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Earth Observation for Humanitarian Operations

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Yearbook on Space Policy 2016

Part of the book series: Yearbook on Space Policy ((YEARSPACE))

Abstract

Large-scale population displacements have ever increased the need for more effective humanitarian assistance. Humanitarian organizations require up-to-date reliable information about the situation on-site. Field-based surveys are often limited in crisis situations due to time or accessibility constraints. Geospatial and Earth observation (EO) technologies have increasingly become popular in the humanitarian community. An EO-based information service was set up for Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) which provides dedicated geospatial information products in support of their operations. The core of the service portfolio is population monitoring using dwelling extraction from (multi-temporal) very high-resolution (VHR) satellite imagery. The service is mainly requested for refugee and IDP (internally displaced people) camps. Additional services on environmental resources, including groundwater, are provided on demand. As of mid-2017, over 350 maps at 60 locations in over 20 countries have been produced.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    ‘Figures at a Glance’. 29 June 2017. UNHCR 1 Oct. 2017 http://www.unhcr.org/figures-at-a-glance.html

  2. 2.

    Lang, S., Schoepfer, E., Zeil, P. and Riedler, B. (2017) Earth observation for humanitarian assistance. GI Forum – Journal for Geographic Information Science, 1/2017, pp. 157–165.

  3. 3.

    Lang, S., Füreder, P., Kranz, O., Card, B., Roberts, S. and Papp, A. (2015) Humanitarian emergencies: causes, traits and impacts as observed by remote sensing. in Thenkabail, P., (ed.) Remote Sensing Handbook, New York: Taylor and Francis. pp. 483–512.

  4. 4.

    Voigt, S., Schoepfer, E., Fourie, C. and Mager, A. (2014) Towards semi-automated satellite mapping for humanitarian situational awareness. in Global Humanitarian Technology Conference (GHTC): IEEE. pp. 412–416.

  5. 5.

    Bjorgo, E. (2001) Supporting humanitarian relief operations. in Baker, J. C., O’Connell, K. M. and Williamson, R. A., (eds.) Commercial observation satellites: at the leading edge of global transparency, Santa Monica, CA.: ASPRS RAND. pp. 403–427; Lang, S., Tiede, D., Hölbling, D., Füreder, P. and Zeil, P. (2010) EO-based ex-post assessment of IDP camp evolution and population dynamics in Zam Zam, Darfur. International Journal of Remote Sensing, 31(21), pp. 5709–5731; Voigt, S., Kemper, T., Riedlinger, T., Kiefl, R., Scholte, K. and Mehl, H. (2007) Satellite Image Analysis for Disaster and Crisis-Management Support. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, 45(6), pp. 1520–1528.

  6. 6.

    Füreder, P., Lang, S., Hagenlocher, M., Tiede, D., Wendt, L. and Rogenhofer, E. (2015) Earth observation and GIS to support humanitarian operations in refugee/IDP camps. in Palen, Büscher, Comes and Hughes, (eds.) Geospatial Data and Geographical Information Science – Proceedings of the ISCRAM 2015 Conference, Kristiansand.

  7. 7.

    Lang et al. (2017).

  8. 8.

    Füreder et al. (2015).

  9. 9.

    ‘Building a Global System of Systems.’ GEO 1 Oct. 2017 http://www.earthobservations.org/documents/geo_brochure.pdf

  10. 10.

    Li, D. (2009) An overview of Earth observation and geospatial information service. in Li, D., Shan, J. and Gong, J., (eds.) Geospatial technologies for Earth observation, New York: Springer. pp. 556.

  11. 11.

    Lang et al. (2015).

  12. 12.

    Lang et al. (2010); Spröhnle, K., Tiede, D., Schoepfer, E., Füreder, P., Svanberg, A. and Rost, T. (2014) Earth observation-based dwelling detection approaches in a highly complex refugee camp environment — a comparative study. Remote Sensing, 6(10), pp. 9277–9297; Tiede, D., Krafft, P., Füreder, P. and Lang, S. (2017) Stratified Template Matching to Support Refugee Camp Analysis in OBIA Workflows. Remote Sensing, 9(326).

