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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...
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 ...
13 April 2021, Geneva, Switzerland - Flooding is the most frequent type of disaster, affecting more than 2 billion people in the 20 years between 1998 and 2017 alone. When disaster hits, it is of vital importance to quickly know which areas have been affected in order to assess the potential damage and inform humanitarian relief efforts.
Within the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), the Operational Satellite Applications Programme (UNOSAT) supports teams on the ground to assess the impact of floods through its rapid mapping service. How this...
14 October 2020, Geneva, Switzerland – The United Nation’s Operational Programme for Satellite Analysis and Applied Research (UNOSAT) remotely joined the training on Information Management led by UNITAR Division for Peace. This training was delivered for the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) in September 2020 in Chad.
Led by the Lake Chad Basin Commission in 2015, the MNJTF is a joint military task force composed of troops from Benin, Cameroun, Chad, Niger and Nigeria. Their mandate includes the creation of a safe and secure environment for the areas affected by extre...
30 June 2015, Bonn, Germany – UNESCO and UNITAR (the UN Institute for Training and Research) have signed an agreement to protect cultural and natural heritage sites with the latest geo-spatial technologies. It was signed at the annual meeting of the World Heritage Committee in Bonn, Germany, and will be delivered through UNITAR’s Operational Satellite Applications Programme (UNOSAT).
The strategic partnership will enable the Organizations to work together during conflict situations and following natural disasters, sharing their respective expertise, and collaborating...
The recent visit of the Secretary-General to the UNOSAT team set the tone of the new management phase at UNOSAT, which is now a recognised centre of excellence within the United Nations system in the areas of satellite analysis and geospatial information. While the visit of the Secretary-General confirms this recognition and is a reward to the staff, it also shows the gradual gain of importance of satellite derived information for the work of the UN. UNOSAT has spearheaded innovation in satellite analysis since its creation in 2000.
Photo Credit © UNITAR/UNOSAT,&nbs...
The work of UNOSAT is not only about emergencies, although the maps you can see on the web all refer to humanitarian assistance. This publication policy is linked to the need for humanitarian workers to access maps from various field locations by simply connecting via internet or via satellite telecommunications to download the maps prepared by UNOSAT on the premises of CERN. Yet a large number of maps and analyses are not publicly available on the UNOSAT website because they are part of project activities done in partnership with UN agencies like UNDP (development), IOM (m...
This successful methodology has already been used in several capacity development projects run by UNOSAT for UN member states and a few international organizations. The methodology combines capacity development in situ with transfer of knowledge, including UNOSAT generated best practices, and technical assistance when needed.
The Geospatial Information course offered within the curriculum of the Master of Disaster Management at Copenhagen University is open each year to applicants taking the Master course in Copenhagen. UNOSAT is planning to offer soon a similar course to ...
November 2023, Port Vila, Vanuatu – The United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT) joined hands with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) to extend the delivery of technical training in geospatial information technology at the subnational level in Vanuatu. These trainings had been designed for the PWD engineers, specifically focusing on the use of GIT and road network digitization in Vanuatu. The first training for Shefa was conducted in May 2023, followed by the training in Torba and Sanma in August. Trainings in Tafea and Penama provinces we...
UNOSAT is gradually integrating collaborative mapping and crowd sourcing into its work. In the case of the floods in Colombia, UNOSAT is reaching out to disaster managers and field staff in the country to assist with validation of the flood extent analysis and by sending in geographic position tagged photos. The application being used for this operation has been developed within the EU funded GEO-PICTURES project in which UNOSAT works with AnusR Technologies of Norway and numerous other partners....