Using space technology to better respond to disasters

Credit: Canadian Space Agency

Responding to disasters quickly and efficiently is essential in order to protect people and reduce property losses. Canada's RADARSAT satellites, including the RADARSAT Constellation Mission (RCM), play a very important role in disaster response. They help mitigate the impacts of disasters on the people in Canada and abroad. This is part of the International Charter "Space and Major Disasters."

The International Charter: Space and Major Disasters is an international effort to use space technology to help emergency responders and rescue crews to deal with major disasters. Member space agencies, including Canada’s, cooperate on a voluntary basis and devote free satellite to help alleviate the effects of disasters.

Checking on air, land and sea

Credit: Canadian Space Agency

Canada plays a key role with its RADARSAT Constellation Mission (RCM) – a trio of advanced satellites capturing images of the Earth’s water, land and ice during the day and night and in all types of weather.

Unfortunately, natural disasters happen all over the world, including in Canada. As a founding member of the Charter, the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) works with other space agencies around the world. Together, they support disaster relief operations at no cost to the end users. Canada contributes valuable satellite data from the RADARSAT Constellation Mission (RCM) and RADARSAT-2 mission. Both provide 24/7 emergency call services in case of disasters around the world. These services help alleviate the effects of disasters on human life, property, natural resources and infrastructure.

The International Charter "Space and Major Disasters" is an international effort to put space technology at the service of rescue and emergency responders during major disasters. With 17 Charter members and 270 contributing satellites worldwide, the Charter allows for resources and expertise to be organized for a rapid disaster response.

Member space agencies cooperate on a voluntary basis, with no exchange of funds, and each agency has devoted resources to support the Charter. From April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024, the CSA provided space data for 44 activations (requests from a country for emergency satellite data). It represented 80% of all activations around the globe.

The Charter provides a unified system to make satellite data of affected areas available to support relief efforts. Timely, reliable and accurate information enables response teams to be better equipped to save lives and limit damage.

Satellites play a critical role in supporting first responders and search and rescue teams in emergency situations. By providing accurate and timely information on the location and features of disaster-stricken areas, the RCM enables faster response times. This also helps reduce the risk of injury to responders during rescue operations. RADARSAT imagery is provided as needed when the International Charter "Space and Major Disasters" is activated. It enables response teams around the world to be better equipped to save lives and limit property and infrastructure damage.

In 2023, from October to December, an extreme rainy season fueled by El Niño caused severe flooding, which devastated Somalia. The UN requested the activation of the International Charter “Space and Major Disasters” to assist local authorities.

In response, Canada provided RADARSAT Constellation Mission (RCM) imagery which was used to determine the extent of flooded areas. This satellite data gives emergency managers on the ground a clearer picture of the disaster area. This enables them to make informed decisions in their efforts to save lives. In coordination with the authorities, humanitarian aid workers:

• used the data to mitigate the damage caused by the rains and flooding
• mobilized boats to evacuate families cut off by the waters.

In the months of flooding, over 750,000 people were displaced.

Eyes in the sky for those on the ground  

From 1995 to 2015, 90% of major disasters around the world were caused by weather-related events, with one such event occurring almost daily.

Whether it’s rising waters, landslides, tropical cyclones, or earthquakes, these events happen fast, with very little warning. Homes destroyed, communities divided, entire lives upended in a flash: the devastation caused by natural disasters is sometimes felt for months after the fact.

With the RADARSAT Constellation Mission (RCM), authorities and support teams have more data to clearly assess the situation and manage it faster. This, in turn, can reduce the impact of natural disasters.

For example, RCM helps assess both the areas at risk of landslides and the areas already affected to assess the extent of the damage. This information helps government authorities make the best decisions about at-risk areas in order to keep their residents safe. In the case of earthquakes, RADARSAT data is very effective in helping detect soil movements. Therefore, it can be used to identify infrastructure at risk and assess earthquake damage.

Floods are the most frequent type of natural disaster in Canada. They can take place at any time throughout the year and are usually caused by heavy rains, quick melting of snow or ice jams. The RCM helps emergency crews evaluate the extent of flooding to identify the areas affected and the seriousness of damage. RCM data is also used to predict flash floods by analyzing snow accumulation and snow melt. This enables quick deployment of enough rescue teams.