A UK-South African Partnership & and a Novel Approach to Wildfire Detection in the Southern African Region
- Paper number
IAC-17,B4,4,11,x38943
- Author
Dr. Pamela Anderson, Clyde Space Ltd, United Kingdom
- Coauthor
Mr. Robin Sampson, Clyde Space Ltd., United Kingdom
- Coauthor
Mr. Craig Clark, Clyde Space Ltd., United Kingdom
- Coauthor
Mr. Andrew Strain, Clyde Space Ltd., United Kingdom
- Coauthor
Mr. Ray Fielding, United Kingdom
- Coauthor
Prof. Robert Van Zyl, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, South Africa
- Coauthor
Mr. Charl Jooste, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, South Africa
- Coauthor
Mr. Leon Steenkamp, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, South Africa
- Coauthor
Mr. Lee Annamalai, CSIR – South African Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, South Africa
- Coauthor
Mr. Peter Anderson, Clyde Space Ltd, United Kingdom
- Year
2017
- Abstract
Clyde Space has developed a low-cost satellite system designed to support Earth Observation (EO), enhancing the accessibility of global datasets related to environmental applications. This paper will discuss the FireSat nanosatellite constellation, which will see the delivery of a space-based EO system to detect bushfires in Southern African. The low-cost FireSat payload, developed by CSIR in South Africa, incorporates a novel means of detecting fires from Low Earth Orbit, which does not depend on more conventional Infra-Red sensing technology. FireSat involves stakeholders from South African, Namibia, Kenya and the UK, and leverages lessons learned from both the Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) SAT mission produced in South Africa, and the SeaHawk Ocean Colour Monitoring System in development in the USA and UK. The South African Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) in collaboration with CSIR, has determined that ~30.6% of South African land is at ‘extreme risk’ from bushfires, with a further 31.3% at high risk. In these areas, bush fires are ‘frequent and inevitable’. Furthermore, DAFF and CSIR have concluded that: “In areas of Extreme and High veldfire risk it is necessary to take precautions to safe guard lives, livelihoods, property and the environment”. The significance of bush fires, and associated losses to lives and economic assets, has enable the UK Space Agency to commit substantial support to the UK-African collaboration to ensure an adequate EO system, based on nanosatellites developed by Clyde Space, to enhance efforts for early detection of wild fires. As well as the satellite and sensor technologies which make useful nanosatellite observations possible, this presentation will explore the data delivery chain, and interface to the Advanced Fire Information System (AFIS) developed by CSIR in South Africa. AFIS combines satellite data with mobile technology to provide crucial information and real-time alerts on wild fires. The system currently uses data from NASA and ESA satellites to detect possible hotspots. Polar orbiting satellites provide data 6 times daily, while the Geostationary satellites provide 15 minute updates. A sophisticated processing system ingests satellite observations and within minutes produces the location of the fires. This is then populated into AFIS geo-spatial database and served to clients via SMS, email, or the AFIS web viewer and mobile apps. Fires are detected and other products, such as monthly burned area estimates and daily and weekly fire danger forecasts, are produced & disseminated to management teams who can respond to extinguish the fire.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-17,B4,4,11,x38943.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
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