  13. 13.

    Hagenlocher, M., Lang, S. and Tiede, D. (2012) Integrated assessment of the environmental impact of an IDP camp in Sudan based on very high-resolution multi-temporal satellite imagery. Remote Sensing of Environment, 126, pp. 27–38; Kranz, O., Sachs, A. and Lang, S. (2015) Assessment of environmental changes induced by internally displaced person (IDP) camps in the Darfur region, Sudan, based on multi-temporal MODIS data. International Journal of Remote Sensing, 36(1), pp. 190–210.

  14. 14.

    Lang et al. (2010).

  15. 15.

    Regulation (EU) No 377/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of the 3 April 2014 establishing the Copernicus Programme and repealing, 911/2010 (2014).

  16. 16.

    Wendt, L., Lang, S. and Rogenhofer, E. (2017) Monitoring of refugee and IDP camps with Sentinel 2 imagery – a feasibility study. GI Forum – Journal for Geographic Information Science, 1/2017, pp. 172–182.

  17. 17.

    Braun, A., Lang, S. and Hochschild, V. (2016) Impact of refugee camps on their environment – a case study using multi-temporal SAR data Journal of Geography, Environment and Earth Science International, 4(2), pp. 1–17.

  18. 18.

    Congalton, R. G. and Green, K. (1998) Assessing the accuracy of remotely sensed data: principles and practices, Boca Raton: Lewis Publishers.

  19. 19.

    Checchi, F., Stewart, B. T., Palmer, J. J. and Grundy, C. (2013) Validity and feasibility of a satellite imagery-based method for rapid estimation of displaced populations. International Journal of Health Geographics, 12(4), pp. 1–12.

  20. 20.

    Zeil, P. and Lang, S. (2009) Do have clients a role in validation?. in Broglia, M., (ed.) Validation of geo-information products for crisis management, JRC, Ispra.

  21. 21.

    Füreder et al. (2015).

  22. 22.

    Ehrlich, D., Lang, S., Laneve, G., Mubareka, S., Schneiderbauer, S. and Tiede, D. (2009) Can Earth observation help to improve information on population? Indirect population estimations from EO derived geospatial data. in Jasani, B., Pesaresi, M., Schneiderbauer, S. and Zeug, G., (eds.) Remote Sensing from Space Supporting International Peace and Security, Berlin: Springer. pp. 211–237.

  23. 23.

    Füreder et al. (2015).

  24. 24.

    Wendt, L., Hilberg, S., Robl, J., Hochschild, V., Rogenhofer, E., Füreder, P., Lang, S. and Zeil, P. (2014) Assisting the exploration of groundwater near refugee/IDP camps using remote sensing and GIS. in Gemeinsame Tagung 2014 der DGfK, der DGPF, der GfGI und des GiN Hamburg.

  25. 25.

    Braun et al. (2016).

  26. 26.

    Hagenlocher et al. (2012).

  27. 27.

    ‘Special Session @ GI Forum Salzburg, 4–7 July 2017.’ Earth4HumEn+ 1 Oct. 2017 www.zgis.at/humanitarian-services

  28. 28.

    Lang et al. (2017).

  29. 29.

    Blaschke, T., Hay, G. J., Kelly, M., Lang, S., Hofmann, P., Addink, E., Feitosa, R. Q., Van der Meer, F., Van der Werff, H., Van Coillie, F. and Tiede, D. (2014) Geographic Object-based Image Analysis: a new paradigm in Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Science. International Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, 87(1), pp. 180–191.

  30. 30.

    Füreder et al. (2015).

  31. 31.

    Füreder et al. (2015).

  32. 32.

    Schörghofer, R., Lang, S., Wendt, L. and Riedler, B. (2017) CMaP – collaborative mapping platform for humanitarian organisations. GI Forum – Journal for Geographic Information Science, 1/2017, pp. 207–216.

  33. 33.

    Lang et al. (2017).

