As human populations grow in earthquake zones, coastal regions, on flood plains, and under the shadow of volcanoes, more and more people are living with the risk of falling prey to natural disasters. The European Union has been at the forefront of international efforts to understand, predict and react quickly to these devastating phenomena.

This EU commitment to co-operative solutions to a common human threat is enshrined in the International Charter on Space and Major Disasters, which was spearheaded by the European Space Agency (ESA) and France's Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES).

Since its inception in 2000, the Charter has enabled participating agencies from Europe, Canada, India and Argentina to pool the data they acquire through their satellites and space observation points with the aim of providing a "unified system of space data acquisition and delivery to those affected by natural or man-made disasters".

Earthquakes are by far the deadliest natural disasters, claiming nearly 350 000 lives in the last quarter of a century alone. And, with increasing population densities, the destruction they leave in their wake looks set to continue rising. For over 15 years, the EU has been funding dozens of research projects into earthquakes.

One recent study drew heavily on state-of-the-art satellite technology. Scientists at the Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) completed a survey of the surface effects of a major earthquake � measuring 7.7 on the Richter scale � that hit the Indian province of Gujarat, near the Pakistani border, in 2001, killing almost 20 000 people.

Researchers from Europe and the United States are using the results to validate earthquake models and document the relationship between the magnitude of a tremor and the extent of its impact. They also expect the survey to shed light on the phenomena of liquefication, which occurs when ground sediments behave like a liquid.

This groundbreaking research may, one day, point the way to the development of earthquake forecasting models. "This is key information, especially when considering the humanitarian and economic impacts of such disasters," says European Research Commissioner Philippe Busquin in an upcoming EU publication.

Global warming appears to be making seasonal patterns more volatile, and extreme weather events more frequent. When it comes to natural disasters, forewarned is forearmed � and floods are no exception. Accurately predicting when and how they will occur enables a proactive approach to minimising their devastating impact.

With the aid of early-warning systems, authorities can activate emergency measures to protect and evacuate populations at risk and shore up defences before disaster strikes. Flood risk assessment techniques help planners to identify areas susceptible to flooding and to manage river resources more effectively.

The Union is promoting research to improve flood forecasting and explore how uncertainties may be quantified meaningfully. The latest technology enables researchers to combine data from numerous sources � satellite, radar and databases � and several EU-funded projects are exploring ways of using these advances to improve the performance of flood models.

Atlantic cyclones are instrumental in shaping the European climate. The EU-backed FASTEX project carried out intensive measurements using satellites � as well as buoys, ships and aircraft � to better understand the mechanics of these storms.

The transnational Demeter project, named after the Greek goddess of fertility, is close to completing the first-ever worldwide system for long-term seasonal weather forecasts, which can help anticipate floods.

One devastating side effect of 2003's scorching summer in Europe was the spread of forest fires in many parts of the continent, mainly in France and Portugal. But heat wave or not, some 45 000 forest fires break out in Europe every year, wiping an area the size of Belgium off Europe's woodlands every five years.

The EU is utilising space technology to help map the path and behaviour of forest fires � both in real time and for model construction. One such European study � conducted by European Space Imaging (EUSI) and the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) � used satellites to plot the extent of the devastation caused by the wildfires in Portugal.

Using images from the IKONOS satellite, which has a resolution of up to one metre, the researchers were able to quickly compile a detailed picture of the affected regions and the amount of damage done and send it on to Portuguese civil defence authorities.

Public safety is not the only focus of European research into natural disasters � protecting human history and heritage has also been receiving close attention. This care for our common past culminated in the signing, earlier this year, of an agreement between ESA and the UN's cultural arm UNESCO to encourage the use of Earth observation satellites to monitor more than 730 cultural and natural World Heritage sites.

The initiative aims to involve all international space agencies in helping developing countries monitor their protected sites. This is becoming increasingly possible as satellite technology grows more powerful � civilian satellites can now distinguish details measuring as little as 60cm wide.

Related Links
JRC
ESA
EU natural disasters leaflet
Demeter
FASTEX UNESCO
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