Welcome to the Center for Satellite Based Crisis Information

The Center for Satellite Based Crisis Information (ZKI) presents a service of the German Remote Sensing Data Center (DFD) of DLR. It provides a 24/7 service for the rapid provision, processing and analysis of satellite imagery during natural and environmental disasters, for humanitarian relief activities and civil security issues worldwide. The resulting satellite based information products are provided to relief organisations and public authorities and are also freely available on the ZKI website.

ZKI Latest News

DLR supports establishment of the 'International Working Group on Satellite Based Emergency Mapping (IWG-SEM)'
16 May 2012, 15:05 CEST

Over the last decade, the use of earth observation satellites to support disaster and emergency relief has significantly increased. While a few years ago only a few expert centres were involved in satellite based emergency mapping, today, many players, from government, academia, industry, NGO, internet communities and even online newspaper portals make use of satellite imagery to depict, map and assess large scale disaster situations.

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Tropical storm in Mozambique
2 March 2012, 23:59 CET

On March 2, 2012, Tropical storm IRINA struck Madagascar at about 00:00 GMT and is forecasted to strike Mozambique as a tropical cyclone at about 20:00 GMT on March 3.

According to the information supplied by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC), the point of landfall will be north the border of Mozambique and South Africa. IRINA is expected to bring 1-minute maximum sustained winds to the region of around 129 km/h (80 mph). The cyclone is expected to cause heavy rain and flash flooding in Mozambique, and storm surges generally between 1.2 and 1.5 metres (4-5 feet).

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Flood in Bulgaria
10 February 2012, 21:55 CET

Due to heavy snow that has covered Bulgaria in the beginning of February 2012, several dams were overflowing. On Monday, 6 February, the Ivanovo dam wall broke due to severe weather conditions and the water released inundated the villages of Biser and Leshnikovo in south eastern Bulgaria. Several other dams in this areas are also in risk of being damaged due to masses of water and snow.

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Flood in Mozambique
24 January 2012, 23:33 CET - last update on 30 January 2012, 13:00 CET

On January 16, 2012, Mozambique’s coast was hit by the tropical depression “Dando” followed by cyclone “Funso”. With wind speeds up to 220 km/h and torrential rains the storms have caused severe damages and floods.

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Fires in Chile
3 January 2012, 22:10 CET - last update on 17 January 2012, 13:17 CET

Since December 27, 2011, a massive forest fire raged through the Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonia, Chile and has destroyed an area of about 125 sq km. Hundreds of military personnel and fire fighters were deployed at the scene to fight the blaze and managed to bring the fire under control on January 2, 2012.

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	23/11/2011	Forest fires in Bulgaria
	08/11/2011	Forest fires in Romania
	23/10/2011	Earthquake in Turkey on October 23, 2011
	27/09/2011	Parking occupancy at the NRW-Day and German Unity Day, Bonn 2011, Germany.
	14/09/2011	EU CARPATHEX exercise on CBRN threats held in the Podkarpackie Region, Poland

DLR joins International Charter 'Space and Major Disasters'

ZKI Latest News