Disasters: Work plan activities

Disasters: Reducing loss of life and property from natural and human-induced disasters

"Disaster-induced losses can be reduced through observations relating to hazards such as: wildland fires, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis, subsidence, landslides, avalanches, ice, floods, extreme weather, and pollution events. GEOSS implementation will bring a more timely dissemination of information through better coordinated systems for monitoring, predicting, risk assessment, early warning, mitigating, and responding to hazards at local, national, regional, and global levels."
– GEOSS 10-Year Implementation Plan, Section 4.1.1

Summary of ongoing tasks:

DI-06-02: Seismographic Networks Improvement and Coordination
This Task is led by GSN, FSDN and the USA.
Facilitate improvement of capabilities for global seismographic networks such as GSN, FDSN, DAPHNE, GNSS networks and new ocean bottom networks such as VENUS and NEPTUNE and sharing of data and event products among GEO members.

DI-06-03: Integration of InSAR Technology
This Task is led by IGOS-P and Greece.
Support the improved integration of InSAR (Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar) technology for disaster warning and prediction.
The Task will also address the integration of GNSS and InSAR.

DI-06-04: Implementation of a Tsunami Early Warning System at Global Level
This Task is led by IOC and UNOSAT.
Support the IOC Implementation Plan, through (i) promotion and facilitation of free and unrestricted exchange of all Earth observation data relevant to Tsunami Early Warning Systems (ii) contribution in terms of GEO developed operational capabilities (iii) definition and implementation of standards.
This Task now includes all the activities related to the implementation of a Tsunami Early-Warning System at global level.The IOC Implementation Plan will be the programmatic reference for Task implementation. JCOMM will be included in the contributing Organisations.

DI-06-07: Multi-hazard Zonation and Maps
This Task is lead IGOS-P and WMO.
Conduct an inventory of existing geologic and multi-hazard zonation maps, identify gaps and needs for digitization and progressively develop related products. It will include reference geographic products as the basis for production of hazard maps.

DI-06-08: Multi-hazard Approach Definition and Progressive Implementation
This Task is led by WMO.
Promote the cooperation of national and international agencies towards the definition and implementation of a multi-hazard approach to systematically address all risks.
The Task supports ISDR in the Implementation of the Hyogo Framework for action and in includes, as an important complement to the on going programs on the implementation of a Tsunami Early Warning System, a pilot project on the implementation of a risk management system for geohazards in the South East Asian Region. This project will be constructed in coordination and in support of existing organisations and projects (such as ASEAN, APEC, Sentinel Asia), with the participation of the Community of practice rather active in the area.
The Task will include links with relevant international Research programs, such the one being launched by ICSU.

DI-06-09: Use of Satellites for Risk Management
This Task is led by Canada, China and UNOOSA.
With reference to a multi-hazard approach, define and facilitate implementation of a virtual constellation for risk management.
The Task will include development of dedicated Software tools (based on the basic ones developed within Task DA-07-03) to be used, in the short term, to facilitate the analysis of coverage for critical observations and, in the medium-long term, to implement the user interface with the operators for products ordering and retrieval and to perform data integration and re-processing.
The Task will also include specific activities concerning Constellation requirements definition and performance assessment, with the full involvement of Users, through participation of “champions” from the relevant community of practice.
The Secretariat will continue its action towards the Board of the International Charter as well as relevant CEOS members, in order to identify possible strengthening of Charter mechanisms and options for widening its scope.

DI-06-13: Implementation of a Fire Warning System at Global Level
This Task is led by Portugal and GTOS.
Initiate a globally coordinated warning system for fire, including the development of improved prediction capabilities, analysis tools and response support through sensors, information products and risk assessment models.
Interface coordination will be put in place with activities of other Social Benefit Areas taking benefit from data and products generated within this Task.
The activities will be performed in the following areas:

• review of existing warning systems
• assess ways to enhance current fire early warning systems
• define options and mechanisms for the implementation of an operational global early warning system

Activities will be coordinated with the ISDR initiative on “Wildland fire monitoring network” coordinated by the GMFC (Global Fire Monitoring Center)

DI-07-01: Risk Management for Floods
This Task is led by Tunisia.
Floods are best suited to apply the full cycle of Risk Management, from the monitoring phase up to damage assessment, passing through early warning and crisis management. The management of the flood risk is being performed by a number of Organisations all around the world at different scales, from local to national to regional. The Task will define best practices, here including decision support systems, with the goal to identify minimum required observations and associated networks (in-situ, remote sensing) and models to deal with flood management at different geographical scales. The Task will also include analysis and, where deemed applicable, further developments on weather and coastal ocean forecast and warning systems, as one of the main inputs, in particular to assess the risk during the monitoring/prevision/prevention phase. This Task includes relevant synergies with water and weather tasks and coastal ocean activities.
With reference to and in coordination with the WMO APFM (Associated Programme on Flood Management) and with similar initiative conducted under national and regional projects, the core activity will be constituted by the definition and implementation of a pilot project, centred on the development and demonstration of a Flood risk management system for the South-Central American Regions. Coastal observations and associated warnings will be part of this activity.