Risk Wise

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How the Global Earth Observation

System of Systems can support disaster managers

José Achache and Veronica Grasso, Group on Earth Observations

azards such as wildland fires, volcanic eruptions, earth-

quakes, tsunamis, land subsidence, landslides, avalanches,

storms and floods are an inevitable part of living on this

planet. Fortunately, we can often minimize the likelihood of such

hazards turning into disasters that destroy human life and prop-

erty. One way we can reduce risks is to use Earth observations for

monitoring and predicting emerging hazards, providing early

warnings and responding and adapting to those disasters that we

cannot fully avoid.

Timely access to weather forecasts, satellite images, in situ data about

water levels or seismographic changes, and maps that integrate infor-

mation on transport routes, health services, and socioeconomic

conditions can save uncounted lives. The key words here are access

and integration. This is why the Group on Earth Observations (GEO)

is actively seeking to empower decision-makers and disaster

managers with rapid access to integrated data and information

services from a diverse range of sources.

To achieve this, GEO’s 120 member governments and interna-

tional organizations are constructing a Global Earth Observation

System of Systems (GEOSS). In addition to addressing climate

change, public health, biodiversity and other critical issues, GEOSS

promises to improve our ability to monitor, forecast, mitigate and

respond to natural, human-induced, and compound

hazards and disasters. It will also strengthen the capac-

ity of disaster managers for exploiting disaster-related

information and for coordinating monitoring and

prediction activities with those of experts in other fields.

GEO’s disaster-management activities

GEO is building GEOSS through a series of activities to

which governments and organizations voluntarily

contribute. Its key tasks on disaster management are the

following:

Reducing earthquake damage by strengthening seismo-

graphic networks

– Interlinking national and regional

seismographic networks and extending their coverage to

more ocean regions will help to improve earthquake

prediction. It will give researchers and experts greater

access to real-time and historical seismological data and

products. GEO is working closely with the International

Federation of Digital Seismograph Networks to improve

global seismographic networks and to encourage data

sharing among GEO’s participating members.

Establishing a global tsunami early warning system

–

UNESCO’s

Intergovernmental

Oceanographic

Commission is leading GEO’s effort to improve the

network of ocean-bottom systems for tsunami detection.

A key aspect of this work involves integrating this

network with land-based sensors and satellite-based

optical and radar instruments. These networks also need

to be made interoperable with emergency-response

systems and with other relevant observation systems.

Constructing a global early warning system for wildland

fire

– The high level of loss and destruction caused by

wildfires highlights the need for improving early warning

systems. Disaster managers, fire-fighters, foresters and

vulnerable communities need timely information about

the location and trajectory of blazes, while researchers

and risk-reduction experts must be able to monitor and

analyse trends in the frequency and distribution of forest

fires. The GEO wildfire team is working to improve and

coordinate existing warning systems and risk models. It

is also addressing information gaps and the need for

training and capacity building.

A prototype of this global early warning system has

already been established for sub-Saharan Africa. The

South African Advanced Fire Information System (AFIS)

is the first near-real-time, satellite-based fire monitor-

Northern boreal forest fire

Image: Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada