UN development work guided from space (Forwarded)

ESA News
http://www.esa.int

9 July 2003

UN development work guided from space

United Nations-led development efforts in some of the poorest and most remote
parts of the globe are being guided by images from space.

The ESA-backed UNOSAT consortium is providing an average of five new
satellite-derived maps or data products to UN agencies and non-governmental
organisations every week.

The poor Nicaraguan highlands municipality of Matagalpa is just one site among
many where UNOSAT-supplied geographical information system (GIS) tools are being
used in development projects. Here the International Strategy for Disaster
Reduction (part of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs)
is using space-derived relief data that identifies areas most at risk of
landslides to plan safe urban expansion.

And by using GIS tools to combine a satellite image of newly built-up areas with
local data on the limits of the local water supply, zones most at risk of
disease are highlighted for attention.

Such Earth Observation (EO) services are being made available worldwide to
United Nations agencies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) concerned with
short-term emergency relief and longer-term development assistance. The provider
is UNOSAT, a consortium funded by ESA's Earth Observation Market Development
Programme, together with the Centre National pour les Etudes Spatiales of France
(CNES) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of France.

"UNOSAT is operated by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS),
which provides technical support and advice for other UN agencies involved in
reconstruction projects," said Alain Retiere of UNOSAT. "It's often true that
maps of remote areas are outdated and unreliable so that led us to take an
interest in the potential of EO data."

Service born out of a hurricane

The catastrophic experience of Hurricane Mitch -- which killed 10,000 people and
destroyed 150 bridges as it crossed Central America in November 1998 -- was
actually helpful in demonstrating how an operational EO service might work.

The scale of the damage done was such that ESA's ERS and France's SPOT satellite
systems were specifically tasked to acquire images in order to elaborate and
supply cartographic and damage mapping products across the complete region -- a
unique experience that involved combining radar and optical images together in a
rush production for delivery into a fully operational environment, with people
in the field awaiting the final products.

"UNOPS already had a presence in Central America so we provided ground
validation for the damage mapping carried out by satellite," explained Retiere.
"We then helped ensure the results got into the right hands to do some good.
That experience showed us how a more open-ended EO service for the development
sector might work in practice."

To form the UNOSAT consortium UNOPS struck deals with data providers such as
Spot Image and Space Imaging Eurasia, along with value-adding companies (VACs)
such as Gamma Remote Sensing and Digitech who work to turn raw satellite data
into usable products and maps. This non-profit initiative is eventually intended
to cover its costs through the services it provides for clients.

"In the past, use of EO data in the development arena has been limited, partly
because of cost but also because EO is a very specialist field," said Retiere.
"We have brought the price down by increasing the overall number of users. In
addition we know both our users' precise requirements and the capabilities of
the VACs very well and so we can bring both sides together."

Clients access the UNOSAT service through a 'one-stop' website
http://www.unosat.org . Here they can search through and download images, maps
and other geographical information products already produced, and also order the
creation of new ones. For optimal connectivity the website is hosted at CERN,
the place where the World-Wide Web was created. UNOSAT is also considering
partnerships with VSAT operators in the space telecommunications sector, so
access to the website can be assured even in regions where terrestrial phone
lines run out.

"Once on the ground, UNOSAT maps do a great deal of good," Retiere said. "Long
detailed reports don't have the same influence as a good map, especially in
places where many people who live there still cannot read. There's a big
difference between just telling local people about a problem like deforestation
and actually showing them it on a map."

Besides being used by NGOs in the pursuit of sustainable development, UNOSAT has
also helped make EO data available directly to local authorities. In Matagalpa,
UNOSAT -- with the financial backing of the Swiss canton of Geneva -- has helped
set up a local centre to broker EO data to users within the Rio Grande water
basin and elsewhere in Nicaragua. Another such EO brokering centre is being
created in East Africa.

"The idea is to set up networks that provide local people with experience and
skill in making use of EO data," said Retiere. "We're conscious that our real
final end user is the people in the localities we're working to benefit."

Related articles

* ESA at the World Summit on Sustainable Development
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/ESA3I3ZPD4D_Protecting_0.html

Related links

* EO Market Development
http://www.eomd.esa.int/
* UNOSAT
http://www.unosat.org/

IMAGE CAPTIONS:

[Image 1:
http://www.esa.int/export/esaSA/SEM5..._earth_1.html]
Guatemalan users of UNOSAT data compare their locality to a map of the area
derived from satellite data. The ESA-backed UNOSAT distributes space-based maps
and associated products to UN agencies and non-governmental organisations
working in emergency relief and development.

Credits: UNOSAT

[Image 2:
http://www.esa.int/export/esaSA/SEM5...html#subhead1]
This UNOSAT-provided three dimensional image of Matagalpa in Nicaragua
identifies areas at high risk of flooding and landslides, for safer urban
development planning. Matagalpa suffered badly during Hurricane Mitch back in 1998.

Credits: UNOSAT

[Image 3:
http://www.esa.int/export/esaSA/SEM5...html#subhead2]
Landslides struck the Nicaraguan province of Matagalpa in June 2003, caused by
heavy rainfall. UNOSAT-provided satellite data is being used to help zone new
building development and minimise the danger from future landslides.

Credits: UNOSAT

[Image 4:
http://www.esa.int/export/esaSA/SEM5...html#subhead3]
A satellite image of Matagalpa in Nicaragua imported into UNOSAT-provided
geographical information system (GIS) software. It has been overlaid with a blue
line that shows the edge of the urban area, and a red line illustrating the
extent of the local water supply. Those living in the zone inbetween the two
lines have no piped water available, and therefore at increased risk of
ill-health, information of use to local development workers.

Credits: UNOSAT

[Image 5:
http://www.esa.int/export/esaSA/SEM5...html#subhead4]
A UNOSAT map of Iraq, made available to development agencies to assist their
work. The ESA-supported UNOSAT consortium uses satellite data to create a wide
variety of maps and associated products for use by UN agencies and
non-governmental agencies. The maps can be created to order.

Credits: UNOSAT