The use of satellite imagery for improvement of disaster risk management, focusing on tsunami and earthquake. Major cases of Indian Ocean Tsunami, Central Java Earthquake and Japan Tsunami are selected as practical example for remote sensing analysis.

1. ROLE OF REMOTE SENSING IN DISASTER
MANAGEMENT
(Tsunami & Earthquake)
E 519 Remote Sensing
Wahyu Triwahyudi
Shu-Jen Lin

2. General Background (Simonovic, 2002)
• Some people are living with disaster
• 18,000 earthquake in Japan in the last 10 years
• 9 million people killed worldwide due to natural disaster (1990 – 2000)
• Economic losses due to natural hazards are as much as 80% of GNP 
very difficult to develop
• Need better system to minimize this number  The role of remote
sensing

3. OUTLINE : The Role of Remote Sensing in Disaster Management
1. Disaster Emergency Response
2. Disaster Impact Assessment
3. Enhance Public Awareness
4. Disaster Long-term monitoring
5. Early warning system
6. Disaster Mitigation
7. Conclusion

4. Role #1 : Emergency Response
India Earthquake (2001) & Haiti Earthquake (2010)
This type of imagery could be used to assist authorities with immediate mitigation activities such as
search and rescue efforts, emergency relief and major infrastructure damage assessment.
Nirupama & Simonovic, 2002
IKONOS ; PAN ; 1 m ; 11 kmIRS ; SWIR ; 70 m ; 148 km

5. Wang & Li, 2008
• Zone A: 97% buildings collapsed,
30,000 people killed
• Zone B: 86% ; 27,000
• Zone C: 69% ; 19,000
• Zone D: < 50%
Real field & ground survey also important to be combined with remotely sensed data
Role #2: Impact Assessment
Indonesia Tsunami, December 2004

6. Role #3: Enhancing Public Awareness
Japan Earthquake & Tsunami, March 2011
To disseminate information about earthquake to the world
population
NYTimes:
• http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/03/13/world/asia/s
atelite-photos-japan-before-and-after-tsunami.html
ESRI:
• http://www.esri.com/services/disaster-response/japan-
earthquake-tsunami-2011-map/index.html

7. Source: Taiwan National Science & Technology Center for Disaster Reduction
Role #4: Modern Monitoring System – Cyclone / Storm
Taiwan Government Disaster Monitoring System

8. Source: Taiwan National Science & Technology Center for Disaster Reduction
Role #5: Early Warning System
General Concepts
• Identify & Mapping potential hazard areas
• Monitoring potentially hazardous situations
and processes, providing advanced warning

9. Source: Taiwan National Science & Technology Center for Disaster Reduction
Role #5: Early Warning System
Tsunami Propagation Model – Japan Earthquake, March 2011
Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Source: Los Angeles Times

10. Source: Taiwan National Science & Technology Center for Disaster Reduction
Role #5: Early Warning System
Tsunami Propagation Model – Japan Earthquake, March 2011
Source: San Francisco Chronicle

11. Role #6: Disaster Mitigation Plan
General Concepts
Remote Sensing provide Information for mitigation
planning:
• Where are the hospitals, airports, schools, and so on? How many are there?
• How far is the airport? Where are the major transportation system?
• Where are the best places to establish refugee camps/command centers?
To answer such questions, RS & GIS technology is the key

12. Role #6: Disaster Mitigation Plan in Java, Indonesia
First, Identify strong buildings that can resist Tsunami
Goal of the Plan: Identify Evacuation Buildings & Find the Route to get there!!
(Dewi et al., 2010)

13. Second, Identify roads to use for evacuation
(Dewi et al., 2010)
Role #6: Disaster Mitigation Plan in Java, Indonesia

14. Finally, Decide the Emergency Evacuation Plan
(Dewi et al., 2010)
Role #6: Disaster Mitigation Plan in Java, Indonesia

15. C O N C L U S I O N
• Remote sensing is very useful to minimize the
disaster victims
• Many innovations out there  governments need to
apply them
• What about post-disaster analysis using Remote
Sensing?