EMS Activations - Products Overview

Copernicus EMS - Mapping provides all actors involved in the management of natural disasters, man-made emergency situations and humanitarian crises, with timely and accurate geospatial information derived from satellite remote sensing and completed by available in situ or open data sources. The information generated by the service can be used as supplied (e.g. as digital or printed map outputs). It may be further combined with other data sources (e.g. as digital feature sets in a geographic information system). In both cases it may support geospatial analysis and decision making processes of emergency managers. Copernicus EMS - Mapping is provided during all phases of the emergency management cycle, in two temporal modes, and free of charge for the users. It can be activated only by authorized users.

The infrastructure and excellence developed in the BEYOND Center of Excellence are actively involved in the provision of Risk & Recovery Mapping which consists of the on-demand provision of geospatial information in support of Emergency Management activities related to Emergency Support. This applies in particular to activities dealing with prevention, preparedness, disaster risk reduction and recovery phases. There are three broad product categories: Reference Maps, Pre-disaster Situation Maps and Post-disaster Situation Maps. The research developed in BEYOND, exploits satellite data and ingests fusions of geo-partial information and data in rush mode, when, where needed, for enhanced risk modelling and improved assessment of the expected disaster impacts.

The list of methodologies developed, adapted, validated, and used in BEYOND to address risk and recovery needs of the civil protection authorities worldwide are listed below (in more details in ANNEX III):

  • Seismic Methodologies: Seismic Hazard, Seismic Vulnerability, Seismic Vulnerability of Pipelines, Seismic Risk.
  • Lava Flow Methodologies: Lava Flow Hazard, Lava Flow Vulnerability, Lava Flow Risk.
  • Forest Fires Methodologies: Fire Damage Delineation & Burn Severity Grading, Damage/Biomass Loss Statistics, Forest Fire Hazard, Population & Assets Vulnerability to Forest Fires, Forest Fire Risk – Population, Assets and Transportation Network at risk.
  • Industrial Accidents Methodologies: Industrial Accidents Hazard, Industrial Accidents Exposure, Industrial Accidents Risk.
  • Tsunami Methodologies: Tsunami Hazard Assessment, Assets Vulnerability to Tsunami, Storm Surge Hazard Risk.
  • Soil Erosion Methodology: Soil Erosion Hazard.
  • Coastal Erosion Methodology: Coastal Erosion Vulnerability.
  • Ground Deformation Methodology: Ground Deformation Dynamics.
  • Landslides Methodology: Landslide Hazard, Landslide Vulnerability, Landslide Risk.
  • Subsidence and Landslide Methodology: Subsidence and Landslide Risk.
  • Floods Methodology: Flood Delineation at peak conditions, Flood Depth at peak conditions, Flood Damage Assessment, Flood Hazard, Flood Vulnerability, Flood Risk, Flash Flood Hazard triggered by earthquakes, Flash Flood Risk triggered by earthquakes.
  • Disruption of Transportation Networks Methodology: Vulnerability of Disruption of Transportation Networks.

Up to now the BEYOND Center has been activated in the framework of the COPERNICUS EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT SERVICE in the following worldwide disaster risk and recovery cases :

The scope of the service request EMSN-053 is to generate both post-disaster and pre-disaster flood risk analysis, concerning the mudslide event that occurred on 16th January of 2017, in Villa Santa Lucia (273 inhabitants), in the commune of Chaiten, Southern Chile.

In details, pre-event analysis focuses on the assessment of flood risk hazard, exposure and vulnerability, with respect to the population and assets in Futaleufu, Palena, Villa Vanguardia, Villa Santa Lucia and Puerto Cardenas regions. The analysis also includes mitigation measures with respect to all evaluated risks. The post-event analysis orients on the delineation of flood and landslide (mudslide) extent in Villa Santa Lucia region. This analysis focuses on reducing the adverse consequences of flooding for both population and the local economy and contributes to the planning of prevention, protection and preparedness measures, taking into account the characteristics of the areas of interest.

The scope of the service request EMSN-048 is to generate a comprehensive knowledge by performing a post-disaster situation analysis, concerning a flood event that occurred within January 18 to January 22, 2017, within two main Sardinia’s rivers flow (Tirso and Cedrino) and a pre-disaster assessment in four selected areas (Orosei, Oliena, Buduso and Ottana) located in Sardinia (Italy).

In details, the pre-event analysis focuses on the assessing the vulnerability of population and assets (infrastructures/environmental assets and transportation network) and the post-flood event analysis orients on the detection of the spatial extent of the flooded areas.

