Benefits of Space: Disaster Management

Photo: UN Photo

A disaster is a serious disruption to the functioning of a community or society. Disasters cause human, material, economic and environmental losses that exceed a community's ability to cope using its own resources. In the past 25 years there has been an increase in the frequency, intensity and unpredictability of disasters, such as earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, landslides and wildfires. Disaster management aims to lessen the impacts of disasters, minimising losses of life and property.  

Photo: UN Photo

 

 

Space-based technologies can contribute to all phases of the disaster management cycle, including prevention, preparedness, early warning, response and reconstruction. Before a disaster takes place, remotely sensed data provides information for systems and models which can predict disasters and provide early warnings. Satellites are also reliable and rapid communication, observation and positioning tools, which become particularly vital to relief and recovery operations when ground based infrastructure is damaged. 

 

For more information see also:

UN-SPIDER

UN-Space Open Informal Session 2013: Space and Disaster Risk Reduction

Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction

World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction

See below for recent documents relating to Disaster Management. For more documents, search the Documents Database.

UN-SPIDERdocs

 

 

 

 

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