Technical Advisory Missions

Awareness and outreach activities at the international and regional level serve to establish a critical mass of experts and practitioners from both the space applications- and disaster management communities. Based on awareness campaigns, outreach workshops and other related activities, UN-SPIDER offers Technical Advisory Support (TAS) at the national level. On request of the respective government, a Technical Advisory Mission (TAM) with an international team of experts is conducted, to identify capacity building needs and to lay the ground for establishing a subsequent programme of action.

Below is an overview of completed UN-SPIDER Technical Advisory Missions.

Introduction

Technical Advisory Support is one of the prime activities of the UN-SPIDER programme at the country level in order to identify the existing capacity to use space-based information, analyze the institutional network to support disaster management through space-based information, and to identify the limiting factors. Technical Advisory Support also attempts to enable the government to overcome current limitations regarding the use of space-based information for managing disasters by providing all possible opportunities and resources. The first step is, on request by the respective government, a Technical Advisory Mission (TAM) with an international team of experts, to identify capacity building needs and laying the ground to establish a subsequent programme of action.

The purpose of UN-SPIDER Technical Advisory Missions (TAM):

 

TAM Terminology

Key terms have been defined by the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) to support a more uniform use of disaster related terms1. For ease of reference, the definition of some of the main terms is given below.

Thus, “disaster” is defined by ISDR as a serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society causing widespread human, material, economic or environmental losses which exceed the ability of the affected community or society to cope using its own resources. It results from the combination of hazards, conditions of vulnerability and insufficient capacity or measures to reduce the potential negative consequences of risk.

ISDR defines “disaster risk management” as the systematic process of using administrative decisions, organization, operational skills and capacities to implement policies, strategies and coping capacities of the society and communities to lessen the impacts of natural hazards and related environmental and technological disasters. This comprises all forms of activities, including structural and non-structural measures to avoid (prevention) or to limit (mitigation and preparedness) adverse effects of hazards.

“Disaster risk reduction” or “disaster reduction” is the conceptual framework of elements considered with the possibilities to minimize vulnerabilities and disaster risks throughout a society, to avoid (prevention) or to limit (mitigation and preparedness) the adverse impacts of hazards, within the broad context of sustainable development.

“Relief” or “response”, as defined by ISDR, are the provision of assistance or intervention during or immediately after a disaster to meet the life preservation and basic subsistence needs of those people affected. It can be of an immediate, short-term, or protracted duration. In this report, relief, response and emergency response, the term used in many UN-SPIDER documents, are used indiscriminately.

Technical Advisory Mission to Burkina Faso

Technical Advisory Mission to Burkina Faso, 17 to 21 November 2008

Facing an ever-increasing number of potential natural disasters and cli­matic change, the government of Burkina Faso requested a UN-SPIDER Techni­cal Advisory Mission to assess and advise on the use of space-based technology and information for disaster management and emergency response. The mission, conducted in Burkina Faso from 17 to 21 November 2008, aimed at identifying po­tential areas where space-based technol­ogy and information could play a greater role, and at proposing recommendations on how to improve Burkina Faso’s access to and use of space-based technology and information.

During COPUOS1 . in June 2008, the Government of Burkina Faso requested a UN-SPIDER technical advisory mission. Technical advisory missions are part of UN-SPIDER’s support at the national level2. UN-SPIDER, being a “facilitator of capacity-building and institutional strengthening” relies on the readiness of Member States and institutions to support each other. Technical advisory missions, which fall under the facilitator function of the programme, make use of the expertise available in the region or internationally to support national activities by inviting external experts to join a UN-SPIDER mission to countries, which requested such missions. It is expected that the participation of external experts will enhance horizontal cooperation in a region and strengthen the links between disaster management and space communities. The team conducting the UN-SPIDER technical advisory mission to Burkina Faso from 17 to 21 November 2008 included Mr. Said Benali, ASAL (Algerian Space Agency), Mr. Mario Hucteau, CNES (Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales), Ms. Catherine Lefebvre (UNOCHA Regional Office for West Africa), Mr. Jörg Szarzynski (UNOOSA/UN-SPIDER) and Mr. Martin Raithelhuber (UNOOSA/UN-SPIDER) as head of mission.

Preceding the mission, a preparatory meeting was held at the end of August 2008 in Ouagadougou, with the National Council for the Environment and Sustain­able Development (SP/CONEDD, the governmental focal point for the mission), and other relevant institutions to discuss the mission objective and programme. For the official Technical Advisory Mission in November, a five-member team of experts was put together: one each from the Alge­rian Space Agency, the French Space Agen­cy CNES, the UN Office for the Coordi­nation of Humanitarian Affairs, and two from UNOOSA/UN-SPIDER. It is worth noting that a total of 15 institutions were initially interviewed by the mission team, including nine governmental institutions, four UN organizations (UNDP, OCHA, WFP, WHO), and one bilateral institution (FEWSNET).
 
 
 

 

latitude: 
12.3467
longitude: 
-1.54083

Burkina Faso - Executive Summary

Disaster management agencies in West Africa have to adapt to an increasing number of natural disasters caused by floods and drought. The effects of global climate change will most probably aggravate this situation. Disasters triggered by certain environmental conditions, such as locust plagues, also contribute to endangering the food security of the local population. In addition, vector borne diseases and epidemics of weather- and climate-sensitive infectious diseases, including malaria, meningitis, and cholera, cause massive disruption to societies and put a heavy burden on national health systems.

In June 2008, the Government of Burkina Faso requested a UN-SPIDER technical advisory mission to assess the existing use of space-based technology and information for disaster management and emergency response in Burkina Faso. Specifically, the mission was requested to identify potential areas where space-based technology and information could play a greater role, and propose recommendations how to improve Burkina Faso's access to and use of space-based technology and information.

Following a preparatory meeting at the end of August 2008 in Ouagadougou, held with the Permanent Secretariat of the Conseil National d’Evironnement et Développement Durable (SP/CONEDD), which is the governmental focal point for the mission, and other relevant institutions to discuss the mission objective and programme a team of five experts from Algeria, France, UNOCHA, and UN-SPIDER was fielded to Burkina Faso from 17 to 21 November 2008. A total of 15 institutions were interviewed by the mission team, including ten governmental institutions, four United Nations organizations (UNDP, UNOCHA, WFP, WHO), and one bilateral institution (FEWS NET).

