale for disaster risk management (DRM). However, the direct impacts on lives and livelihoods are difficult to quantify and\/or evidence due to the dynamic way disaster events unfold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sustainable development goals<\/h2>\n\n\n\t\t\t\t
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\"E-WEB-Goal-01[1]\"
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Target 1.5 of SDG 1: by 2030, build the resilience of the poor and those in vulnerable situations and reduce their exposure and vulnerability to climate-related extreme events and other economic, social and environmental shocks and disasters.<\/p>\n

The BGS ODA Programme is addressing this by working with partners from the Caribbean to Nepal to develop tools (such as smartphone apps) and improve our knowledge of hazard processes (e.g. landslides) and their impacts on lives and livelihoods<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>

\"E-WEB-Goal-11\"
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Target 11.5 of SDG 11: by 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by disasters, including water-related disasters, with a focus on protecting the poor and people in vulnerable situations.<\/p>\n

The METEOR<\/a> project supports this aim by providing robust exposure data for all 47 least developed countries on the OECD list to help make informed Disaster Risk Management decisions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>

\"E-WEB-Goal-17\"
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Target 17.16 of SDG 17: enhance the global partnership for sustainable development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilise and share knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources, to support the achievement of the sustainable development goals in all countries, in particular developing countries.<\/p>\n

The METEOR<\/a> project is committed to working with a range of partners within the project framework and with local governments and relief agencies to facilitate resource mobilization, technology and capacity-building.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\n\n

Partners and funding<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Our disaster response efforts are supported by funding streams such as NERC Urgency Grants, the Global Geological Risk Platform of the British Geological Survey NC-ODA grant NE\/R000069\/1: Geoscience for Sustainable Futures, and BGS National Capability funds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Further information<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Find out more about BGS disaster response research<\/a> or contact BGS Enquiries<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\t\t

About the author<\/h2>\n\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Luke\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Luke Bateson<\/h5>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Principal remote sensing geologist<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

BGS Keyworth<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tFind out more<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t
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Relative topics<\/h5>\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdisaster risk reduction<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tearth observation<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\temergency response<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tgeohazards<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tresilience<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\n\n

References<\/h2>\n\n\n
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