The scope of the service request EMSN-047 was to provide background information, concerning Nyiragongo volcano activity and its impact to the surrounding urban agglomerations and infrastructures. We have collected and present relevant information, including historical information and data, the current situation, etch, including key references.

The BEYOND group has been actively involved together with partners Geoapikonisis SA, Altamira SA, and CIMA Foundation in the EMSN-046 activation launched in the framework of the EMS Risk & Recovery Activity of the Copernicus Work program. The BEYOND Center of Excellence team contributed with its know-how and expertise to the service request of Detailed flood delineation in Hildesheim (Germany), referring to the flood caused by heavy rains during the period 24-26 of July 2017. The area of interest includes the rivers Nette, Lamne, and Innerste. The generated products provided the observed and maximum flood extent in the area of interest. The key user of the map series is the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK) on behalf of ‘Arbeitskreis forstlicher Fernerkundler der Lander’.

The BEYOND group has been actively involved together with partners Geoapikonisis SA, Altamira SA, and CIMA Foundation in the EMSN-041 activation launched in the framework of the EMS Risk & Recovery Activity of the Copernicus Work program. The BEYOND Center of Excellence team contributed with its know-how and expertise to the service request for generating Forest Fire Risk Assessment and Mitigation products covering a set of 27 focus areas located in Croatian coastal areas and on the islands. The key user of the map series is the National Protection and Rescue Directorate on behalf of the Croatian Crisis Management Association (CCMA).

The scope of the service request EMSN-037 was the generation of a series of risk & recovery maps for the three locations, including hazard, exposure, vulnerability and risk concerning a range of hazards: earthquake, landslide, soil and coastal erosion, tsunami, and flood. The results for Arica and Tacna are intended to be used to support UNESCO's project "Enhancing Natural HAzard resilience iN South America" (ENHANS).

The BEYOND team contributed with its know-how and expertise to a service request from the Serviço Regional de Proteção Civil, IP - Região Autonoma da Madeira, Portugal, for producing landslide risk assessment maps, considering the post-event situation of forest fires starting on 08/08/2016 on the island of Madeira. The area of interest is composed of two sites, comprising of Calheta and Funchal municipalities.

The BEYOND team contributed with its know-how and expertise to a service request from the National Directorate for Disaster Management, Hungary, for producing ground deformation maps covering the area of salt mines of Solotvyno, in Zakarpattya region, Ukraine. In this context BEYOND employed advanced interferometric techniques exploiting ERS, Envisat and Sentinel-1 data.

The assessment included the progression/pathway of the toxic cloud, from the explosion to the time it can be considered harmless for human health or undetectable. It referred to the mapping of cloud concentration and altitude from 9:30 a.m. to 14:00 p.m., local time (30 min time intervals). Relevant parameters conditioning the cloud dispersion/progression, such as wind direction, wind speed, atmospheric pressure, topography, etc. were considered in the analysis. Moreover, impacts on population/assets at the time of exposure were assessed.

The activation of the service request EMSN-025 aimed to analyze the damages caused by forest fires in six different sites (Monemvasia (Lakonia), Dirfys (Evia) and Vyronas (Attica) in Greek territory.

The scope of the service request EMSN-022 was the generation of accurate research on the dynamics of the disaster in order to contribute to a learning process from the behaviors observed (i.e. failures or success stories). Moreover, through a Flood Risk analysis assets at risk are identified (focusing on population and infrastructure).

The scope of the service request EMSN-021 was the generation of seismic hazard, vulnerability and risk products as far as it concerns the population and assets at risk (infrastructures/environmental assets and transportation network), as well as the evaluation of the likelihood and extent of secondary risks triggered by earthquake (landslides and flood).

The EMSN-020 activation aimed to the generation of mapping products concerning the accurate and precise information of the population and assets (infrastructures/environmental assets and transportation network) at risk for a range of natural hazards, namely, seismicity, forest fires, flash floods, tsunami, landslides and soil erosion. Human accidents such as industrial accidents were also included.

The BEYOND group, has been actively involved together with partners Geoapikonisis SA, Altamira SA, and CIMA Foundation in the EMSN-018 activation launched in the framework of the EMS Risk & Recovery Activity of the Copernicus Workprogram.
The BEYOND Center of Excellence team contributed with its know-how and expertise to the service request of multi-hazard assessment for Azores Archipelagos (PT), an area of Interest with particular climate and landscape conditions.