The mission objective was to assess the existing use of space-based technology and information for disaster management and emergency response in Burkina Faso, identify potential areas where space-based technology and information could play a greater role, and propose recommendations on how to improve Burkina Faso's access to and use of space-based technology and information. The mission team is confident to have gained, despite the short time available for the mission activities, sufficient insight into the disaster management situation and the use of space-based technology in the country to come to the conclusions and recommendations presented below. The mission benefited from excellent support of the local counterpart SP/CONEDD. However, time was a serious constraint. A large number of institutions at different levels play a role in disaster management in any country, and one week of mission time was not enough to visit all of them. The large number of institutions to be visited made it necessary to limit visits to one to two hours of discussion with managers and experts. An on-site assessment/inspection of the facilities (hardware, software) was not possible.

The mission concentrated on governmental institutions and UN organisations active in the country. A total of 15 institutions were interviewed by the mission team, including ten governmental institutions, four United Nations organizations (UNDP, UNOCHA, WFP, WHO), and one bilateral institution (FEWS NET). A visit at the Inter-governmental Committee for the Fight Against Drought in the Sahel (CILSS), was planned but could not be conducted due to time-constraints. Several organisations and institutions were not interviewed but they will be considered in follow-up activities and actions, including the Red Cross Society in Burkina Faso, and the Department of Hydrology.

 

Burkina Faso - Hazards and risks

The vulnerability of West African countries such as Burkina Faso is likely to increase as demand on natural resources continue to rise in association with a rapidly growing population. Global climate change and its impact on the environment will contribute to aggravating this situation. Climate projections for the region indicate increasing weather extremes. The disaster management agencies in the region have to adapt to the increasing number of natural disasters, ranging between the extremes of drought and flood. Secondary impacts triggered by environmental conditions, such as locust plagues, additionally deteriorate the living conditions and food security of the local population. Especially in climate sensitive regions, where rain-fed and irrigated agriculture is the main source of food security and income, concerns about the variability in rainfall, its temporal and spatial distribution, must be taken very seriously. This seems to be particularly true of West Africa where e.g. the causes of the great Sahelian drought of the early 1970s and 1980s bear evidence of the regions proneness to this particular hazard1. The most pronounced dry years were 1973, 1984, 1991,1994, 1998, and 2004. Fig. 1: West/Central Sahel Rainfall 1950-2004 (as standardized deviations from base period: 1950-1990) Source: IMPETUS Atlas 2007 Fig. 1: West/Central Sahel Rainfall 1950-2004 (as standardized deviations from base period: 1950-1990) Source: IMPETUS Atlas 2007 Droughts and floods – both weather extremes have serious impact on the natural vegetation as well as on agriculture and livestock rearing: substantial losses in yield and cattle (20 – 30 %) resulting in food insecurity, population migration, and lowering of the groundwater table. Especially during the last two decades the number of inundations increased within the Sahel area. In Burkina Faso the following floods have been observed:

Table 1: Disaster impact of floods in Burkina Faso, 1988 to 2007
Year No. of affected provinces Number of victims Economic loss (US$)
1988 16 149.000 50.000
1992 9 21.400 2.497.600
1994 20 68.000 1.142.570
2006 7 11.170 1.671.121
2007 33 111.356 n.a.

Another important aspect within Burkina Faso is the appearance of vector borne diseases and epidemics of weather- and climate-sensitive infectious diseases, including malaria, meningitis, and cholera, which cause massive disruption to societies and overburden national health systems. Whereas malaria has to be regarded as a more or less permanently existing disease within the region the occurrence of meningitis has a seasonal character and is obviously related to climatic conditions and the influence of the so-called ‘harmattan’, a very dry wind blowing to the Sahelian region from NE (central Sahara). Especially during the dry season from November to March the weather conditions are characterized by high daytime temperatures (33 to >40 °C), rather cool nights (10 to 15 °C), and occasionally very low relative humidity (<10%). The most devastating epidemics of meningitis were recorded in 1996 and 1997 when altogether more than 42,000 persons were affected with about 4,000 cases of death. Cholera, on the other hand, is an epidemic disease which is related to the rainy season. Due to the South-North motion of the sun during the first half of each year the inter-tropical convergence zone (ITCZ) moves from its position near the equator pole-ward to higher latitudes on the northern hemisphere. In consequence, from April/May to October the whole area of West Africa is getting under the influence of the moisture-laden south-west monsoon. This humid air stream blowing from the Gulf of Guinea is responsible for about 90% of the annual rainfall. In the case of regional floods, the impact of cholera is aggravated by the inundation of sanitary facilities within villages and cities. Finally, the impact of humanitarian crisis has to be mentioned. As one major incident the civil war in Cote d’Ivoire in 2002 caused a population movement due to socio-political turmoil. In order to help Burkinabe return to their country, on 19 November 2002 the Government launched the ‘Operation Bayiri’ (return to the homeland). This initiative was also supported by various contributions from individuals, private companies, international institutions and NGOs with donations of medicines, food, clothes, etc, as well as money. According to official numbers from the Government in Burkina Faso altogether 366,000 persons returned to their home country. This crisis also seriously affected the economy of Burkina Faso, especially the cotton sector, as the border between Burkina Faso and Cote d'Ivoire was closed in 2002, effectively cutting off cotton exporters from their main port of export Abidjan.

  • 1. Understanding the reasons for the significant alterations in Sahelian rainfall is still a major challenge for scientific research, since drought and, as in recent years increasingly experienced the occurrence of floods, affect great parts of West Africa in terms of ecological, economic, and societal aspects. The spectra of hitherto existing hypotheses includes those focussing on global oceanic-atmospheric circulation patterns, the influence of land cover changes, and effects due to changes in atmospheric composition, i.e. aerosol concentrations as well as greenhouse gas and sulphate aerosol emissions. However, these issues still remain unresolved. Although inter-seasonal and inter-annual variability in precipitation in part has been successfully forecasted for West Africa, there is still a lack of knowledge in predicting climate changes on decadal or notably multi-decadal timescales. In addition, results from General Circulation Models (GCM), as often applied in frame of the above mentioned publications, are essential to understand large-scale coherences, but do not necessarily match the requirements of regionally to locally orientated approaches.

