EO in Orbit: Scientific webinars – Emergency Management

Presentation 1 (in English)

From 11:00 to 11:30 a.m.

Corey Froese
Wavelength Advisory Services

The November 2021 atmospheric river events that impacted southern British Columbia provided a real-time test of the applied Earth science community's ability to leverage Earth observation (EO) data and understanding of geohazard processes to support decision making on a near-real-time basis. Unfortunately, much of the learning from this event is that there is still a gap between data and decisions that could not be addressed in an emergent situation.

Although this was the case during this event, the use of both public and private EO data to support understanding of Earth processes, including landslides, is rapidly evolving. Practitioners are able to access both archived multi-spectral and SAR data to support understanding of past landslide activity and continue to track these processes moving forward. With the emergence of international coordination of future SAR missions, the access to freely available global coverages of both C-band and L-band SAR data will certainly evolve the integration of this data into operational decision making. This understanding of historical landslide activity changes is also being integrated with publicly available global hydroclimatic models to better link how past climatic conditions have driven landslide processes. These relations are being linked to future climatic models to support understanding as to how landslide processes will change over time. Another key advancement is the rapid expansion of commercial SAR constellations, with the ability to map the globe with frequent revisits and high resolution, providing emergency responders with near-real-time access to changing conditions to support informed decision making.

This presentation will utilize a disaster risk management framework to illustrate how EO data is being and will be integrated to support regional decision making in relation to landslide hazards.

Presentation 2 (in English)

From 11:30 a.m. to noon

Vincent Decker
Deputy Director of Operations, Canada Centre for Remote Sensing (CCRS), Canada Centre for Mapping and Earth Observation (CCMEO), Natural Resources Canada

The Emergency Geomatics Service (EGS) under Natural Resources Canada provides vital information that enhances situational awareness and response for all levels of Government in the face of natural disasters. Utilizing advanced technology, including high-resolution optical and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite imagery, EGS plays a crucial role in disaster management by creating and disseminating critical resources such as emergency flood extent maps and post-disaster damage assessments, alongside river ice break-up and ground movement monitoring.

This presentation describes the operations of the division functioning under the Canada Centre for Mapping and Earth Observation (CCMEO) Branch, highlighting their collaborative efforts in ensuring swift response during emergencies. It also covers operational methodologies with examples from past activations, offering insight into the EGS efforts during emergency response.