Satellites can save lives during disasters
The first Sentinel satellites have been placed in low Earth orbit as part of the EU's Copernicus programme with the support of the European Space Agency (ESA). These Earth observation satellites can monitor deforestation, track the retreat of sea ice and map the progress of climate change. One of the most innovative uses of collected data will be to mitigate the effects of natural hazards. In particular, the Copernicus Emergency Mapping Service has started to monitor the effects of natural disasters. Within the EU-funded project SENSUM(opens in new window) (Framework to integrate space-based and in-situ sensing for dynamic vulnerability and recovery monitoring), researchers have developed software tools to make maps of earthquakes, floods and landslides readily accessible to everyone. The SENSUM tools integrate data from Earth observation satellites with ground-based systems, such as omnidirectional camera surveys. The combination ensures more robust estimates of the potential losses. For example, the software identifies which Copernicus observations best show the patterns of extreme rainfall and the areas at risk of flooding. From the beginning, the researchers relied on free and open source software to allow the wide dissemination of maps to disaster management authorities and the public. The tools translate observations from Copernicus into information that is easy to interpret even by untrained people. The public can view the relevant observations to prepare for and respond to a natural disaster. More Sentinel satellites will follow in the coming years, with the last Sentinel scheduled to be placed in orbit around 2030. Complemented by an array of ground-based sensors, managed by the European Environmental Agency (EEA), the Copernicus observational capacity will continuously improve. At the same time, SENSUM's software tools could grow from experimental to fully fledged services that will help authorities quickly direct their emergency resources. Among others, an interactive tool for knowledge elicitation will assess end-users' information needs during different phases of the disaster management cycle.