Technical Advisory Mission to Ecuador

Technical Advisory Mission to Ecuador, 27 September to 9 October 2009

Brief Summary:

UN-SPIDER successfully conducted a Technical Advisory Mission to Ecuador. The mission was conducted with
the support of experts from INPE, Brazil, and CONAE, Argentina, and with two staff from UN-SPIDER. The
mission was coordinated at the national level with the National Secretariat for Risk Management, the Pro-Tempore
Secretariat of the V Space Conference of the Americas, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ecuador.
The Mission benefited from the regional workshop conducted by UN-SPIDER a week earlier, as during the
workshop many Ecuadorian agencies made presentations displaying how they were using space-based information
for a variety of purposes targeting all phases of the disaster management cycle.

Lessons Learned

Ecuador is fairly well advance in the use of information for a variety of purposes. In addition, the recently-elected
government is promoting a more efficient management and use of information to ensure a more transparent and
efficient use of government funds for public works; and has recognized the need to target disaster-risk
management in a profound way:

The mission allowed UN-SPIDER to gain knowledge on the scope of activities conducted by Ecuador regarding
the use of space-based information for disaster reduction, and will serve as a complementary example to the three
missions which were previously conducted to African countries.

Follow-Up

latitude: 
-0.268597
longitude: 
-78.5386

Technical Advisory Mission to Fiji

Technical Advisory Mission to Fiji, 30 November to 4 December 2009

The UN-SPIDER team visited Fiji from 30 November to 4 December to carry out a Technical Advisory Mission to Fiji. The mission team held detailed discussions with the National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) and key stakeholders of NDMO within the government and regional and international organizations supporting the NDMO.

The mission was aimed at the following:

  1. Build long-term relationship with the NDMO and UN-SPIDER for extending benefits of space-based information to NDMO,
  2. Review status of use of space-based information for disaster management,
  3. Raise awareness within NDMO to use space-based information for disaster management,
  4. Introduce NDMO to SpaceAid, the framework to access satellite images through multiple opportunities,
  5. Identify linkages of NDMO with the custodians of spatial data providers in the country and facilitate the coordination between these organisations,
  6. Submit recommendations based on the discussions with NDMO and its key stakeholders, both national and international.

These recommendations should provide guidelines to NDMO to review Fiji's disaster management plans with view to incorporate the use of space-based information.
 

 

latitude: 
-18.1416
longitude: 
178.442

Fiji - Background

Fiji lies in the centre of Pacific Ocean, and comprises 330 islands. The main islands are Viti Levu (10,429 sq km) and Vanua Levu (5,556 sq km). The total land area of Fiji is 18,330 sq km. Total population as per 2007 census is 827,900.

Being one of the most populated islands in the Pacific, the population of Fiji is prone to hazards such as floods, landslides, high waves due to tropical cyclones, draught, fire, earthquake and tsunami. Of these, flash floods and tropical cyclones are the most frequent disasters faced by Fiji. Flash floods and tropical cyclones cause a damage of several million US dollars.

On 22 January 2009, OCHA on behalf of the Government of Fiji made a request to the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) to activate the International Charter Space and Major Disasters. The request was made 11 days after the floods in Nadi river basin (Viti Levu) affected four towns namely Nadi, Ba, Lautoka and Sigatoka. Although water levels started receding, the activation was requested considering the role of satellite imagery for collecting damage information and flood vectors to aid the response activities. However, the Charter turned down the request as it did not consider the situation an emergency. Although the availability of satellite images at early stages of flash flood would have helped the country to plan response activities in effective manner, imagery at later stage might have helped in recovery planning. This incident demonstrated the need to improve the coordination of the National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) with its stakeholders and generate awareness within NDMO about the use of space based information for disaster management.

The UN-SPIDER Technical Advisory Mission to Fiji was planned with aim to improve coordination with NDMO, UN and regional agencies like SOPAC to use and access  space-based information in timely manner. The mission team looked at a much broader prospectus of space-based information for disaster management in Fiji including preparedness planning, response and recovery stages of disaster.
 

 

latitude: 
-17.7134
longitude: 
178.065

Technical Advisory Mission to Guatemala

Technical Advisory Mission to Guatemala, 22 to 26 November 2010

Conducted at the request of the Presidential Secretariat for Planning and Programming (SEGEPLAN), UN-SPIDER assembled a team of experts from CATHALAC-SERVIR which is a UN-SPIDER Regional Support Office, CONAE, CRECTEALC, and the Organization of American States.

As in previous missions in Ecuador, Jamaica, and Dominican Republic, the TAM to Guatemala included visits to a variety of government institutions and universities, as well as a workshop with the goal of identifying strengths and weaknesses regarding access to and use of space-based information in all phases of the disaster management cycle. Through a review of existing institutional policies, strategies, and past and ongoing activities conducted by these institutions, the team of experts was able to deduct a set of recommendations that will allow Guatemala to institutionalize its capacity to use space-based information to respond to disasters provoked by floods, hurricanes, droughts, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes and other hazards.

Findings

The mission took note of institutional strengths regarding the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS). For example, SEGEPLAN makes use of these systems to analyze needs in all geographic areas of the country as a means to elaborate the territorial and sectorial development plans. The National Coordinating Agency for Disaster Reduction (CONRED) works with GIS to elaborate a variety of maps presenting information about hazards and risks in various regions of the county. They include the location of early warning systems for floods and of alert systems for volcanic eruptions, as well as maps depicting impacts of events triggered by a variety of hazards. The Ministry of Agriculture (MAGA) has combined GIS with Earth observation to elaborate land-use maps focusing on crops, hazard maps, and maps of impacts of disasters on crops. It is furthermore elaborating a map regarding potential uses of land for agriculture to contribute to land-use planning in rural areas of the country (Photo: at MAGA).

