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Remote Sensing applications for disasters

K. V. Venkatachary
ISRO Hqrs, Antariksh Bhavan,
New BEL Road, Bangalore-560094.
Phone: 91-80-3415408


The remote sensing inputs have been used for many disasters including drought, flood, earthquake, cyclone, landslides, volcanoes, avalanches, forest fire, crop pest / diseases, etc., its applications to drought, flood, cyclone, and forest fire have been more focussed and effective in the country. Based on the significant correlation between NOSS-AVHRR derived NDVI and Vegetation conditions, particularly moisture stress, National Agricultural Drought Assessment and Monitoring System (NADAMS) Project has been successful in qualitative assessment of drought conditions in the country. Recently, IRS WiFS NDVI, by virtue of its improved spatial resolution, is expected to enhance the scope of project. Flood monitoring has also been carried out, though cloud cover during the floods continues to be constraining factor. Similarly, cyclone and forest fires have also been monitored and damage assessment, to a limited extent, was carried out in recent times. But, synergistic coupling of remote sensing inputs with conventional systems and space communications, in well-knit multi-energy interface, offers better operational services and decision support.

The real perspective of space applications for disasters lies in organisation of an efficient Disaster Management System (DMS) - having a backbone of a
  1. Comprehensive database,
  2. real-time monitoring/mapping tools,
  3. modeling system and
  4. networking,
to cater to the information needs of activities before a disaster strikes - preparedness and prediction and after the strike of a disaster - damage assessment and rehabilitation . The space communication based networking element should aim at speedily providing access to information system at any point of time for many places and facilitate the decision-making at all levels

The paper attempts to define the possible operational framework for the DMS with appropriate database design, modeling needs, organisational issues and networking needs. With the multi-agency interface, the proposed DMS aims at offering near real time disaster management solutions by integrating suitably space based systems and services with contemporary technologies in appropriate framework. Considering the trans-boundary origins of many natural disasters, complex interactions among land, water and ocean parameters and technological constraints such optimum repetitive/coverage, micro-wave data availability, and a world wide network of necessary space and ground segments, international co-operation, focussed on disaster management issues, is called for.
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