unosat rapid mapping general report 2012 -...
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UNOSAT Rapid Mapping Service
Activity Report 2012
February 2013
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OverviewofRapidMappingactivitiesin2012The year 2012 saw an increase in requests and delivery of UNOSAT Rapid Mapping services. A total of 35
events were supported by UNOSAT, primarily on requests received from UN OCHA, UNHCR, UNICEF and
the OHCHR. This is an increase of 25% from 2011 and illustrates both the high demand for UNOSAT
services as well as the full integration of this type of knowledge in decision‐making processes by
humanitarian and human security actors. Figure 1 below shows the number of rapid mapping activities
by year since the start of the service in 2003. Table 1 shows the list of all activations in 2012 by country,
type of disaster and respective month of each request.
Figure 1: Number of rapid mapping activities by year
Given the numerous complex emergencies during 2012, there was an increase in the requests for
UNOSAT support for this type of events. This often includes monitoring the situation over time and thus
requires additional analysis and follow up compared to a typical sudden onset natural disaster. The
evolution of IDP situations and periodic impact assessments during conflict situations are typical
examples of this type of activity.
Natural disasters continue to represent significant activities at UNOSAT – in particular flood events,
which often include the need to monitor events over time. The capacity to provide frequent imagery
analysis updates as situations unfold has become one of the key features of UNOSAT rapid mapping.
Figure 2 shows the percentage breakdown of rapid mapping by disaster type events in 2012.
In 2012 UNOSAT has supported many UN agencies, Member States, Red Cross family, international
organizations and NGOs by providing to them maps, analytical reports and GIS‐ready data. Typical users
include UN OCHA, UNICEF, WHO, UNHCR, WFP, UNDP, IFRC and ICRC, as well as numerous international
NGOs and tens of national NGOs in affected countries. Figure 3 shows the main requesting entities (or
users) by percentage of the total requests received at UNOSAT. OCHA and UNHCR continue to be the
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most active users of the rapid mapping service. The demand of this service is growing as more
humanitarian actors, both at field level and at headquarters, become aware of the benefits involved.
UNOSAT products are also shared with the humanitarian cluster system. The Shelter cluster even
benefits from a dedicated web‐supported platform named REACH, created by UNOSAT and its NGO
Partner “Impact Initiatives” to improve rapid assessment after conflict and disasters.
In addition UNOSAT coordinates the uptake by OCHA and the humanitarian community of mapping
products generated outside the UN system by academia and research institutes. This is done via a
technology platform connected to the Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System (GDACS) and
facilitates event‐based horizontal coordination and information sharing. The platform, created by
UNOSAT experts, is known as GDACS Satellite Mapping Coordination System (SMCS).
In 2012 UNOSAT continued to receive in‐kind support in the form of free satellite imagery and data from
the Space Agencies part of the International Charter Space and Major Disasters as well as from the US
Department of State. This support limits the amount of imagery that UNOSAT has to buy directly from
commercial vendors and help optimize synergy and avoid wasting resources.
ImpactUNOSAT Humanitarian Rapid Mapping is today a mature and reliable service focused on the analysis of
satellite data and imagery. It is widely recognized and praised by UN Member States, UN Agencies and
the UN Secretary‐General himself. The impact of its activities extends beyond the immediate satisfaction
of users requests of mapping products and geospatial data.
Firstly, UNOSAT has an impact on the technology level of the UN system because it provides an essential
technology link to connect the UN and its humanitarian agencies to developments outside the UN
system in the areas of volunteer computing, participatory crisis mapping and in‐field data collection.
Secondly, UNOSAT has generated a positive and consistent trend of increased awareness of the central
role of geospatial information in humanitarian aid and in other vital parts of the UN mission. UNOSAT
output is nowadays part of the operation routine of several main partners, such as OCHA, UNHCR, UNDP
and UNICEF, IFRC and ICRC, as well as numerous NGOs. This has a direct impact on the quality of
decision making and coordination of in‐field aid delivery.
Thirdly, UNOSAT applied research efforts have a methodological impact: 10 years after its first
“activation”, UNOSAT humanitarian rapid mapping is a leading standard not only in the UN but also in
the competitive circle of GIS.
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Table 1: List of rapid mapping activities in 2012
Country/region Disaster type Month Ethiopia Complex emergency 1Libya Complex emergency 1Somalia Complex emergency 2Syria Complex emergency 2Madagascar Storms 2Kenya Fires 2Sudan Complex emergency 2Congo (Republic of) Technical/Chemical 3Turkey Complex emergency 3Mali Complex emergency 4Pakistan Avalanche 4Somalia Complex emergency 5Syria Complex emergency 6Peru Floods 6Somalia Complex emergency 7Senegal Floods 8Algeria Fires 8Somalia Complex emergency 8Jordan Complex emergency 9Pakistan Floods 9South Sudan Floods 9United Kingdom Exercise 9Nigeria Floods 10Chad Floods 10Ivory Coast Complex emergency 10Kenya Complex emergency 10Syria Complex emergency 11South Sudan Complex emergency 11DRC Complex emergency 11Somalia Complex emergency 11Niger Floods 12Philippines Storms 12Samoa Storms 12Fiji Storms 12Syria Complex emergency 12
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Figure 2: Percentage breakdown by disaster type for rapid mapping activations in 2012
Figure 3: Percentage breakdown by entity requesting rapid mapping in 2012. Note: Only first requestor is
featured here. Events often have multiple agencies requesting support.
