India’s EO Infrastructure for Disaster Reduction: Lessons and Perspectives
- Paper number
IAC-07-E3.2.10
- Author
Dr. V.S. Hegde, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), India
- Coauthor
Dr. V. Jayaraman, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), India
- Coauthor
Dr. S.K. Srivastava, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), India
- Year
2007
- Abstract
India has established a ‘critical mass’ in terms of EO infrastructure for disaster management. Starting from IRS 1A in 80s to the most recent CARTOSAT-2, India’s EO series of satellites are moving away from the generic to thematic constellations. The series of RESOURCESAT, CARTOSAT, OCEANSAT and forthcoming RISAT satellites exemplifies the thematic characters of the EO missions. These thematic constellations, characterized with multi-platform, multi-resolution and multi-parameter EO missions, are important assets for disaster reduction. In the more specific term, these constellations in conjunction with contemporary EO missions address the critical observational gaps in terms of capturing the catastrophic events, phenomena or their attributes on real/near real time basis with appropriate spatial and temporal attributes. Using conjunctively the data primarily emanating these thematic constellations and all-weather radar data from aerial platform and also from RADARSAT as gap-fillers has been a part of India’s EO strategy for disaster management. The infrastructure has been addressing the observational needs in disaster management. For example, CCD camera (1 km spatial resolution) in GEO orbiting INSAT satellites, which work in conjunction with polar orbiting IRS WiFS (188 m spatial resolution) for real time coarse observations of the events such as forest fire, floods etc is in operation. To address the subtle features associated with agricultural drought, Resourcesat has been configured with Advanced WiFS having 55 m spatial, 5 days repetativitity, 740 km swath and 10 bits radiometry. It is a unique mission with variety of payloads viz., AWiFS, LISS 4 (5.8 m multi-spectral; 22 days repetativitity) and PAN from the same platform. The high resolution imaging better than one meter spatial resolution and also Digital Elevation Models (DEM) emanating from Cartosat series are providing valuable inputs to characterize geo-physical terrain vulnerability. Radar Imaging Satellite (RISAT), with all weather capability missions, is being configured for disaster management. At present, the current Indian EO satellites cover the whole world every 40 hrs (with different resolutions and swaths), and the efforts are towards making it better than 24 hrs. The efforts are on to configure RESOURCESAT 3 with wider swath of 740 km with 23 m spatial resolution and also to have AWiFS type of capability at geo-platform to improve the observational frequencies for disaster monitoring. India’s EO infrastructure has responded comprehensively to all the natural disasters the country has faced - including 26 December 2004 Tsunami, monitoring of artificial lake in Sutlej basins impending to flash floods in the down stream, earthquake in J\&K and almost all the Floods in the recent years in different parts of the country. As a member of International Charter on Space and Major Disasters, India has also been instrumental in promoting the related UN initiatives viz., RESAP of UN ESCAP, SPIDER of UN OOSA, Sentinel Asia of JAXA initiative and also of GEOSS initiative. The paper intends (i) to illustrate India’s EO strategy for disaster reduction; (ii) to highlight the perspectives for international cooperation towards sharing its EO infrastructure as well as relevant applications; and (iii) to visualize how EO could be helpful in promoting Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) globally.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-07-E3.2.10.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
To get the manuscript, please contact IAF Secretariat.