An innovative web tool that allows earthquake experts worldwide to pool knowledge quickly and effectively is boosting action to help Haiti's earthquake victims.
The Virtual Disaster Viewer (VDV) is being used by relief agencies operating in Haiti to target emergency food and medical supplies, prioritise repairs to infrastructure to allow aid to reach where it's most needed, and to plan reconstruction and recovery.
VDV is the first web portal of its kind, representing a new type of Community Remote Sensing tool that operates in a similar way to social networking sites. Its development was supported by funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
Hundreds of earthquake scientists and engineers have been working with the VDV to access high-resolution 'before and after' satellite and aerial photos of the disaster zone. These specialists are part of the newly created *Global Earth Observation Catastrophe Assessment Network (GEO-CAN).
Each expert is assigned a number of kilometre grids for damage assessment, with an area of over 300 square kilometres covered in all. The satellite and aerial photos show details down to the level of individual buildings, cars, vegetation and even folds in tents in temporary encampments. The experts then submit detailed assessments about the type and extent of damage caused to buildings, roads, bridges and other key infrastructure, and of where refugees are congregating.
The VDV collates this information and builds up a master map of the damage and dislocation caused across the whole disaster zone. It can also integrate aerial intelligence with detailed ground-based photos as it allows field reconnaissance teams to upload photos in real-time. The data can be accessed through any Internet-connected device.
Dr Tiziana Rossetto, leader of the Earthquake People and Interaction Centre (EPICentre) at University College London, and part of the VDV development team, says: "This is an excellent example of how research can be developed into an end-product capable of delivering tangible humanitarian benefits in a real-life crisis of shocking proportions."
This use of the VDV is being funded by the World Bank and co-ordinated by ImageCat, a US and UK-based R&D company providing advanced technologies for risk and disaster management.
Dr Beverley Adams, ImageCat's UK Director, says: "The VDV enables rapid mobilisation of leading-edge global expertise for rapid and detailed interpretation of earthquake damage. For relief agencies dealing with an appalling tragedy like the Haiti earthquake, speed is of the essence. Working with the World Bank, we're confident that the VDV is making a real difference in helping to bring desperately needed aid to Haiti's shattered community."
The VDV is also suitable for use in disaster situations such as hurricanes, tsunamis and floods. All information collated can be publicly viewed at: www.virtualdisasterviewer.com.
Notes for Editors
* A newly created community, Global Earth Observation Catastrophe Assessment Network (GEO-CAN), includes over 500 scientists and engineers. UK earthquake experts are playing a key role in this global 'virtual community' now using the Virtual Disaster Viewer to help the Haiti relief effort.
The GEO-CAN community currently includes 101 organisations (42 universities, 13 government organisations and non-profit-making organisations, and 46 private companies) from 19 different countries: Barbados, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Finland, Germany, India, Iran, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Turkey, Spain, Sudan, the UK and the USA. UK representatives include: University of Bath Spa, University of Cambridge, University of Southampton, University of Ulster, Coleraine, University College London, and British Geological Survey.
The VDV was initially developed during reconnaissance missions undertaken by the UK's Earthquake Engineering Field Investigation Team (EEFIT) in 2008 and 2009. The missions – all of which received EPSRC funding – visited areas that were affected by the major earthquakes which hit China in 2008 and Italy and Indonesia in 2009, and also those affected by the 2009 Samoan tsunami.
Development work was funded by EEFIT, the EPSRC-funded Earthquake People and Interaction Centre (EPICentre) at University College London, the US Earthquake Engineering Research Institute and the US Multidisciplinary Centre for Earthquake Engineering Research, as well as by the EPSRC. ImageCat then further developed the prototype VDV into a tool suitable for instant response to earthquake and other disaster situations.
The VDV is also being used as an archive to provide public access to historic disaster datasets from organisations including the British Geological Survey
EPICentre aims to bring together earthquake engineers, social scientists, coastal engineers and statisticians to provide guidance for key decision-makers on where and how to invest resources in order to mitigate future earthquake losses effectively. For more information visit www.epicentreonline.com
EEFIT is a group of UK earthquake engineers, architects and academics whose aim is to work with colleagues in earthquake-prone countries to improve the resistance of traditional and engineered structures to earthquake effects. http://www.istructe.org/knowledge_expertise/EEFIT/Pages/default.aspx
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
EPSRC is the main UK government agency for funding research and training in engineering and the physical sciences, investing more than £850 million a year in a broad range of subjects – from mathematics to materials science, and from information technology to structural engineering. www.epsrc.ac.uk
For more information, contact:
Dr Beverley Adams, UK Director, ImageCat, Tel: 01372 278777, e-mail: bja@imagecatinc.com. Web: www.imagecatinc.com
Images are available from the EPSRC Press Office. Tel: 01793 444404 or e-mail: pressoffice@epsrc.ac.uk
Photos:
Football Pitch.jpg - Suggested caption: A football pitch in Haiti becomes a temporary camp for earthquake survivors, as seen in these before and after images.
VDV Haiti Screenshot.jpg - Suggested caption: The Virtual Disaster Viewer allows experts to assess earthquake damage remotely.