Displaying 91 - 100 of 173
In the wake of the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, which claimed over 230,000 lives and left millions displaced, the urgent need for a coordinated disaster response system among international agencies, governments, and humanitarian organizations became glaringly evident. In response, the Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System (GDACS) was established to bridge the gap between real-time disaster data and response capabilities. Integral to this effort was UNOSAT’s development of the Satellite Mapping Coordination System (SMCS) in 2010, following the Haiti earthqu...
13 February 2024, Vientiane, Lao PDR - On 11-15 December 2023 the United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT) delivered a five-day training programme, under the ongoing project, “Strengthening Capacities in the Use of Geospatial Information for Improved Resilience in Asia-Pacific and Africa" funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD).
In the wake of increasing vulnerability to natural hazards and climate change impacts, the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) has taken a proactive approach to disaster risk management (DRM). A recent advanc...
31 August 2020, Geneva, Switzerland - Over the summer, UNOSAT introduced an Artificial Intelligence (AI) based method in its operational emergency mapping service. By reducing the process to a fraction of the time normally needed.
"This fully automated processing method is a game changer for humanitarian rapid mapping operations and a great tool for national disaster management authorities”, Einar Bjørgo, Director, UNOSAT.
Thanks to its extensive experience in rapid mapping, UNOSAT has collected a vast library of historical flood datasets, which ar...
March 2019, Geneva, Switzerland – The UNOSAT Rapid Mapping Service has been supporting the humanitarian community with satellite imagery analysis for over 16 years. The service was established in 2003 to meet the demand of United Nations agencies, Member States and other humanitarian agencies for rapid mapping and satellite derived analysis in the wake of disasters and complex emergencies.
Last year, UNOSAT assessed 28 humanitarian crises resulting from natural disasters in 22 countries* across Asia-Pacific, Africa and Latin America upon request from sister UN agencies, go...
7 June 2021, Geneva, Switzerland - IPP CommonSensing aims to support the three selected Commonwealth Small Island Developing States (SIDS) by improving national climate resilience through the use of satellite remote sensing applications. To address climate challenges faced by the partner countries, the consortium has pioneered an innovative project delivery structure, in which a geospatial information portal (the IPP CommonSensing platform) with four web applications – a climate information app, risk information app, map explorer app, and a decision support system – and dat...
11 – 12 December 2019, Bangkok, Thailand.
UNOSAT in collaboration with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, UNESCAP, have conducted a training with the aim to strengthen a gender-responsive approach to Disaster Risk Reduction.
The socially and culturally constructed differences such as roles and responsibilities between men and women tend to determine how they experience a disaster as well as their ability to prepare and recover from it. This is distinct for women living in countries that tolerate gender discrimination, ma...
In 2014, heavy rains flooded the Leitchour refugee camp, in the Gambella region of Ethiopia. In advance of the rainy season, UNHCR called upon the support of UNOSAT to access satellite imagery and support with flood analysis in order to assess the damages. Since then, satellite imagery-derived disaster risk analysis was systematically included in the site assessment process for all emerging crises. John Wain, Senior Emergency Shelter Officer at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), recalled the evolution of their work and how UNOSAT supported them ...
The Strengthening Capacities in the Use of Geospatial Information for Improved Resilience in Asia-Pacific and Africa project aims to develop GIT capacities of beneficiary organizations in eight countries in Africa (Nigeria and Uganda), Asia (Bhutan, Bangladesh and Lao PDR) and the Pacific (Fiji, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu) to improve the national response to climate risk. It targets relevant government organizations responsible for disaster risk, natural resource management and/or climate finance. The project spans from August 2021 to July 2024 and is funded by the Norwegi...
13 June 2024, Geneva, Switzerland – The United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT), in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), has released an update on the health and density of cropland in the Gaza Strip.
This damage assessment analyzed the status of cropland in the Gaza Strip, which was comprised of field crops, vegetables and orchards and other trees. Roughly 41% of the Gaza Strip's total area is covered by cropland, according to recent estimates by FAO. However, 57% of this cropland, which plays a vital role in maintain...
The increase in disaster occurrences and the high numbers of victims resulting from conflicts are urgent issues that require effective and rapid action. Satellite imagery analysis is a vital tool essential in this response, as it can cover large areas and provide accurate information in near real time. The Emergency Mapping Service (EMS) at the United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT) supported by funding from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (NMFA), delivers satellite image analysis during humanitarian emergencies/crises that stem from disasters, complex emer...