 

 The mission also took note of examples for the use of space-based information for a variety of applications. As expected, the use of this type of information is already well institutionalized in the National Institute for Seismology, Vulcanology, Meteorology, and Hydrology (INSIVUMEH), particularly for weather monitoring, which is essential for commercial and private aerial navigation. In addition, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources and universities such as Rafael Landivar, Del Valle, and Mariano Galvez make use of Earth observation to track deforestation and the advance of the agricultural frontier, as well as particular events such as the outbreak of cyano-bacteria in Lake Atitlan from October to December 2009 with the support of CATHALAC-SERVIR. Earth observation is also used by the National System for Forest Fire Prevention and Combat (SIPECIF), in particular to track hotspots and forest-fire scars. CONRED is also making use of space-based information collected by NOAA, USGS, and other agencies, as well as from satellites for several applications including soil moisture (Photo: at INSIVUMEH).

The mission team was also made aware about offers from Taiwan, Province of China and Argentina to support the Government of Guatemala in its recovery from tropical storm Agatha. Taiwan, Province of China has offered to donate imagery for a variety of applications on a periodic basis satellite and Argentina is assessing how best to support government agencies as well.

The team of experts was also made aware of ongoing efforts conducted by SEGEPLAN to facilitate the sharing of information by government agencies through the establishment of the National Spatial Database Infrastructure (IDE-G). Efforts to establish this SDI began over a decade ago, when the National Geographic Institute (IGN) established the National Geographic Information System and a clearinghouse for such a purpose (Photo: workshop at SEGEPLAN).

 

 

 

SpaceAid and international cooperation

In response to the severe impacts provoked by tropical storm Agatha in June 2010 and the volcanic eruption of Pacaya volcano at the end of May; UN-SPIDER activated its SpaceAid Framework and was able to mobilize space agencies from China, Germany, and Argentina to support the National Emergency Operations Center (COE) in its role of coordinating disaster response. SERVIR-CATHALAC was also able to mobilize satellite imagery from Taiwan, Province of China and the United States. The imagery provided by these space agencies was used by staff from CONRED, SEGEPLAN, MAGA, and the IARNA Institute in Rafael Landivar University to map affected areas. These efforts lead to the establishment of an ad-hoc group on earth observations to support disaster response operations.

Recommendations

Becoming aware of these advances, as well as inputs from other agencies, the mission team was able to make several recommendations such as:

The mission concluded with a briefing to the Lady Director of SEGEPLAN, the Director of Territorial Ordainment and the Director of SINIT. The opportunity was used to discuss further actions, and for the Lady Director of SEGEPLAN to become aware of the usefulness of space-based information for a variety of applications. The team of experts used the opportunity to propose recommendations regarding policies, strategies, and actions to institutionalize the use of space-based information in Guatemala (Photo: with the Lady Director and staff of SEGEPLAN).
 

 

 

 

 

latitude: 
14.6133
longitude: 
-90.5353

Technical Advisory Mission to Haiti

Technical Advisory Mission to Haiti, 14 to 20 March 2010

The 12 January 2010 earthquake which devastated Haiti, in particular its capital city, Port au Prince, created an unprecedented situation in this country, as national and international agencies were affected to the point that it took several days for the United Nations and international agencies and NGOs to establish a coordination mechanism to respond in an efficient way. The earthquake killed over 220,000 people, injured more than 300,000 people, and left about 1.3 million inhabitants homeless (Haiti PDNA, 2010), leading to the establishment of over 500 camps or shelters. The situation forced the government to request the assistance of the international community to coordinate and manage relief and recovery efforts. Unfortunately, even UN agencies such as OCHA which were already present in Haiti, as well as NGOs such as OXFAM, were severely impacted and lost valuable resources which could be been employed to speed the response and relief efforts.

In its efforts to support the Mission of the United Nations in Haiti (MINUSTAH), UN-SPIDER and the Cartographic Section of the United Nations agreed to activate the International Charter on Space and Major Disasters (CHARTER) within an hour of the event. Through its SpaceAid mechanism, UN-SPIDER also contacted a variety of space providers to task satellites and to generate space-based information which could then be made available through its Knowledge Portal on a dedicated segment for Haiti in the SpaceAid section of the portal (www.un-spider.org/haiti). Within days the dedicated segment began to be filled with links to the products elaborated by such providers, and information on the type of satellites and sensors used to acquire imagery. In addition, by the end of January, two staff members of UN-SPIDER contacted staff of Relief Web in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, to deliver over 50 gigabytes of data to be used in Haiti by Relief Web and other UN agencies in tasks such as damage assessments and identification of needs, which found their way into the Post Disaster Needs Assessment report (PDNA).

In addition and recognizing the increasing role of regional and international institutions supporting efforts regarding the use of space-based information, UN-SPIDER, it its role as Co-Chair of the United Nations Geographic Information Working Group (UNGIWG), established an Ad-Hoc Group within UNGIWG to facilitate the exchange of information concerning activities and support provided by these institutions, among them the Cartographic Section, the World Bank, US-AID, US-OFDA, and ITHACA in Italy. The Ad-Hoc Group has widened its role to cover Chile in recent weeks as well.

Recognizing the need to support the Civil Protection Agency of Haiti (CPA), UN-SPIDER conducted a mission with the goal of identifying the needs of this and related agencies to rebuild their capacities to access and make use of space-based information to support all phases of the disaster management cycle. The mission was conducted by  UN-SPIDER between 14 and 20 March 2010. Main tasks conducted during the mission included:

The mission was complemented with visits to the World Bank, US-OFDA, NASA, and the Thermopylae Sciences and Technology Company in Washington D.C. which allowed staff from UN-SPIDER to coordinate activities identified during the mission with representatives of CPA, CNIGS, MINUSTAH-GIS, and OCHA.
 

 

 

latitude: 
18.5393
longitude: 
-72.3364

Haiti - Background

In its function as provider of technical advisory support, UN-SPIDER conducts Technical Advisory Missions to support national agencies in charge of disaster-risk management and emergency response in tasks related to accessing and making use of space-based information to support all phases of the disaster management cycle.