References

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    Chapter  Google Scholar 

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    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kranz O, Sachs A, Lang S (2015) Assessment of environmental changes induced by internally displaced person (IDP) camps in the Darfur region, Sudan, based on multi-temporal MODIS data. Int J Remote Sens 36(1):190–210

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lang S, Tiede D, Hölbling D, Füreder P, Zeil P (2010) EO-based ex-post assessment of IDP camp evolution and population dynamics in Zam Zam, Darfur. Int J Remote Sens 31(21):5709–5731

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lang S, Füreder P, Kranz O, Card B, Roberts S, Papp A (2015) Humanitarian emergencies: causes, traits and impacts as observed by remote sensing. In: Thenkabail P (ed) Remote sensing handbook. Taylor and Francis, New York, pp 483–512

    Google Scholar 

  • Lang S, Schoepfer E, Zeil P, Riedler B (2017) Earth observation for humanitarian assistance. GI Forum – J Geogr Inf Sci 1:157–165

    Google Scholar 

  • Li D (2009) An overview of earth observation and geospatial information service. In: Li D, Shan J, Gong J (eds) Geospatial technologies for Earth observation. Springer, New York, p 556

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Schörghofer R, Lang S, Wendt L, Riedler B (2017) CMaP – collaborative mapping platform for humanitarian organisations. GI Forum – J Geogr Inf Sci 1:207–216

    Google Scholar 

  • Spröhnle K, Tiede D, Schoepfer E, Füreder P, Svanberg A, Rost T (2014) Earth observation-based dwelling detection approaches in a highly complex refugee camp environment—a comparative study. Remote Sens 6(10):9277–9297

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tiede D, Krafft P, Füreder P, Lang S (2017) Stratified template matching to support refugee camp analysis in OBIA workflows. Remote Sens 9:326

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Voigt S, Kemper T, Riedlinger T, Kiefl R, Scholte K, Mehl H (2007) Satellite image analysis for disaster and crisis-management support. IEEE Trans Geosci Remote Sens 45(6):1520–1528

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Voigt S, Schoepfer E, Fourie C, Mager A (2014) Towards semi-automated satellite mapping for humanitarian situational awareness. In: Global Humanitarian Technology Conference (GHTC): IEEE. San Jose, pp 412–416

    Google Scholar 

  • Wendt L, Hilberg S, Robl J, Hochschild V, Rogenhofer E, Füreder P, Lang S, Zeil P (2014) Assisting the exploration of groundwater near refugee/IDP camps using remote sensing and GIS. In: Gemeinsame Tagung 2014 der DGfK, der DGPF, der GfGI und des GiN Hamburg

    Google Scholar 

  • Wendt L, Lang S, Rogenhofer E (2017) Monitoring of refugee and IDP camps with Sentinel 2 imagery – a feasibility study. GI Forum – J Geogr Inf Sci 1:172–182

    Google Scholar 

  • Zeil P, Lang S (2009) Do have clients a role in validation? In: Broglia M (ed) Validation of geo-information products for crisis management. JRC, Ispra

    Google Scholar 

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Acknowledgements

Research leading to this article has been co-funded by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG) under the Austrian Space Application Programme (ASAP) within the projects EO4HumEn (EO-based services to support humanitarian operations: monitoring population and natural resources in refugee/IDP camps, contract no. 840081) and EO4HumEn+ (extended EO-based services for dynamic information needs in humanitarian action, contract no. 854041). Direct funding has been received from Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Austria and the Karl Kahane Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geoinformatics – Z_GIS, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria

    Stefan Lang & Petra Füreder

  2. Médecins Sans Frontières, Vienna, Austria

    Edith Rogenhofer

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  1. Stefan Lang
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  2. Petra Füreder
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  3. Edith Rogenhofer
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Correspondence to Stefan Lang .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. European Space Policy Institute, Vienna, Austria

    Cenan Al-Ekabi

  2. European Space Policy Institute, Vienna, Austria

    Stefano Ferretti

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Lang, S., Füreder, P., Rogenhofer, E. (2018). Earth Observation for Humanitarian Operations. In: Al-Ekabi, C., Ferretti, S. (eds) Yearbook on Space Policy 2016. Yearbook on Space Policy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-72465-2_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-72465-2_10

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