27 July, Geneva, Switzerland – UNOSAT and the partners of the GEO-PICTURES project activated their on-line geo-tagging capacity to test the operational capacity of the system in the aftermath of the blast at a munitions dump in southern Cyprus. The blast that killed at least 12 people also caused important damage to the island's largest power station causing widespread power cuts.

The pictures collected at the damaged site were uploaded in real time on the web interface realised by UNOSAT together with satellite imagery of the location before and after the incident.

GEO-PICTURES combines state of the art satellite communication, navigation and earth observation, based on a core technology with geo-tagged image and sensor communication coupled with satellite earth observation. This combination is an excellent basis for further integration of various applications and direct use in operations. This European-funded project is lead by AnsuR Technologies AS of Norway and co-funded by the European Commission under the 7th Framework program.

Designed for use in emergencies, GEO-PICTURES aims at helping to save lives and mitigate the effects of disasters on the environment. GEO-PICTURES provides near-real-time integration of pictures, video, sensors and assessment results anywhere on the planet. The novel emergency management platform has been developed in Oslo with several partners, and form a seamless solution hosted by UNITAR-UNOSAT in Geneva.

Image: The web interface allows the user to navigate the site of the incident and visualise geo-tagged photos of the damaged structures