The mission to Haiti was conducted with the following goals in mind:

  • To assess of how space-based information has been used by different agencies (national and international).
  • To assess how best to support the Civil Protection Agency of Haiti (CPA) to rebuild its capacity to access and make use of space-based information for disaster reduction.
  • To gather elements to provide recommendations related to risk management and emergency response, particularly in the context of the coming hurricane season.
  • To liaise with international and national agencies on the ground to make them aware of UN-SPIDER and the technical advisory support it can provide.

The mission was conducted from 14 to 20 March, 2010, and benefitted from the substantive support provided by the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations to Haiti (SRSG) and the MINUSTAH-GIS unit. The member conducting the mission established contact with representatives from a variety of agencies on the ground, who provided documents and insights into the recovery situation in Haiti, as well as on current gaps and needs.

The mission was able to find examples regarding how space-based information was and is currently used to support ongoing recovery activities and established links with several units which are conducting tasks such as the MINUSTAH GIS unit and the OCHA Information Management Unit (OCHA-IMU). However, due to the impacts of the disaster on many government agencies, including CPA and the National Center for Geo-Spatial Information (CNIGS), such information is basically accessed and used by international agencies and agencies from abroad. To this end, the mission recommends that CNIGS be supported so that it can become an effective partner in the generation of information to be used in the recovery process.

The mission also provided an opportunity to meet with the SRSG of MINUSTAH in Haiti, and with representatives of a variety of UN agencies including ISDR, OCHA, UN-DSS, and UNICEF. In addition, the mission included meetings in Washington with representatives of GFDRR of the World Bank, and with government agencies of the United States (Department of State, US-AID, US-OFDA, NASA), as well as with representatives from Thermopylae Sciences and Technology, a consulting company providing support to US Southern Command.

latitude: 
18.5393
longitude: 
-72.3364

Technical Advisory Mission to Malawi and Madagascar

Regional workshop and national seminars with the risk and disaster management communities in Madagascar and Malawi, November 2010

 

Background: In 2008, the European Commission - Humanitarian Aid & Civil Protection (ECHO) started its first Disaster Preparedness programme in the South East African and South West Indian Ocean - the first DIPECHO programme aiming at promoting the preparedness and resilience of local communities in this region. The programme targeted 4 countries: Madagascar, Mozambique, Comoros and Malawi. Among the NGOs granted was COOPERAZIONE INTERNAZIONALE – COOPI. COOPI implemented a series of activities in Malawi including the use of GIS and EO for DRR. At the end of the programme, in March 2010, it became clear to provide further technical support in relation to GIS and EO to the various agencies in the region implementing DRR projects. During the preparation of the second DIPECHO programme in early 2010, COOPI proposed a GIS and EO technical programme to support all NGOs in the above mentioned four countries to adopt innovative technologies.

The project was granted in July 2010 for a duration of 15 months. Official project partners of COOPI are the Geoinformatic Centre from the University of Salzburg (Z-GIS) and the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA/UN-SPIDER). The title of the action that addresses local institutions, authorities and communities is: Providing Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technical support for disaster risk reduction programs implemented by DIPECHO partners in the South East African and South West Indian Ocean region.
Prior to technical trainings with stakeholders in the different regions all the DIPECHO partners and their local national and sub-national counterparts have been invited to participate in regional seminars. Main goal of these meetings is three-folded, namely to 1.) provide an overview and general introduction to GIS and space-based information for risk and disaster management and emergency response, 2.) to explain the role of UN-SPIDER and 3.) to describe the cooperation with existing international mechanisms such as the International Charter Space and Major Disasters and comparable mechanisms such as SAFER in the framework of the European GMES programme.

 

Seminars: The regional workshop, co-organised by CARE Madagascar, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and with the collaboration of COOPI, took place from 9 to 11 November in Antananarivo, Madagascar, bringing together delegations from each country involved in the project, which are Madagascar, Mozambique, Comoros Island and Malawi. It was attended by about 60 delegates.

The first national seminar took place on 12 November in Antananarivo, Madagascar, bringing together delegations from Madagascar and the Comoros. A group of 54 persons attended, representing national ministries, other national institutions, the European Union, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ), six NGOs, and six UN organizations.

The second national seminar in frame of this DIPECHO programme took place on 16 November in Lilongwe, Malawi. A group of 55 persons attended this meeting, including representatives of two national ministries, three other national institutions, the EU and the GTZ, eight NGOs, and four UN organizations.

The participants attended to present and to gather information on the technical capacity available particularly in their respective country and in the region. On behalf of the project consortium the country director of COOPI, Mr. Alexandre Castellano, and UN-SPIDER Senior Expert, Mr. Joerg Szarzynski, presented a sequence of presentations and lectures in order to help identify potential areas where space-based technology and information could play a greater role, and to propose recommendations on how to improve the countries‘ access to and use of space-based technology and information. A specific presentation was given on behalf of the International Charter Space and Major Disasters directly provided by the Charter secretariat. The UN-SPIDER activities in African countries were mentioned, including the Technical Advisory Missions, support to disaster response activities through the SpaceAid Framework, and the National Focal Points and Regional Support Offices.

After the sequence of presentations, different working groups were established to consider the specific questions related to the situation in each of the countries, focusing on communication, coordination and dissemination, on needs for data, technology and training, and on formulating long term perspectives. The results from the break-out groups significantly describe the user requirements in this region.

