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Disaster Lecture

The document discusses how space technology can help manage natural and manmade disasters. It describes various historical disasters such as cities destroyed by volcanoes, earthquakes, floods, and cyclones. It notes that in the past, information about disasters like cyclones in India was slow to reach others. However, modern space assets now allow for constant monitoring of weather, communication in emergencies, and early warnings of disasters. Satellites provide data on hazards like floods, landslides, pollution and can potentially detect earthquakes and volcanic activity. This helps with pre-disaster planning, emergency response, and post-disaster management.

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Dr. Surendra Pal
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© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
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Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
582 views

Disaster Lecture

The document discusses how space technology can help manage natural and manmade disasters. It describes various historical disasters such as cities destroyed by volcanoes, earthquakes, floods, and cyclones. It notes that in the past, information about disasters like cyclones in India was slow to reach others. However, modern space assets now allow for constant monitoring of weather, communication in emergencies, and early warnings of disasters. Satellites provide data on hazards like floods, landslides, pollution and can potentially detect earthquakes and volcanic activity. This helps with pre-disaster planning, emergency response, and post-disaster management.

Uploaded by

Dr. Surendra Pal
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Use of space technology

for
Natural & Manmade Disaster Management

By
Dr. S. Pal
Group Director,
ISRO Satellite Centre,
Bangalore.
Space Technology - Disaster Management

• Recollect - the destruction of the beautiful


cities & some of the best monuments made by
mankind.
– Submersion of the cities of Dwaraka, Poompuhar &
Atlantis in sea
– The biggest disaster created by Mount Vesuvius volcano
to the beautiful city of Pempeii
– Earthquake in the port city of Alexandria (pharos of
Alexandria - 12th Century AD) & Colossus of Rhodes
( 225BC)
– Earthquakes of Bihar, Utrakhand, Latur, Iran, California

S.Pal , ISRO satelllite Centre, Bangalore


Space Technology - Disaster Management
– Flash floods of Morvi
– Floods in UP, Bihar, Assam, Bangladesh
– Cyclones of Orissa, AP, Bangladesh & Mauritius
– Nuclear Accident of Chernobyl
– Numerous wars
– Forest fire of Indonesia
– Cholera outbreak in Bangladesh
– An aircraft accident in the Sahara desert
– Oil spills in the sea

S.Pal , ISRO satelllite Centre, Bangalore


Space Technology - Disaster Management
• Recollect the events surrounding the sinking of the
TITANIC on April 14, 1912
• The World Met Organization predicted & warned that a big
cyclone is going to hit Mauritius. Mauritius being a
reasonably rich, small nation & had the best communication
system including cellular & satellite system. The UNO -
disaster management office in Geneva was in constant touch
with authorities in Mauritius & monitoring the status
regularly. Suddenly the communication stops & for five
days there was no information about the damage & losses,
to outside world. Sixth day an emergency relief plane from
Seychelles lands & world comes to know about it.

S.Pal , ISRO satelllite Centre, Bangalore


Space Technology - Disaster Management

• 1978 cyclone hits AP coast


• 1999 Cyclone hits Orissa & for four days
nothing was known to the rest of the world about
the damages, severity & status.
• Latur Earthquake & Morvi floods
– India comes to know from USA.
• Hundreds of lives were saved by an enterprising
man by telephoning down the stream Satluj in
July 2000 floods of Himachal Pradesh

S.Pal , ISRO satelllite Centre, Bangalore


Space Technology - Disaster Management

• Disaster can be classified under two categories:


– Natural :
• meteorological phenomena such as
cyclone, floods, draughts,
• geological nature such as landslide,
earthquakes, volcanoes & avalanches and
river coarse changes
• biological nature like locust, pests or
diseases in crops, fruits and forest.

S.Pal , ISRO satelllite Centre, Bangalore


Space Technology - Disaster Management
• Disaster can be classified under two categories (contd.):
– Manmade :
• War, nuclear explosions, pollution of sea, air rivers,
lakes etc.
• excess use of fertilizers
• building of dams on rivers thereby disturbing the
soil conditions,
• deforestation & unsuitable afforestation, plantation
• unplanned growth of cities & villages
• accidents in air, sea & of railways.

S.Pal , ISRO satelllite Centre, Bangalore


Space Technology - Disaster Management

• Disaster, as the word suggests is a sudden &


terrible misfortune whose scars can not be easily
removed, usually strikes without much of an
advance warning and as such the management of
it becomes a big task.

• Management of disaster :
– Pre-disaster planning
– Response & monitoring
– Post disaster management

S.Pal , ISRO satelllite Centre, Bangalore


Space Technology - Disaster Management

• Space technology has come a long way to help


mankind in managing almost all the areas of all
types of disasters.

– Geo-satellites help in monitoring the weather,


provide uninterrupted communication links,
acts as warning and data collection centre.
– The geo mobile component can even provide
communication even in Orissa type of
cyclone.
S.Pal , ISRO satelllite Centre, Bangalore
Space Technology - Disaster Management

• The LEO spacecraft can provide met data,


through optical & microwave remote sensing,
can picture and monitor pollution, floods,
avalanches, landslides, river course etc.

• Spacecraft can even carry sensors to pickup ELF


waves, which are supposed to be emitted during
earthquakes & volcano activities.

S.Pal , ISRO satelllite Centre, Bangalore


Space Technology - Disaster Management

• Some efforts towards predictions:


– Volcano activity
• Fire ring maps, earth temperatures, seismic & Geological
studies help in predicting the volcano erruption
– Cyclones
• Sea temperature, wind profile, sea surface roughness &
height data etc. provide the early warnings ( Being done
by Topex / Poseidon Satellites)
– Earthquakes
• Geological studies & fault location, ELF emission
monitoring may help

S.Pal , ISRO satelllite Centre, Bangalore


Space Technology - Disaster Management

• Some effects towards predictions (contd..):

– Flash floods
• Topographical studies of the land & forests & monitoring
of rain falls
– Floods
• Monitoring the rain fall in the catchment area, snow fall in
upper hills, temperatures & topographical studies
– Locust, Cholera, Pests etc.
• Regular Remote sensing observations of the sea, desserts
& forest.

S.Pal , ISRO satelllite Centre, Bangalore

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