International Charter-Space and Major Disasters - Experience of CNES and of the French Civil Protection. Haiti Earthquake January 2010

摘要

International Charter 'Space and Major Disasters' is a unique initiative employing space technologies to help save lives and assess the damage due to natural disasters that leave a trail of destruction around the world, including in Europe. The aim of the charter is to help get relief to those who need it. Earth-imaging satellites provide archive images or specifically tasked imagery of disaster areas that emergency response teams can use to organize the on the spot assistance and aid. Since its inception in November 2000, the Charter has been activated all over the world more than 250 times in more than 80 countries, in response to meteorological disasters such as hurricanes and floods (60% of the total number of activation), earthquakes (13%), volcano eruptions (7%), forest fires (7%), industrial accidents like oil spills (5%). There is an increase of Charter events, with more than 40 to 45 activations per year. This increase, which is premature to directly connect to the climate change, is possibly due to a better involvement of the users and particularly UN agencies (responsible of 50% of the activations in 2009). The latest activations from the French Civil Protection are described with a special focus on the Haiti earthquake, the disasters assessment products obtained and the feedbacks from the Users.