SATELLITES USED SUCCESFULLY FOR RAPID FLOOD MAPPING
NEWS
A lack of information significantly hampers the crisis management efforts. The Rapid Flood Mapping project has been studying the feasibility of building an operational system that uses satellite data for quick and continuous mapping of flood prone areas. Project manager Rogier Westerhoff explains: "Such a system could be very useful to water managers as it enables them to make more accurate flood forecasts and therefore more timely measures can be taken."
Flood plain managers and NGOs
The project developed an algorithm for combining different resolution freely available satellite image sources and combined them in order to create an accurate probabilistic flood extent map. The algorithm is implemented in de Delft-FEWS framework. "As this technique is focused on an entire river basin it is, as yet, particularly suitable for national or state water managers. Or NGOs who need to provide emargency aid in remote areas, such as the Red Cross. "
Higher resolutions
"For smaller areas such as The Netherlands, high resolution satellite data can be combined with a digital terrain model to increase the performance of flood forecasts. At this moment, this high resolution data is not available free of charge. The GMES programme of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the installation of the Sentinel satellites from 2011 will be of important for the adoption of this technology."
Prototype
The innovation project delivered its results in December 2009. At this moment, the team is discussing the application of the technology with several international organizations. "However, we would like to study its usability in as many flood prone areas as possible."
Are you interested in using Rapid Flood Mapping? Please contact Rogier Westerhoff
Rapid Flood Mapping is an initiative of Deltares, Fugro, HKV and Royal Haskoning. For more background information on this topic, visit the project webpage.