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SelectedExamplesThe 35 events covered in 2012 cannot all be described in detail here. Some examples are provided
below to illustrate the thematic and geographic variety of events for which this UNOSAT service is
requested:
Complex emergency in Syria
Ammunition depot explosion in Republic of the Congo
Complex emergency in Somalia
Fires in Algeria
Floods in Chad
Above is one example of satellite image derived damage assessment. This assessment of Aleppo in Syria
was requested by several humanitarian entities for their planning of relief operations. The example
shows the value of satellite imagery in monitoring from remote events in areas of difficult access.
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Following a forceful ammunition depot explosion in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo, the UN Disaster
Assessment and Coordination Team (UNDAC) and other humanitarian actors were deployed to assist the
government with damage assessment and coordination. UNOSAT supported this effort with satellite
image analysis. The map above was one of the products used to evaluate the number of houses
destroyed (shown in red). In cases like this one, information is provided by UNOSAT in the form of maps
as well as web‐maps and GIS ready data. These have the additional advantage of being sharable in
digital format with both UN agencies and national entities.
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This update of the IDP situation in Mogadishu was done upon request from UNHCR. It is part of a longer
analytical report produced by UNOSAT including additional statistics and the overview of the entire city
of Mogadishu. The information generated by UNOSAT analysis is also shared with the Shelter Cluster via
the REACH joint service. Somalia and Mogadishu in particular are examples of areas of difficult access
where satellite technology is particularly useful.
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Member states also draw direct benefits from the work of UNOSAT. In the case of the wildfires that
spread for several weeks through Algeria in the summer of 2012, UNOSAT supported the Algerian
government with specific satellite analysis and periodic updates. In addition analytical reports included
comprehensive illustrations of the spatial distribution of events as well as statistics.
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Chad and Cameroon were affected by large floods in 2012 during which UNOSAT was requested by
UNICEF to map the evolution of situation. UNOSAT has staff presence in Chad due to a long‐term project
being implemented in the country. This facilitated the work of UNOSAT and provided the products
among the humanitarian community with a liaison expert in‐situ, which was appreciated also by the UN
Resident Representative and Humanitarian Coordinator.
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Outreach2012 was a year rich in public information and outreach events. This is also the reflection of the
continuing expansion of UNOSAT output to cover the entire crisis management cycle and other areas of
human security. Numerous visitors, including ambassadors and ministers visited the UNOSAT production
centre located at CERN. No less than 20 special events were organised by UNOSAT to illustrate its
activities and output to special and high‐level visitors in 2012 alone.
In the same year UNOSAT and Esri organized the first edition of GIS4UN, an event dedicated to GIS for
the international community gathering over 200 humanitarian and development professionals to discuss
and learn about the latest developments in GIS for global challenges including natural disasters
reduction and emergency response. The conference was opened by the US Ambassador.
UNOSAT and the City of Bergen in Norway
organised an international symposium on the
Interplay between climate change,
development and human rights. A core feature
of this event was the use of satellite imagery
and data sharing among a wide range of actors
at the local level.
The year was also characterized by several
contacts with the private sector in the area of
satellite technology and geospatial applications. UNOSAT was prominently featured at the international
symposium on earth observation business in Paris, where it was invited to discuss the specific
requirements of the humanitarian community.
In collaboration with the Government of Poland, the UNOSAT rapid mapping service was presented to
20 EU member states during a dedicated event that was appreciated by decision makers and new EU
member states.
Finally briefings and presentations were provided to the Inter Agency Standing Committee (IASC) and
the Red Cross.
TrendsThe main trend emerging from 2012 is a strong increase in demand and support to complex
emergencies. The long standing IDP situation in Somalia and the conflict in Syria with related refugee
flows into neighboring countries are examples of this trend.
A second trend is the steady appearance of human rights and human security as a focus of rapid
mapping, which was previously almost entirely used for disaster response. The Office of the High
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Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the Human Rights Council and its Commissions of Inquiry
have emerged in 2012 as substantial users. This development will require the strengthening of UNOSAT
capacity and additional donor support. It should be noted requests or UNOSAT assistance during natural
disasters remained very high in 2012 as it was in 2011.
The trend of data sharing to the benefit of a large community of GIS users for inclusion in sister
agencies’ mapping efforts has progressed further and will continue in 2013. The interest here is that
UNOSAT products are integrated very rapidly into agency‐specific data, for example hospital locations
for WHO or school locations for UNICEF. This enhances the quality of rapid thematic assessments by the
respective agencies supporting in their core. This type of synergy is a new trend and contributes directly
to cost efficiency and better and more evidence‐based information.
Quotesfrombeneficiariesof2012rapidmappingserviceTo illustrate the diverse user base and feedback from the UNOSAT community, a small selection of
feedback received in 2012 is provided below
“I wish to thank you for sending me links to UNOSAT production web page regularly. The products are
of high quality and are very useful for us. The latest application about Syria Uprising is amazing.” Ales
Florjanc, Senior advisor, Government of Slovenia
“Thanks for all the efforts for Lebanon. This will be tremendously useful for [us] in [our] response
efforts. » Guillaume Simonian, Information manager, UNICEF
“First of all, thank you for your continuous flow of information with excellent products. I was a big fan of
your agency's PDF products and now, with this viewer you are providing a very valuable interactive tool.
Flex technology, ESRI Backgrounds and Time‐Slider are all excellent choices in terms of using the
industry standards. Viewer is fast, informative and has enough span to cover neighboring areas of
interest. Hopefully your team will continue to expand the coverage other events in the neighboring
countries.” Burhan Girgin, GIS Manager, US Government
Satellite imagery used in this report were provided by DigitalGlobe and GeoEye, unless otherwise stated.
All image analysis was carried out by UNOSAT.
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