1. CEOS Working Group on Disasters
Committee on Earth Observation Satellites
CEOS Working Group on Disasters
Stéphane Chalifoux et al., CSA,
Chair of CEOS WG on Disasters
CEOS 6th Working Group for Capacity Building and Data Democracy (WGCapD)-6
Annual Meeting
DLR Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany
27th-29th March, 2017

2. CEOS

3. CEOS WG Disasters Overview
The overarching goals of this Working Group are to increase and strengthen satellite Earth observation contributions to the various DRM phases and to inform politicians, decision-makers, and major stakeholders on the benefits of using satellite Earth Observations in each of those phases.
To achieve these goals, CEOS Agencies have agreed to a series of objectives/actions that will improve the coordination of Earth Observations satellites, improve satellite Earth Observation data distribution, and foster the use of satellite data for risk reduction as an added value to other data sources, in order to provide a more accurate information to the decision-makers. Those actions are largely user- driven.
For more information about CEOS Working Group on Disasters, please visit our website at .

4. CEOS WG Disasters

5. World Conference on Disaster Reduction and Recovery (WCDRR) – Sendai, Japan
Sendai Framework (SF) – adopted for period; explicit references to satellite EO and several articles relying on the use of remote sensing data:
to produce regular up-to-date risk maps;
strong emphasis on monitoring risk reduction progress;
to outreach disaster risk information to decision maker, the general public and communities.

6. CEOS Disaster Risk Management Pilots
Three thematic pilots (floods, seismic hazards, volcanoes) approved April 2014 to run until end 2017.
Recovery Observatory approved November 2014 and was triggered on December 22, to cover the area devastated by Hurricane Matthew in southwestern Haiti.
Fourth thematic pilot on landslides approved November 2015.
Pilots and RO meaningfully demonstrate how satellite EO contributes to all DRM phases, with strong user involvement.
Photos: Brackenridge Mississippi Floods (DFO), TSX data on Reventador, ISTerre (visco-elasticity in Tibet) ,

7. Flood Pilot Overview
Demonstrate effective application of EO to the full cycle of flood management at all scales
Global Flood Dashboard (single access for multiple existing systems)
Three regional pilots showcasing end user benefit of frequent high spatial resolution observations (Caribbean, Southern Africa, Mekong/Java)
Encouraging at least base-level in-country capacity to access EO data and integrate into operational systems and flood management practices.
Flood coverage map for Sri Lanka
On 8 May 2016 derived from
Landsat-8 OLI

8. Flood Pilot Overview
Worked with Southern African water managers through partners such as ESA-TIGER project (workshops, training).
Could be joint work with WGCapD for next phase on local capacity development; training planned for fall 2017 in Argentina.

9. Volcano Pilot Overview
Improve coordination of satellite data acquisition over volcanoes, demonstrate efficiency of EO-based monitoring methodologies as a complement to in-situ measurements, and support and continue the GSNL initiative
Demonstrate feasibility of systematic global monitoring in regional arc (Latin America)
Develop new EO-based monitoring products at supersites
Real-time in-depth monitoring of one ‘100-year’ category major eruption
Cosmo-SkyMed

10. Volcano Pilot Overview
Regular exchange with local volcanic observatories throughout Central and South America - user workshops in country.
Regular exchanges with students who go from Latin American countries to study at European and US universities and return with significant capacity.
These activities expected to continue beyond current pilot activity.

11. Seismic Hazards Pilot Overview
Demonstrate how satellite EO can be used to improve seismic monitoring and response to seismic events
Demonstrator for EO-based global strain map (main focus on Turkey, Himalayas and Andes)
Exploitation platform for large data set analysis (strain map, supersites)
Rapid scientific products for 4 to 6 earthquakes per year (>M5.8)
Lefkada earthquake : Study of the surface deformation caused by the November 2015 seismic event.
Sentinel-1A differential interferograms of the ascending pair (left) and descending (right)

12. Seismic Hazards Pilot Overview
Training courses for InSAR processing (given by CNR IREA). Tools developed in the context of the Seismic pilot used during InSAR training courses with international participation. Regular dialogue between EO experts and geoscience centers aiming to provide consensus results to local decision makers where there is limited capacity to interpret EO results (activity to continue in a follow- on activity).

13. Recovery Observatory Overview
Triggering of the RO decided by CEOS Chair in consultation with CEOS Principals, December 22, 2016, after significant impact of Hurricane Matthew in Southwest Haiti (October 2016).
Working with GFDRR/World Bank and the Government of Malawi, a Malawi Demonstrator is being implemented in order to validate applications relevant to recovery needs, including development of specific tools tailored to provide easy access to data over affected areas (pre-event data, response data and coordinated post event acquisitions). Other demonstration activities being pursued in Nepal (housing reconstruction) and possibly Syria (agricultural monitoring to determine ability to support livelihoods)

14. User Workshop – Port-au-Prince
Bring together local, national and international RO users to present recovery plans of government and NGOs in affected areas;
Showcase preliminary RO platform, with pilot applications for review and improvement proposals by users;
Discuss capacity building plan and specific initiatives to ensure increased capacity at national and local levels;
Discuss improvements and ideal ‘steady-state’ RO;
Discuss functionalities required (database, archive search, platform, portal, product generation, etc) for integrated EO-based information systems in Haiti; review role of different projects;
Discuss dissemination strategies to ensure full RO access for users with different levels of capacity.

15. New Landslide Pilot
Plenary endorsed creation of multi-hazard landslide pilot team at the 29th CEOS Plenary in 2015
Main Goals of the landslide pilot:
To demonstrate the effective exploitation of Earth observations (EO) data and technologies to detect, map and monitor landslides, in different physiographic and climatic regions.
To apply satellite EO across the cycle of landslide disaster risk management, including preparedness, situational awareness, response and recovery with a distinct multi-hazard focus on cascading impacts and risks.
View from the ground (Photo credit USGS)
Damage Proxy Map (DPM) from ALOS-2 Data

16. GEO-DARMA GEO-DARMA Concept still to be consolidated Goal:
Enhance use of EO data for better-informed Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience decision making
How:
Series of end-to-end projects addressing priorities of the “Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction ”.
International Cooperation. Engagement of all stakeholders (end users, data & risk information providers, internat./national agencies, donor institutions,…)
Note: GEO-DARMA (Data Access for Risk Management)

17. GEO-DARMA Way Forward
Intention: Build an international partnership with key stakeholders to define a strategy addressing high priorities of Sendai framework with resources available, on a best effort basis, adopting a phased approach

18. Thank You !! Any questions?
The bridge collapse in Petit Goave, Haiti, after hurricane Matthew cut responders off from road access, October 7, CNN/Ryan Browne, Elizabeth Roberts, Ray Sanchez, Deborah Bloom and Nick Thompson