Conference and Seminar Proceedings
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FIG Commission 2 and 7 Workshop 2015, Kathmandu, Nepal
"Strengthening Education for Land Professionals and Opportunities for SDI
Development"
24-27 November 2015 in Kathmandu, Nepal
Keynote speakers
Prof. Dr. Armin Gruen was since 1984 Professor and Head of the Chair
of Photogrammetry at the Institute of Geodesy and Photogrammetry,
Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, Switzerland. Since 1
August 2009 he is retired and is now with the Institute of Conservation
and Building Research, Department of Architecture, ETH Zurich. Currently
he is acting as a Principal Investigator on the Simulation Platform of
the SEC-FCL (Singapore ETH Centre - Future Cities Laboratory) in
Singapore.
He served as the President of ISPRS Commission V
(ISPRS...International Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing), as
ISPRS Council Member (Second Vice President) and Council Member of IUSM
(International Union of Surveys and Mapping) and as Chairman of the
ISPRS Financial Commission. He was Chairman of the ISPRS International
Scientific Advisory Committee (ISAC) and the ISPRS Ad-hoc Committee
on"Knowledge Transfer", International Member of the Fourth Academic
Committee of the State Key Laboratory of Information Engineering in
Surveying, Mapping and Remote Sensing (LIESMARS), Wuhan University,
China, Member of the First Academic Committee of the Key Laboratory of
Mapping from Space of the Chinese Academy of Surveying and Mapping
(CASM), Beijing, China and Member of the Executive Board of the Digital
Earth Society, