Floods in northern Madagascar in late January 2020. Image: NASA.
United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) through its UN-SPIDER programme.
Centre for Remote Sensing of Land Surfaces (ZFL), University of Bonn.
The UN-SPIDER Virtual International Expert Meeting “Space-based Solutions for Risk and Disaster Management in Africa” aims to contribute to an increased use of satellite technologies and novel applications developed by the space and the geospatial community in African countries to respond to challenges posed by natural hazards. The International Expert Meeting will:
Compile suggestions to facilitate the generation of actionable information combining various sources of space-based, in situ and big data, with a focus on early warning systems
Compile elements or inputs to design the catalog of web-based solutions for risk and disaster management, incorporated in the UN-SPIDER Knowledge Portal
One topic to be addressed is how to combine dynamic data sources which provide global information with similar dynamic data sources that provide information in Africa, and those that are generated by national institutions. The other topic is how to incorporate that information into decision support systems that facilitate the visualization of the data in an integrated fashion.
The outcomes, results and key recommendations of this International Expert Meeting will be published as a technical report and will be incorporated into the UN-SPIDER plan of work for the coming years.
The Expert Meeting will be conducted online over a period of three days. Every day an online session will be held in the morning on a specific topic lasting 90 minutes. The sessions will include presentations and discussions. In addition, an online training session will be conducted during one afternoon so that participants may take note of a specific web-based application.
Presentations
| Session | Presenter | Organization | Title | Presentation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 - Space Technologies for Early Warning: Opportunities and Lessons Learned | Juan Carlos Villagran | UNOOSA/UN-SPIDER | UN-SPIDER Virtual International Expert Meeting | Link |
| 1 - Space Technologies for Early Warning: Opportunities and Lessons Learned | Jochen Luther | World Meteorological Organization (WMO) | Multi-hazard Early Warning Systems - Role and Contributions of WMO | Link |
| 1 - Space Technologies for Early Warning: Opportunities and Lessons Learned | Olatunde Ajiboye | National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Nigeria | Geospatial Information in Early Warning Systems | Link |
| 2 - Integrating Dynamic Data Sources in Decision Support Systems for Disaster Management | Victor Addabor | National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), Ghana | Dynamic Data for Disaster Management in Ghana: Current Efforts & Opportunities for Local Sourcing | Link |
| 2 - Integrating Dynamic Data Sources in Decision Support Systems for Disaster Management | Radu Botez | UNOOSA/UN-SPIDER | Overview of Resources on the UN-SPIDER Knolwedge Portal | Link |
| 2 - Integrating Dynamic Data Sources in Decision Support Systems for Disaster Management | Jens Kersten, Martin Mühlbauer | German Aerospace Center (DLR) | Integrating Dynamic Data Sources from Social Media, Online News and Earth Observation to Support Disaster Management | Link |
| 3 - The Way Forward - Harnessing the Power of Integrated Dynamic Data Sources | Kamel Tichouiti | Algerian Space Agency (ASAL) | Regional Suport Office "UN-SPIDER" Algeria Contributing in Desert Locust Fighting | Link |
| 3 - The Way Forward - Harnessing the Power of Integrated Dynamic Data Sources | Godstime James | National Space Research & Development Agency (NASRDA), Nigeria | Information Management for Disasters in Africa: Perspective from the Regional Support Office in Nigeria | Link |
| 3 - The Way Forward - Harnessing the Power of Integrated Dynamic Data Sources | Alexia Tsouni | Research Center of Excellence BEYOND, Institute for Astronomy, Astrophysics, Space Applications and Remote Sensing, National Observatory of Athens | The Center of Earth Observation Research and Satellite Remote Sensing BEYOND for Disaster Management and Civil Protection | Link |
| 3 - The Way Forward - Harnessing the Power of Integrated Dynamic Data Sources | Mofoluso Fagbeja | African Regional Centre for Space Science and Technology Education in English | Utilizing Space-based Data for Disaster Management and Emergency Response in Africa: UN Regional Centre as a Bridge to the Gap | Link |
Training session on the Global Flood Awareness System (GloFAS)
- GloFAS Website
- Presentation
- Article - "Calibration of the Global Flood Awareness System (GloFAS) Using Daily Streamflow Data"
- GloFAS wiki pages
- GloFAS videos on YouTube
(Please note that audio is unfortunately not available for the first 20 seconds of the recording)
