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Francesco Pisano says: “We are continuing to equip the Programme with what it takes to do this job effectively and professionally. But this is done also to bring a distinct advantage to the entire UN family. After the partnership with Google to share crowd generated data with UNOSAT and the rest of the UN, this is a second main achievement by UNOSAT which will change the way we do things and the overall technology level of the UN. I hope this can be of help to the entire UN”. UNOSAT in fact has added to the purchase order the funds necessary to endow 3 other UN bodies with ...
09 November 2021, Geneva, Switzerland - In South Asia, the monsoon season started early and forcefully this year. Nepal was particularly hit by heavy rainfall in June 2021: flooding and landslides were reported in many parts of the country and affected thousands of families*.
In August, rainfall intensified again for several consecutive days, with rivers overflowing, landslides triggered across the hills, and widespread inundation in the southern plains. In the affected areas, many houses, informal settlements, and other buildings were destroyed, forcing people to seek ref...
UNOSAT has released on the internet the Atlas of Tsunami Damages on Saval´i & Upolu Islands, Samoa. UNOSAT Humanitarian Rapid Mapping service was activated at the request of UN humanitarian agencies involved in the response to the disaster.
This atlas map product illustrates satellite-detected areas of likely building and vegetation damages caused by the magnitude 8.0 earthquake and resulting tsunami on 29 September 2009. A total of 9 separate focus maps are included, highlighting damage sites identified from post-disaster satellite imagery collected from 30 September...
Branson Pitakia, Information Technology Officer at the Solomon Islands National Disaster Management Office, illustrates the potential of knowledge and innovation in disaster management. His story shows how geospatial technology can help in disaster preparedness and response, and ultimately protect communities.
Branson Pitakia's quest for knowledge led him to enrol in UNOSAT's Geographic Information Systems (GIS) training courses, which are part of the project “Strengthening Capacities in the Use of Geospatial Information for Improved Resilience in Asia-Pacific and Africa (...
10 August 2023, Port Vila, Vanuatu - Vanuatu faces many threats because of climate change – the most visible of which is sea-level rise. While coastal inundation poses great risks to infrastructure, damage can be mitigated through evidence-based planning geospatial information technologies (GIT). Leveraging GIT with new and innovative technologies like drones can assist decision-makers in targeting their country’s most vulnerable sectors and communities, thereby ensuring future resilience.
One key entry point in boosting Vanuatu’s climate resilience has been in supporting ...
At the Fiji Meteorological Service (FMS), Rovil Kumar, a scientific officer specializing in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), coordinates the development of maps and geospatial portals that contribute to Fiji's resilience to extreme weather events. As part of his role, he compiles various maps for climate monitoring, flood mapping, and forecasting of heavy rainfall and tropical cyclones. By doing so, Rovil and his team contribute significantly to Fiji's preparedness and response strategies. To harness the skills to develop these products, Rovil Kumar participated ...
Tropical Cyclone Idai made landfall during the night of 14 to 15 March 2019 near Beira, a low-lying city of 500,000 residents in central Mozambique, before moving inland to neighbouring Zimbabwe and Malawi. The cyclone brought winds of up to 177 km/h (106 mph) and torrential rains that caused rivers to burst over their banks and submerge streets and homes across several provinces in Mozambique. Governmental officials described the damage as "massive and horrifying" while IFRC and UN officials described seeing “water and water for miles and miles” and “90 percent of the Beir...
31 October 2018, Geneva, Switzerland – UNITAR-UNOSAT is currently collaborating with UNDP and national stakeholders to bolster disaster management capacity in Guyana and Dominica, with a specific focus on women, through the 3-year project funded by the Government of Japan. The project “Strengthening Disaster Management Capacity of Women in the Cooperative Republic of Guyana and Commonwealth of Dominica” is being implemented in partnership with the UNDP Barbados, UNDP Guyana and the member states of OECS (Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States).
In September 2018, UNITAR-...
30 October 2020, Geneva, Switzerland, New York, United States - Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) play a vital role in programme management, principally in ensuring projects are achieving intended goals. Recent advancements in technology have made satellite imagery analysis a cost-effective solution for improved project monitoring and evaluation. As insights into potential impact are largely driven by data, objective measurements obtained through Earth observation (EO) can provide useful information that can complement traditional data collection methods.
The UNITA...
Micky Welin, Planning and Logistics Support Officer at Vanuatu's National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) Vanuatu From Training to Action: Impact on Disaster Management Micky Welin's journey in disaster risk management (DRM) showcases the power of education and collaboration in enhancing disaster preparedness and response. Working as the Planning and Logistics Support Officer at Vanuatu's National Disaster Management Office (NDMO), Micky recognised the crucial need for advanced skills in Geospatial Information Technology (GIT) for effective disaster managem...