International Telecommunication Union
ITU Activities in Remote Sensing
Alexandre VASSILIEV
Study Group Counsellor
Radiocommunication
Bureau
Phone: +41 22 730 59 24
E-mail:
alexandre.vassiliev@itu.int Wind
Scatterometer
(active sensor)
Workshop: “The Role of Remote Sensing in Disaster Management”, ITU, Geneva, 10-11 December 2007 1
ITU related parts
Why the ITU? (ICT)
World Weather Watch System
(World Meteorological Organization (WMO))
Global Observing System
Global Telecommunication System
Global Data Processing System
Disaster Information Recreation Electrical
prevention media & Transport & utilities
organizations general public tourism & energy
Water
Building
Environment resources
Agriculture
& health
Workshop: “The Role of Remote Sensing in Disaster Management”, ITU, Geneva, 10-11 December 2007
Meteo-011 2
Tsunami
Detection and
Prediction
System
Deep-ocean
Assessment and
Report of Tsunami
(DART) system
Workshop: “The Role of Remote Sensing in Disaster Management”, ITU, Geneva, 10-11 December 2007 3
ITU Overview
192 Member States +700 Sector Members
Plenipotentiary Conference
World
World ITU Telecommunication
Standardization Helping the World Development
Assembly Conference
Communicate
ITU-T ITU-D
Telecommunication Assisting implementation
standardization of and operation of
network and service telecommunications in
aspects developing countries
ITU-R
Radiocommunication standardization and global
radio spectrum management
Radiocommunication Assembly &
World Radiocommunication Conference
ITU and Remote Sensing
Plenipotentiary Conference 2006 (PP-06) -
Resolution 136 “The use of
telecommunications/information and
communication technologies for monitoring and
management in emergency and disaster situations
for early warning, prevention,
mitigation and relief ”
… to support .. the use of
telecommunications/ICTs (e.g. remote sensing)…
Workshop: “The Role of Remote Sensing in Disaster Management”, ITU, Geneva, 10-11 December 2007 5
Development Sector and Remote Sensing (1)
World Telecommunication Development Conference
2006 (WTDC-06) - Resolution 34 “The role of
telecommunications /information and communication
technology in early warning and mitigation of
disasters and humanitarian assistance”
Related Study Question ITU-D 22/2 “Utilization of
ICT for disaster management, resources, and active
and passive space-based sensing systems as they
apply to disaster and emergency relief situations”
Workshop: “The Role of Remote Sensing in Disaster Management”, ITU, Geneva, 10-11 December 2007 6
Development Sector and Remote Sensing (2)
ITU-D:
• assists developing countries in the use of remote
sensing information for disaster prediction, detection
and mitigation;
• represents ITU at different forums related to disaster
management and the use of ICT;
• organizes seminars and workshops on the use of ICT
in general and remote sensing in particular;
• ITU-D Study Group 2 carries out studies and
develops report on the use of remote sensing for
disaster prediction, detection and mitigation (see at:
http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/study_groups/SGP_2006-
2010/SG2/SG2-index.html);
• etc. “The Role of Remote Sensing in Disaster Management”, ITU, Geneva, 10-11 December 2007
Workshop: 7
Telecommunication Standardization
Sector and Remote Sensing
Telecommunication Standardization Sector
• Developing Recommendations related to the use of
telecommunicaiton networks for disseminating
information including remote sensing data.
ITU-T developed Recommendation ITU-T X.1303
(see at: http://www.itu.int/rec/T-REC-X.1303/en) on
the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP). CAP was
agreed in 2004 as an international standard.
Workshop: “The Role of Remote Sensing in Disaster Management”, ITU, Geneva, 10-11 December 2007 8
Bandwidth and Remote Sensing Precision
Sri Lanka East Coast after tsunami 26 December 2004
Envisat Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) image
SARs provide Earth’s
images (through clouds too).
SAR resolution (as well as
precision of many sensors)
depends on bandwidth.
For example - 1 meter
resolution at 30 incidence
angle requires 300 MHz.
Workshop: “The Role of Remote Sensing in Disaster Management”, ITU, Geneva, 10-11 December 2007 9
XV World Meteorological Congress, 2007
In Resolution 3:
• Re-affirmed the crucial importance of RF bands for
meteorological and related environmental operations
and research, and for disaster risk reduction
• Stressed that some RF bands are a unique natural
resource for passive sensing that deserve absolute
protection
• Urged all Members to do their utmost at national,
regional and international levels to ensure the
availability and protection of suitable RF bands
• Appealed to ITU and its Administrations to ensure the
absolute protection of the passive sensing RF bands,
and to give due consideration to the WMO
requirements for RF allocations and regulatory
provisions
Radiocommunication Sector and Remote
Sensing (1)
Recognizing that the radio frequency spectrum is a
critical resource for remote sensing the World
Radiocommunication Conference 2007 (WRC-07):
• considered (with positive results) 4 main issues
directly related to remote sensing (including
extension of bands for some active sensors);
• approved 5 new Resolutions concerning new studies
relevant to remote sensing;
• included 4 items in the draft of WRC-11 Agenda on
the use and further development of remote sensing
systems.
Workshop: “The Role of Remote Sensing in Disaster Management”, ITU, Geneva, 10-11 December 2007 11
Radiocommunication Sector and Remote
Sensing (2)
ITU-R:
• allocates (through WRC) necessary radio-frequency
spectrum and provides regulatory protection to remote
sensing systems;
• carries out studies and develops ITU-R
Recommendations, Reports and Handbooks (together
with WMO) on remote sensing (ITU-R SG 7 – see at:
http://www.itu.int/ITU-R/index.asp?category=study-
groups&link=rsg7&lang=en);
• participates in different conferences, seminars and
workshops on remote sensing;
• cooperates with other UN organizations (especially
with WMO), international and national space and
meteorological agencies;
• etc. “The Role of Remote Sensing in Disaster Management”, ITU, Geneva, 10-11 December 2007
Workshop: 12
Cooperation with Other Organizations
• World Meteorological Organization (WMO);
• United Nations Office for Humanitarian Affairs
(OCHA) and other UN offices;
• Group on Earth Observation (GEO);
• International Amateur Radio Union (IARU)
• Space Frequency Coordination Group (SFCG) –
international and national space agency group;
• International and national space and meteorological
agencies/organizations
• Partnerships with international and national satellite
organizations/operators/companies (INMARSAT,
ICO, Thuraya, etc.)…..
• etc.
Workshop: “The Role of Remote Sensing in Disaster Management”, ITU, Geneva, 10-11 December 2007 13
Conclusion
• Remote sensing is the essential tool for prediction,
detection and relief from natural and man-made
disasters;
• Remote sensing systems are key global assets that
serve the world as a whole;
• It is very important to provide and protect necessary
spectrum, as well as radio and telecommunication
infrastructure, for obtaining and disseminating
remote sensing data;
• ITU plays a major role in developing technical and
regulatory background for further evolution of
remote sensing systems, as well as promoting their
use for the interests of all countries;
• …
Workshop: “The Role of Remote Sensing in Disaster Management”, ITU, Geneva, 10-11 December 2007 14