With its active participation and support to these events, UN-SPIDER reaffirms the Programme‘s commitment to African countries to further support the use of space technology for risk and disaster management, and the willingness to contribute to this partnership within projects between the European Union and the African Union.
 

latitude: 
-18.23
longitude: 
40.64

Technical Advisory Mission to Namibia

Technical Advisory Mission to Namibia, 27 January to 2 February 2009

In January 2009 the Government of Namibia requested a technical advisory mission of UN-SPIDER to assess the existing use of space-based technology and information for disaster management and emergency response in Namibia. Specifically, the mission was requested to identify potential areas where space-based technology and information could play a greater role, and propose recommendations how to improve Namibia’s access to and use of space-based technology and information. Following a meeting during the UN-SPIDER workshop in October 2008 in Bonn, held with the governmental focal point for the mission, the Department of Water Affairs, Ministry of Agriculture Water and Forestry (MAWF), to discuss the mission objective/programme and the contents of an adjacent training measure, a team of three experts from UN-SPIDER and the German Aerospace Center's crisis information team (DLR/ZKI) was fielded to Windhoek, Namibia from 27 January to 2 February 2009 to provide technical advice and train local experts in remote sensing techniques for flood mapping. A two day kick-off workshop on 29 and 30 January 2009 brought together relevant disaster management stakeholders to evaluate past experiences and formulate lessons learnt. A field visit to the flood-prone region with hands-on training on GPS applications for disaster managers followed by a training for technical experts to improve end-user adapted geospatial emergency response products and services completed the mission. The workshop and training were funded by the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ).

The support to Namibia started during the floods in March 2008 when the UN-SPIDER team was instrumental in ensuring access to the International Charter “Space and Major Disasters” and other existing opportunities to support the Namibian government. A severe flood, which started at the end of January 2008, reached its peak around mid-March. The Namibian government declared a state of emergency on 5 March. A request to provide satellite imagery for northern and north-eastern regions of Namibia came to UNOOSA from the Department of Water Affairs, Ministry of Agriculture Water and Forestry (MAWF) and the country office of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Namibia asking for international support regarding satellite images and the involvement of an emergency mechanism to receive these images on a priority bass, of higher resolution and not obscured by cloud cover. Subsequently, on March 14, 2008, UNOOSA triggered the International Charter to help Namibia in its combat against the crucial impacts of the floods and the outbreak of cholera. UN-SPIDER provided support and followed-up closely with both UNDP and the Department of Water Affairs of Namibia, helping the country to take full advantage of what the international community was providing.

Also in 2009 severe flooding affected northern Namibia in the aftermath of heavy local rains and inflow of water from northern regions during late February and March 2009. Due to the complex drainage pattern in the region satellite observation is an important tool to provide an overview of the large area flood situation, which is of very patchy and persistent character in the areas affected. Additionally, heavy rains in Angola and parts of Zambia's Western Province led to flooding in Namibia's north and north-eastern parts within the Caprivi region. On March 18, 2009 emergency was declared in the concerned areas, where floods have caused large-scale destruction to homes, schools, health facilities, mahangu and maize fields and infrastructure. On February 27, 2009, UNOOSA triggered the International Charter, and the accepted call was extended in time for specific regions in Northern Namibia. A second call followed for the affected area bordering the Okavango and the Zambesi rivers in North / Northeastern Namibia.

latitude: 
-22.9576
longitude: 
18.4904

Namibia - Background

During the response phase the UN-SPIDER team directly supports disaster-stricken countries by ensuring access to the “International Charter Space and Major Disasters” and other existing international mechanisms or opportunities. To illustrate the extent of the support being routinely provided by UN-SPIDER the March 2008 floods in Namibia is detailed.

A severe flood in the central northern regions of Namibia, which started at the end of January, reached its peak around mid-March. The Namibian government declared a state of emergency on 5 March. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), southern Angola and northern Namibia were expected to receive heavy rains over the following days. The Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry (MAWF), asked for international support regarding satellite images and the involvement of an emergency mechanism to receive these images on a priority bass, of higher resolution and not obscured by cloud cover.

On 7 March the responsible officer was contacted by a UN-SPIDER expert via telephone and he was informed about the possibilities of activating the International Charter "Space and Major Disasters" with the support of a UN agency located in Namibia. Furthermore, the officer from the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry was informed about further potential data sources such as ALOS data from JAXA, the Dartmouth Laboratory with its global flood assessments, the Satellite Applications Centre in South Africa with its receiving station and the Center for satellite based Crisis Information (DLR/ZKI) including the access to radar images from the TerraSAR-X satellite.

During the subsequent discussions it became clear that due to the type of flooding, the vegetation cover, soil and weather conditions as further influencing parameters high resolution radar images were the favourable base. A request to provide satellite imagery for northern and north-eastern regions of Namibia came to UNOOSA from the country office of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Namibia. Subsequently, on 14 March, 2008, the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) triggered the International Charter to help Namibia in its combat against the crucial impacts of the floods and the outbreak of cholera.

UN-SPIDER provided support and followed-up closely with both UNDP and the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry of Namibia, helping the country to take full advantage of what the international community was providing. Two officials of the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry also had the opportunity to participate in the Second United Nations International UN-SPIDER Bonn Workshop: "Disaster Management and Space Technology - Bridging the Gap" in Bonn, Germany, 13 to 15 October 2008 providing a feed-back on the lessons learned.
 

Namibia - Pilot project on integrated flood management and water related vector borne disease modeling

In addition to the Charter activation UN-SPIDER is involved in a range of activities to provide further supplemental information, data and imagery to the affected countries in the region. UN-SPIDER is actively working in the GEOSS Architecture Implementation Pilot projects context, co-leading some initiatives to better bridge between the available technical expertize and resources and the needs of the users in the field and at UN or national level. Additionally, UN-SPIDER is also cooperating with the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) Working Group on Information Systems and Service (WGISS) experts in better using their capabilities and available space technologies and applications for disaster managment purposes. Based on these activities and contacts a community came together with the goal not only to support Namibia during the relief situation but to implement a pilot project that also supports in the aftermath of the floods.

Pilot project on integrated flood management and water related vector borne disease modeling
The main project idea is to combine high resolution satellite imagery with hydrologic ground data and modelling in order to derive useful flood forecasting tools for the next flood season in the sense of a transboundary flood management system for local decision makers.

The second pillar of the project is to explore possibilities of water related vector borne disease modelling. A strong collaboration with already existing networks, e.g. employed by WHO, is absolutely necessary. Moreover, the second focus should be extremely user-oriented, thus recommendations from the respective institutions in Namibia such as the Ministry of Health and Social Sciences are prerequisite in order to successfully integrate any approach/result of this project into the National Health Emergency Prepardness and Response Plan (NHEPRP).

