Chapter 7
USING CURRENT AND FUTURE REMOTE
SENSING SYSTEMS IN NATURAL HAZARDS
MANAGEMENT
J. San Miguel-Ayanz, M. M. Verstraete, B. Pinty, J. Meyer-Roux and G.
Schmuck
Space Applications Institute, Ispra, Italy.
1.
INTRODUCTION
Natural disasters have often occurred in history and will continue to take
place. Improved technology or knowledge cannot prevent natural hazards.
However, technological developments can lead to a better understanding of
the environmental and human causes of these hazards. Furthermore, even
though hazards cannot be prevented, disasters can be avoided or diminished
by taking precautionary measures, by providing early warnings, by an
adequate monitoring of risks and by coordinating relief efforts.
Satellite technology is improving rapidly, especially in terms of sensor
and telecommunications performances. However, the actual exploitation of
satellites in the management of natural disasters is still in its infancy. The
weather forecasting community has a long history of operational use of
satellite remote sensing to improve predictions, and in particular the
occurrence and evolution of tropical cyclones. By contrast, the management
of other natural hazards has so far made relatively little use of satellite
technologies. The reasons why satellite derived information may not be used
in disaster monitoring and management may be summarized as follows:
Methods and techniques may be lacking to derive useful information on
impending disasters.
53
M.M. Verstraete et al. (eds.), Observing Land from Space: Science, Customers and Technology, 53–60.
© 2000 Kluwer Academic Publishers. Printed in the Netherlands.
USING CURRENT AND FUTURE REMOTE
SENSING SYSTEMS IN NATURAL HAZARDS
MANAGEMENT
J. San Miguel-Ayanz, M. M. Verstraete, B. Pinty, J. Meyer-Roux and G.
Schmuck
Space Applications Institute, Ispra, Italy.
1.
INTRODUCTION
Natural disasters have often occurred in history and will continue to take
place. Improved technology or knowledge cannot prevent natural hazards.
However, technological developments can lead to a better understanding of
the environmental and human causes of these hazards. Furthermore, even
though hazards cannot be prevented, disasters can be avoided or diminished
by taking precautionary measures, by providing early warnings, by an
adequate monitoring of risks and by coordinating relief efforts.
Satellite technology is improving rapidly, especially in terms of sensor
and telecommunications performances. However, the actual exploitation of
satellites in the management of natural disasters is still in its infancy. The
weather forecasting community has a long history of operational use of
satellite remote sensing to improve predictions, and in particular the
occurrence and evolution of tropical cyclones. By contrast, the management
of other natural hazards has so far made relatively little use of satellite
technologies. The reasons why satellite derived information may not be used
in disaster monitoring and management may be summarized as follows:
Methods and techniques may be lacking to derive useful information on
impending disasters.
53
M.M. Verstraete et al. (eds.), Observing Land from Space: Science, Customers and Technology, 53–60.
© 2000 Kluwer Academic Publishers. Printed in the Netherlands.