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disaster relief | DLR maGazıne 136 · 137 | 15
Geographer Jens Danzeglocke works as a researcher at the DLR
Space Administration in Bonn, and will be coordinating the German
Charter presidency from April to October 2013.
Why has Germany joined this network of space agencies
for disaster relief?
When we entered the Charter in October 2010, we were
pursuing an important goal in German space strategy – using
space technology for the benefit of people on Earth. We also
implement the United Nations’ firm requirement that satellite-
based Earth observation be used to protect mankind from
natural catastrophes (UN Resolution 41/65).
And what technical capabilities allowed Germany to be-
come involved?
With the two German radar satellites, TerraSAR-X and
TanDEM-X, we are currently managing two national Earth obser-
vation missions. Furthermore, at its site in Oberpfaffenhofen,
DLR has the operational infrastructure to provide the data in a
timely manner and with the necessary quality. TerraSAR-X and
TanDEM-X data is frequently used in the event of flood disasters.
The satellites can very quickly capture detailed images regardless
of cloud cover or time of day, so they are ideal for mapping
flooded areas. In some cases DLR also provides optical data from
the RapidEye satellite, especially for wildfires. This was also the
case following the tsunami in Japan in March 2011. TerraSAR-X
was successfully launched into space in June 2007; from that
day forward, it was just a matter of time until DLR became a full
member of the Charter.
Does that mean that DLR was involved in the Charter
previously as well?
Yes. Since 2002, and through Germany’s membership of
ESA, we have been supporting the Charter, which was estab-
lished by ESA and the French space agency CNES in 1999, as
a ‘junior partner’. To date, the network has been activated for
more than 350 disaster events in over 120 countries. There
were 40 activations in 2012, and 42 on average each year for
the past five years. It is important to note that the Charter
provides assistance in the event of sudden major catastrophes,
not for ‘predictable’ emergencies or those developing over an
extended period, such as a drought. The Charter is unique and
is based on the ‘best effort’ principle, which means that every
member provides its resources to the best of its abilities. The
assistance is free for the user and is available around the clock.
What is the role of the German Secretariat?
The German Secretariat is based at the DLR Space
Administration in Bonn. As Secretary, I coordinate our national
activities. There are 15 secretaries for the 15 Charter members.
The highest body is the Charter Board. Hans-Peter Lüttenberg,
Head of the Earth Observation Department at the DLR Space
Administration, and Stefan Dech, Director of the German
Remote Sensing Data Center at the DLR site in Oberpfaffen-
hofen, represent DLR here. The Executive Secretariat is
responsible for the smooth implementation of the Charter
procedures and develops ideas to continuously improve the
system.
What does that mean in the event of an emergency?
In that case, the Executive Secretariat validates the ‘call’.
The system is activated immediately thereafter. Operational ac-
tivities, however, are initiated without delay after notification of
an emergency so that no time is lost, but they can be revoked
again by the Secretariat. For each accepted call, the Secretariat
nominates a Project Manager. Last but not least, it is important
to ensure that our valuable data will not be used for other pur-
poses than those addressed by the Charter.
To which issues does Germany want to devote its time as
chair?
Our chair will begin on 16 April 2013, with a four-day
conference in Berlin where all board members and secretaries
will meet up. At present, our concern is that more members are
joining the Charter, and that it is being activated with greater
frequency. This shows the success of our work, but also makes
it all the more complex. In autumn 2012 we launched the
‘Universal Access’ initiative, which represents a milestone for
the Charter. This will allow greater accessibility to users such as
emergency response authorities across the world. The Charter
can be activated by authorised users. This user base is still not
complete globally. At present, the main ‘white areas’ – those
with no authorised users – are located in Central and South
America, Africa and parts of Asia. With Universal Access, the
intention is to eliminate, or at least minimise them. So in the
light of a growing user base, the Charter members must pay
even more attention to keeping the system effective and effi-
cient, as well as controlling the conditions under which it is
activated. •
Relief – without red tape
Interview with Jens Danzeglocke, DLR Secretary in the International Charter ‘Space and Major Disasters’.
Emergency on-Call
Officer (ECO)
Project Manager (PM)
On-Duty Operator (ODO)
Neustrelitz
DLR ground station,
data reception
Weilheim,
DLR ground station,
Data transfer to the satellite
DLR data manager
DLR-ZKI
Disaster
Authorised User
(AU) Data processing
DLR sites involved in the Charter
Four DLR sites are directly involved in the Charter activities. The
Secretariat is located at the DLR Space Administration in Bonn;
the Earth observation data is collected and refined at the German
Remote Sensing Data Center in Oberpfaffenhofen; the ground sta-
tion in Weilheim sends the corresponding commands to the satel-
lite. The raw data collected will be received at the ground station
in Neustrelitz and forwarded to the data manager at the ZKI.
Charter activation
Schematic representation of the sequence of events as they hap-
pen during a Charter activation when DLR is involved. In the
event of a crisis, the Authorised User informs the On-Duty Opera-
tor at ESA. The request is verified and the Emergency on-Call
Officer informed. These are the ‘first responders’ in the first three
hours of the request for assistance. Then, the Project Manager is
involved.
Köln
Berlin
Augsburg
Bonn
Braunschweig
Bremen
Göttingen
Hamburg
Lampoldshausen
Neustrelitz
Oberpfaffenhofen
Weilheim
Stuttgart
Trauen
Stade
Jülich
14 | DLR maGazıne 136 · 137 | disaster relief
At the ZKI ‘control centre’: some of the people involved in charter
activities in Oberpfaffenhofen, including Stefan Voigt (left) and Tobias
Schneiderhan (front).
Every minute counts when the Charter is activated. At the Center for
Satellite Based Crisis Information, everyone knows their role, and
works seamlessly together during the whole process.
Teamwork to produce the best map: the ‘wizards’ at the scene need
the most accurate information possible – the ZKI Leaders therefore use
the latest satellite data to generate tailored maps of affected areas.