Disaster Management Support Group CHAIR, HELEN M. WOOD (NOAA)

Disaster Management Support Group Objective: To support natural and technological disaster management on a worldwide basis, by fostering improved utilization of existing and planned Earth observation satellite data The Disaster Monitoring and Management Support project is one of six projects endorsed by the CEOS/IGOS Strategy Implementation Team. Here is a brief statement of the objective and approach.

Disaster Management Support Group Helen Wood, NOAA, Chairs 2001 Activities Updated Report due out November 2001 Emergency Scenarios Mtg Jun 25-27 2001 2002 Activities DMSG working is drawing to the end Work should move to others for action 1 more year to complete the effort

2002 Efforts Refining Hazard support scenarios Revising final hazards reports Assisting space agencies and CEOS SIT with responses to specific recommendations Working with other bodies such as UN OOSA, UN ISDR, and International Charter for Major Disasters 2002 will be a final report with a set of recommendations for the way forward in this area - NOAA to chair this effort

2002 Efforts A planning/future strategy meeting is envisioned for sometime in 2002, date is still TBD CEOS will be co-hosting and planning in cooperation with the UN Office of Outer Space Affairs (OOSA) two workshops (Far East and Africa) on the use of space technology in disaster management with the objectives of: Increasing awareness of disaster managers and decision makers Determining types of information and communication needed Developing a plan of action leading to pilot projects

Sea Ice Hazard Emergency Scenario Threat to life, safety and property at sea due to a vessel being beset or incapacitated in sea or lake ice; or people being stranded or incapacitated on the ice for any reason Threat to environment due to hazardous or containment spill in ice covered areas 1. Threat to life, safety and property at sea. Naval vessels; icebreakers; ice breaking utility vessels, barges and tugboats; ice strengthened commercial vessels, commercial vessels with no ice strengthening, fishing vessels and research vessels often operate in or near sea, lake or river ice. Aircraft operate over these areas as well. In much of the Arctic and Antarctic regions, there is little logistical air or sea search and rescue support. This is especially true of Antarctica. The acquisition and analysis of timely remotely sensed imagery may be the only information of use in a situation where a vessel become beset in the ice or an aircraft is forced down in an ice covered area. An icebreaker that has just retrieved the staff of an ice camp from the fast ice in an extremely remote area of Antarctica becomes beset in the ice. There is no obvious way out of the ice apparent to the Master and crew. An ice center acquires both a wide swath and a high resolution commercial image of the area where the ship is located. An escape route recommendation is developed and is provided to the ship. The location of potential landing sites for rescue aircraft are provided to search and rescue coordinators. 2. Hazardous or contaminant spill in ice covered areas. Much of the world’s commerce moves along or through ice covered waters. The primary shipping lanes from Europe to North America pass near the North Atlantic sea ice boundary and iceberg drift paths. The commercial fleet in the Pacific Ocean must navigate through or near the ice in the Sea of Japan, Sea of Okhotsk, Bering Sea and Alaskan coastal waters. Mineral, natural gas and petroleum extraction are performed adjacent to or in ice covered waters in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres. An oil well located in the Beaufort Sea develops a leak in the Winter. The U.S. and Canadian Ice Centers request high resolution radar imagery over the area and are able to assist in determining the extent of the spill. They are also able to determine the type and drift of the contaminated ice and to make a forecast of future drift vectors. Acceptable landing sites on ice floes are identified and communicated to emergency response agencies. 3. People stranded or needing help while on the ice. People have been exploring the ice-covered Polar Seas for hundreds of years. With improvements in technology, more people than ever are performing research, exploration or even going on recreational adventures on the sea ice-covered seas. Most of the people on the ice are supported by a logistics group, however, there is always the danger of someone becoming lost, injured, sick or otherwise needing assistance or recovery. An international group of explorers attempts an unsupported walk across the North Pole. They begin in Severnaya Zemlya and proceed towards the North Pole in the near total darkness of late Winter. One of the parties is attacked by a Polar Bear and severely injured. The injured person cannot make it to the end of the trip nor can they be carried back to the point of origin. The ice in the area is very rough and a suitable ice floe must be found in order to land a propeller driven rescue aircraft. High resolution radar imagery is ordered. A suitable ice floe is found near the camp site. The search and rescue agency is advised of the location and the explorers are given a short route to the landing site.