UN-SPIDER is co-leading the coordination of this project together with scientists from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) and from the NOAA-Cooperative Remote Sensing Science and Technology Center (NOAA-CREST) and in close collaboration with responsible institutions in Namibia. UN-SPIDER especially fosters the dialogue at the national level and with other UN agencies, such as UNDP, UNOCHA, UNISDR, WMO and WHO which are engaged in this area. As a general agreement, the mutual effort of this project is intended to produce valuable and tangible results that will be used in Namibia and surrounding countries such as Angola, Zambia, Botswana and Zimbabwe as well. Bringing together the international community and expertise is of increasing importance since the disaster management agencies in Southern Africa have to adapt to a rapidly growing number of natural disasters caused by floods and droughts. The effects of global climate change will most probably aggravate this situation. In addition, vector borne diseases and epidemics of weather- and climate-sensitive infectious diseases, including malaria, meningitis, and cholera, cause massive disruption to societies and put a heavy burden on national health systems.
 

latitude: 
-22.5589
longitude: 
17.0825

Technical Advisory Mission to Sudan

At the request of the Government of Sudan, through its Remote Sensing authority, UN-SPIDER with the support of several partners carried out a Technical Advisory Mission to Sudan from 22 to 26 May 2011. The aim was to evaluate the current and potential use of space-based information in all the aspects of disaster management in the country and to strengthen its disaster risk management by providing better access to space-based information for disaster risk reduction as well as response. The international mission team comprised nine experts from the following organizations: the China National Space Administration, Kenya’s Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD), the UN Development Programme (UNDP) of Sudan, the German Aerospace Centre (DLR), Planet Action (France), York University (Canada), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Regional Office in Kenya, and UN-SPIDER (Vienna and Beijing Office).

The Technical Advisory Mission began with preparatory discussions between the core group of experts and the host organization, the National Remote Sensing Authority (RSA). Subsequently, the team of experts met with the Minister of Science and Technology, the Minister of Interior, the Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation, and with Heads of important organizations namely Civil Defence, the National Research Centre, the Remote Sensing Authority, the Directorate of Public Health and Emergency, the Meteorological Authority, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Desert Locust Control Centre and Sudan Survey and Mapping Authority. Over 20 officials and stakeholders of disaster management attended the meeting on the first day to learn about the objectives of the mission and to provide insight on their role in disaster management with emphasis on geospatial information.

As part of the TAM, a one day workshop was organized, which was attended by about 120 persons from government departments, UN agencies, NGOs and private companies involved in using geospatial technologies for disaster management. The workshop was inaugurated by the Minister of Science and Technology and the Minister of Interior. It was not only effective in raising awareness, but participants also provided valuable inputs on how to strengthen the use of space technology in disaster management in Sudan.

The TAM was also discussed in the UN Country Team, which led to a high participation of representatives from almost all UN agencies involved in disaster management. Overall, the TAM was a success in sensitizing the Government about the benefits of using space technology, not only for disaster management but for wider areas of resources management and climate change related issues.

A standard outcome of such a mission is a report that summarizes the observations and recommendations from the TAM and that is submitted to the national Government. These reports serve as a base for national authorities to develop policies and an action plan to improve the use of space-based information and of geo-databases for disaster management in the country. UN-SPIDER is committed to facilitate the implementation of the recommendations through its partners and the network of Regional Support Offices.

latitude: 
15.5501
longitude: 
32.5322

Technical Advisory Mission to Togo

Technical Advisory Mission to Togo, 13 to 17 July 2009

Executive Summary

Togo is prone to frequent floods and droughts. Disasters triggered by certain environmental conditions, such as locust plagues, also contribute to endangering the food security of the local population. In addition, vector borne diseases and epidemics of weather- and climate-sensitive infectious diseases, including malaria, meningitis, and cholera, cause massive disruption to societies and put a heavy burden on national health systems.

Small countries in Africa, like Togo, often face challenge in access and use of spacebased information for disaster management due to the lack of expertise, technical capacity and scientific approaches towards disaster management. It is the mandate of UN-SPIDER to support member states that are in need to improve their access.

In March 2009, the Government of Togo requested a UN-SPIDER technical advisory mission to assess the existing use of space-based technology and information for disaster management and emergency response in Togo. Specifically, the mission was requested to identify potential areas where space-based technology and information could play a greater role, and propose recommendations how to improve Togo's access to and the use of space-based technology and information.

The Ministry of Environment and Forest Resources took a lead in organising the UNSPIDER mission. More than 30 national organisations from Togo were invited to participate at this mission including numerous governmental organisations, NGOs as well as educational institutions related to disaster management. The Mission team consisting of experts from UN-SPIDER, UNOCHA, WHO, NASRDA, RECTAS and CRASTE visited Lome from 13th July to 17th July 2009. During an initial stakeholders workshop the mission team worked for three days with the entire group of participants. Subsequently, the team also visited key UN and Government Institution with primary functions in disaster management.

The observations of the mission team and preliminary results were presented during a debriefing meeting with the Minister of Environment.

Major achievements of the mission are summarised below as following:

The mission was successful to bring all main actors in the government together to discuss important issues related to disaster management and use of space-based information. Thus, observations made by the mission team share common concerns of the national counterparts. The report presents recommendation by the UN-SPIDER mission team based on those observations, discussions with individual authorities of UN bodies in the country and governmental agencies, visits to several institutions, presentations by different institutions and working group discussions involving multiple institutions.

The recommendations are presented in three parts namely:

The mission represents a first step towards establishing long-term cooperation between the Togolese Government and UN-SPIDER to establish benefits of space-based technology and information within all stages of disaster management.

latitude: 
8.61954
longitude: 
0.824782

Togo - Disaster risk reduction and emergency response institutions

Institutions involved in disaster risk reduction and emergency response
Although several institutions play a role in disaster management in Togo, four institutions remain at the apex coordination level. These are the Ministry of Environment and Forest Resources, the Ministry of Social Affairs and the Ministry of Civil Defense.

