The Italian government declared a state of emergency following landslides in 2008-2010. Case studies of these landslides, and a related landslide stability model, can be used by the Authority of Civil Protection and other experts for managing future risks.
In Portugal, the fire season of 2003 was the worst on record. Satellite imagery was used to study the post-fire vegetation response. The results contribute to our understanding of the impact of management strategies and can ultimately improve allocation of firefighting resources.
International Earth observation agencies are cooperating in the creation of online resources to aid rescue efforts and advance scientific understanding in the wake of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami. Available visualization products relate to a range of issues, including historic and present seismic activity, landslides, deformation areas, floating objects and more.
India is a country that faces food scarcity issues and is vulnerable to disasters brought about by tropical cyclones and tidal surges. Global warming threatens to exacerbate both of these issues, and proper planning is needed to help decrease these threats to India and its people.
The volcanic hazard can involve a sequence of disastrous events, leading to cascading effects in multiple systems. An effective Disaster Operations Management tool should be focused on a dynamic evolution of risk, in order to minimize physical and economic losses.
Following the 2010 Haiti Earthquake, a testbed was developed by the Open Geospatial Consortium to distribute data and provide tools for analysis and decision-making. The context and results of this testbed are relevant for the management of future post-crisis disaster events.
![Map of the maximum sea elevation computed for the Catania area. It shows a small difference between the maximum inundation line (for the worst-case scenario) and the black-lined inundation boundary according to an aggregated scenario (from [Tinti et al., 2011])](https://earthzine.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Figure-12.jpg "Map of the maximum sea elevation computed for the Catania area. It shows a small difference between the maximum inundation line (for the worst-case scenario) and the black-lined inundation boundary according to an aggregated scenario (from [Tinti et al., 2011])")
Research done as part of the European SCHEMA project suggests that creation of hazard and damage scenarios may save lives during disasters caused by tsunami waves. These scenarios can help identify suitable vertical shelters and escape routes and even estimate expected accumulation of debris.
UN-SPIDER brings together experts to improve access to space-based information. Recent disasters such as those in Haiti and Pakistan demonstrate the value of up-to-date satellite data, and how it can be used beforehand to reduce impacts to people on the ground.
What’s the difference between drought duration and magnitude, and what methods can be used to plan for dry periods in drought-stricken areas? This paper analyzes research done in the Tel watershed of Odisha, India.
When a disaster occurs, rapid mapping activities using satellite data can provide valuable information to support emergency response actions. Such was the case recently when severe earthquake and tsunami events hit Sumatra, prompting the contribution from the Center for Satellite Based Crisis Information, a service of the German Aerospace Center (DLR).
