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Blog: Eyes in the sky
08 Aug 2008 07:40:44 GMT
 Source: IRIN

Background

•  S. Asia monsoon

•  Latin America & Caribbean floods

•  Floods

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NAIROBI, 8 August 2008 (IRIN) - Here's the scenario:

The July-September monsoon season starts in Pakistan with reports of torrential rain and flash floods in many parts of the country. The UN calls in the International Charter Space and Major Disasters (ICSMD) to support relief efforts.

What is it and what has it got to do with the Pakistan flooding?

Founded in 1999, ICSMD provides "a unified system of space data acquisition and delivery to those affected by natural or man-made disasters".

In the event of a major natural disaster, satellite imagery relating to the affected area(s) is collected. Such data has become a key source of information for disaster management, and the humanitarian community is increasingly coming to rely on it to help mitigate the effects of disasters.

The ICSMD activation map suggests the number of activations has been increasing steadily over the years. Recent activations from members include the July floods in Togo, cyclone Nargis in May in Myanmar, Argentina's fires in April and the February earthquake in Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Burundi.

Satellite image derived maps and analyses on Pakistan's flooding will be available at www.unosat.org soon.

am/cb/bp

© IRIN. All rights reserved. More humanitarian news and analysis: http://www.IRINnews.org


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Country information

Briefings
S. Asia monsoon - [Who works where]
Latin America & Caribbean floods - [Who works where]

Topics
Floods
Facts & figures
Togo Burundi Pakistan Rwanda Argentina

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People commute on a flooded road after heavy monsoon rain in the northern Indian city of Allahabad August 7, 2008. The June-September rains are vital for farm output and the overall ...


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Last updated:Fri Aug 8 07:43:25 2008