 

The Ministry of Environment and Forest Resources (MERF)

MERF has been trusted with the responsibility for disaster reduction in Togo since October 2006. The Ministry of Environment and Forest Resources hosts the DRR platform and nominated the Focal Point to ISDR for the implementation of the Hyogo Framework for action. Following are mandates of the Ministries:

The role of the Ministry of Environment and Forest Resources (MEFR) in the field of Disaster Reduction is regulated by law No. 2008-005 (30 May 2009), which aimed at setting a framework for the Environment, and which declares MEFR responsible for disaster reduction in Togo. Along these lines, it ensures:

  • The effective integration of the environmental dimension into policy-making, programmes, and development projects encompassing sector-wide activities;
  • Risk Assessment of natural or technological disasters;
  • Taking the appropriate warning and prevention measures;
  • The initiation of organized rescue projects on national, regional, and prefectural levels;
  • The establishment of emergency plans aimed at dealing with critical situations;
  • The development of coordinated public service plans to ensure people’s safety, evacuation and medical treatment, as well as to fight against pollution, fires, and all pertaining hazardous aftermaths.

Activities of the National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (ISDR platform activities in Togo). The Togo platform was established in April 2007. The main activities of the platform are:

  • The integration of disaster reduction issues in the afore mentioned environment law;
  • The inclusion of disaster reduction in the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP);
  • The inclusion of disaster reduction in the UNDP “Country Programme for Development Assistance” document;
  • The development of a National Strategy for Disaster Reduction in Togo (ongoing);
  • Workshops, information dissemination, and raising awareness on early warning and disaster management;
  • Authentication of the diagnostic study which has led to the establishment of preliminary flood risk maps in two regions (Maritime and Savane regions) that have been severely affected by devastating floods over 2007 and 2008;
  • The establishment of local committees for the implementation of the ORSEC project and for disaster management purposes;
  • Regional workshops aimed at educating, raising awareness and training local actors and decision makers on the integration of risk and disaster management in local programmes and projects. The overall objective is to shed light on the roles and responsibilities of these actors in risk and disaster management activities in Togo, with the purpose of reducing the population’s vulnerability to natural hazards and specifically to floods;
  • Brainstorming workshop dealing with the establishment of an early warning system;
  • Development of a memorandum on disaster reduction;
  • Development of a documentary titled “Disaster Reduction Begins at School”;
  • Support the development of a contingency plan on disaster management;
  • Signing partnership deals with two research centers at the University of Lomé (Togo) targeting studies on climatic trends and the collection of hydrological data in the framework of flood prevention in Togo;
  • Preparation of and participation in international meetings relevant to disaster prevention and management.

 

Ministry for Civil Defense
The Ministry for Civil Defense manages the ORSEC Plan (Plan d’Organisation des Secours), the plan to respond to any emergency situation. Other activities are:

  • Ensure the provision of support to other rescue and emergency response services
  • Ensure the provision of support in transportation and logistics
  • Ensure the provision of accommodation and refuge
  • Ensure the support for public works

 

Ministry of Social Affairs
The Ministry of Social Affairs created the Department for Coordination and the Department for Management during the flood situation in December 2008. Following are initiatives of the department

  • Support of flood victims
  • To implement policies of the Government
  • To plan strategies for Disaster management
  • To plan relief operations
  • Provide emergency relief services
  • Collect necessary data required for mobilising necessary resources

Ministry of Security and Civil Protection
The Ministry of Security and civil protection established the Department of Civil Protection in 2007. The department understands the importance of spatial technologies and however it lacks the mechanism to get reliable information to mobilise resource which hampers their activities. Key functions are:

  • Ensure inter-sectoral coordination of relief operations
  • Ensure the protection of people and property
  • Ensure rescue and evacuation
  • Ensure the organization of simulative operations
  • Ensure needs assessment
  • Contribute to the implementation of an early warning system

 

Besides these four main players, there are several other departments contributing to disaster management.

National Meteorological Department

The National Meteorological Service in Togo, declared as Direction Générale de la Météorologie Nationale (DGMN) has the classical function of providing meteorological information and weather forecasts for Togo. DGMN is responsible for the national station network comprising 9 synoptic stations, 19 climatological stations and about 200 precipitation points. The instrumentation of the stations is rather oldfashioned and needs to be updated. The DGMN focuses on 3 main components, namely agro-meteorology, climatology and research. It receives MSG satellite images every 15 minutes, however, the institute has not the capacity or infrastructure neither to adequately analyse nor to store these data and to deliver its mandatory services.

 

University of Lome

The University of Lome regularly performs research activities that contributes to the knowledge base for disaster management. The university has several research projects on monitoring coastal processes and erosion activities. Some technical capacity regarding the use of space-based technology and satellite image processing was identified at the university. Satellite image processing is mainly based on the use of medium and low resolution images such as LANDSAT (and partly ENVISAT). Regarding geospatial analysis, GIS is applied for land cover/land use change analysis, digital elevation models, and risk mapping especially along the coastal area. There is also an ongoing effort to establish a larger data center that might play a major role within the development of a national spatial data infrastructure (NSDI).

 

Fire brigade

The equipment of the national fire brigade located in Lome is currently at a state that seriously needs to be improved and modernised. Although the department is lead by a very experienced and engaged head who is supported by well-trained team members, there are crucial gaps especially in the field of using modern GPS and satellite-based communication technology. The technology was put in place by international humanitarian agencies, however, nobody trained the staff to use the respective technical devices. At this point the mission team suggested an introductory training course led by the regional partners from RECTAS.

 

Department of Cartography and Cadastre Department of Cartography and Cadastre (Direction Générale du Cadastre et de la Cartographie) within the

“Ministère de l’Urbanisme et de l’Habitat” is strategically placed as it is custodian of crucial geographical information such as topographic maps and maintain archives of aerial photographs. Department of Cartography and Cadastre is composed of 3 engineers and 9 technicians. It has no GIS equipment, hence the cartographic work is currently held by hand (no electronic data available). It needs to be modernised and staff to be trained which should be the case through the SIGIT project. It has logically been identified to host the DIGIT project until a new independent structure such as a Cartographic National Institute is established.

 

latitude: 
6.13778
longitude: 
1.2125