SPACE BASED PRODUCTS TO SUPPORT EUROPEAN EMERGENCY RESPONSE

Europe has, over the last 10 years, prioritised investments in an ambitious and autonomous space programme. One of the results of this programme is the GMES initiative, which is now moving into a pre-operational phase.

GMES at a glance

Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) is a European initiative led by the European Union and implemented by the European Commission (EC) jointly with the European Space Agency (ESA) aimed at developing a European information service based on satellite earth observations and in-situ (ground based) data. The objective of GMES is to monitor and forecast the state of the environment on land, sea and in the

GMES Emergency Response Service (ERS)

The GMES Emergency Response Service will provide all actors involved in the management of humanitarian crises, natural disasters, and manmade emergency situations, with timely and high quality products derived from space observations for use in the response phase, such as:

  • preparedness, recovery and refugee / IDP products (available in non-rush mode);
  • emergency response products (available in rush mode ; first products generated within 24 hours).

GMES Emergency Response Service is expanding its services towards the crisis-prevention (pre-disaster) and post-disaster management by undertaking/developing hazard and risk analysis, fore-casting and early warning products and services. Many types of disasters are being addressed: natural disasters (floods, fires, landslides, storms, earthquakes, etc.), technological accidents (oil spills, vehicle accidents, etc.) and humanitarian crises (for instance famine after a severe period of drought). The GMES Emergency Response Service cooperates and coordinates with major initiatives in the domain, for example with the International Charter “Space and Major Disasters”.

GMES Emergency Response Service benefits!

 Major benefits from the use of the GMES Emergency Response Service products and services are:

  • Access to products and services for any geographical area worldwide, (satellite imagery can be acquired anywhere in the world);
  • Pre-disaster reference products covering major crisis areas worldwide;
  • Timeliness of post-disaster information, available within 24 hours from receipt of request;
  • In-field information delivery, (delivery of the geo-information products to wherever they are needed by users, e.g. in-field, in crisis rooms, in coordination centres, etc.);
  • Support in all Emergency Response phases, as the GMES Emergency Response Service will produce pre-event, post-event and crisis follow- up products;
  • End user support, providing software and hardware tools necessary to easily integrate GMES Emergency Response Service products in your current operational workflows.

Two strong projects for the implementation of GMES Emergency Response Service!

In the forthcoming years (2009-2011) the GMES Emergency Response Service will be “powered” by two EC funded complementary Projects:          

, a FP7 Research & Development Project, is in charge of developing user friendly space-based geo-information products in order to strengthen European information capacities to respond to emergency situations: fires, floods, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, humanitarian crisis, etc. It is responsible for building the production lines and delivery mechanism of the Emergency Response satellite information service, consolidating the GMES Emergency Response Service mapping and analysis Service Portfolio and scaling up a European Service network. A wide set of consolidated thematic products covering both the Civil Protection and the Humanitarian Aid domains will be delivered during “normal” and rapid response conditions, while new thematic domains will be addressed and innovative solutions developed over time.

, a Service Contract financed by the EC , is the Preparatory Action intended to support the operational use of GME S Emergency Response Service products across the whole European Union. This goal is being reached through customized tools installed within each national/EC user community, represented by its own National User Focal Point (NFP)
as well as the EC Focal points in the DG ECHO / MIC (Civil Protection), DG RELEX (Delegations) and DG ECHO (humanitarian aid). All Focal Points will have direct access to GMES Emergency Response Service products and will be supported to easily integrate them into the respective operational workflows of each Participating State. Both technical and procedural developments will be supported by adequate training and exercises in cooperation, when applicable, with DG ECHO / MIC .

What is a user Focal Point?

The User Focal Point is the contact point in each country and in the EC services establishing the user needs and requirements of the civil protection community and EC services. During the initial project phase all User Focal Points will be supported in identifying, whenever needed, theircapacity to:

  • convey information/mapping orders (area of interest, product type, constraints, maximum delivery times, tolerances, etc...);
  • browse map/product catalogue;
  • express alternative information / mapping need;
  • take responsibility for delievred map and information products by integrating them in the strategic, tactical and operational level at European and national levels. At national level this includes the first and second line responders.

The User Focal Point should as well facilitate the local organisation of training sessions offered by the Commission and the service providers to the user community.

Click here to dowmload the GMES ERS brochure