Projects

The fast and effective deployment of rescue teams in crisis situations is fundamental for a successful management of those situations. By linking innovative satellite technologies of navigation, communication and earth observation, rescue teams can be considerably supported.

The BOSS4GMES project aims to provide the technical, financial and contractual foundations which will enable the transition of GMES (Global Monitoring for Environment and Security) from a concept to an effective, operational programme, and in doing so, to link GMES with key political decision makers, a broader sphere of users and the wider public.

DeSecure is a joint project initiated by the German Space Agency (DLR) for the purpose of improving the quality of satellite based crisis information for Germany. The entire production cycle (data reception, preprocessing, information extraction and dissemination) is to be analyzed and optimized. Another focus is on integrating data from the German satellites TerraSAR-X and RapidEye into this production cycle.

The EU FP7 project „Disaster Training Curriculum – DITAC“ aims to develop a holistic and highly structured curriculum for first responders and strategic crisis managers dealing with national and international disasters. This curriculum aims to establish a standard practice among European disaster and crisis managers in order to pool resources and expertise by cultivating a network of dedicated professionals.

The GEOCREW study is dedicated to early crisis detection. If detected early, a crisis can be handled and solved at lower engagement levels before it evolves to critical dimensions. Geocrew plays an active and supporting role within the first call for the new European security research program 'PASR'.

The German concept behind the establishment of a tsunami early warning system for the Indian Ocean is based on different types of sensor systems. In about 90 % of all cases a tsunami is generated by an earthquake, but volcanic eruptions and landslides may also be the triggering events. The concept aims at obtaining indicators of a tsunami and its dimension by analyzing different measurements at a very early stage.

The destructive power of extreme natural events is causing more and more material damages and losses of life. With the number of natural disasters globally increasing, coordinated disaster management is getting more important. During the past years, several research centers within the Helmholtz Association established extensive expertise in the field of disaster management.

LIMES (Land/Sea Integrated Monitoring for European Security) will complete the GMES programme until 2010 by providing core competence within the field of security. The project goal is to define and develop prototype information services to support security management at EU and global level in the following thematic/policy areas of interest: Organization and distribution of humanitarian aid and reconstruction, surveillance of the EU borders (land and sea), surveillance and protection of maritime transport for sensitive cargo, protection against emerging security threats (e.g. terrorism, illegal trafficking, and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction). DLR has the lead of the humanitarian relief and reconstruction cluster and is responsible for the development, optimisation and automation of rapid mapping methods.

RESPOND is one of twelve ESA GMES Service Elements designed to use earth observation in an operational way. Respond deals with the topic of humanitarian relief actions and will establish an open service partnership for common maps, crisis related analysis and disaster monitoring.

On January 1, 2009, the EU project “SAFER - Services and Applications for Emergency Response” started. Its aim is to develop the existing satellite based emergency response service into an operational service (ERS - Emergency Response Service). The three year project will be coordinated by InfoTerra France and involve 54 partners, 29 private and 25 public organizations, from 16 countries.

UN-SPIDER is a platform which facilitates the use of space-based technologies for disaster management and emergency response. In the frame of UN-SPIDER cooperations are fostered, capacity building is facilitated, a knowledge portal is created and technical advisory support is provided.