Be it Katrina, Rita or the Tsunami – all that marked the year with devastations by nature’s fury warns us that Earth Observation was vital both for damage assessment and for coordinating emergency activities. Satellite-based maps from ESA’s Respond consortium continued to support rebuilding efforts through the following year.
Thanks to Global Monitoring for Environment and Security, the flagship initiative of ESA and the European Union. It has provided the space-based assistance, which aims to combine Earth- and space-based data sources and develop an integrated environmental monitoring capability to benefit European and world citizens. True, ESA is developing GMES pilot services in close conjunction with a large community of operational users. But, by what time will it be operational? Another gigantic wave may sweep the across the Earth soon! – as scientists are fearing…
Via: Science Daily