European Union activated its Copernicus EMS rapid response mapping service following a helicopter crash in East Azerbaijan province carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.
About Copernicus Emergency Management Service (EMS):
- Copernicus EMS was initially launched as the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security Programme (GMES) in 1998.
- Implemented by the European Commission since 2012 as part of the Copernicus Programme.
- It utilizes a comprehensive range of data sources, including satellites, terrestrial, airborne, and maritime measurement systems.
Components of Copernicus EMS:
- Mapping Component:
- Offers maps and analysis based on satellite imagery.
- Rapid Mapping (RM): Provides maps within hours or days for immediate response needs.
- Risk and Recovery Mapping (RRM): Focuses on long-term disaster management, producing detailed maps for prevention, preparedness, disaster risk reduction, and recovery, usually within weeks or months.
- Early Warning Component:
- Provides alerts and near-real-time assessments of environmental threats like floods, droughts, and forest fires.
Applications Supported by Copernicus EMS:
- Supports applications such as climate change response, disaster management, and agriculture.
- Helps researchers, policymakers, public authorities, international organizations, and both commercial and private users.
Operational Details:
- The space component includes Sentinels and Contributing Missions satellites.
- Supplemented by a ground component, consisting of in-situ sensors that facilitate data access.
- Rapid mapping process involves:
- Acquisition, processing, and analysis of satellite imagery and geospatial data.
- Produces four types of products:
- Reference Product: Pre-event information on the area of interest.
- First Estimate Product: Quick assessment post-event.
- Delineation Product: Information on the impact and extent of the disaster.
- Grading Product: Detailed damage assessment.
- Each product includes maps and a vector package of spatial data.
Ref: Source
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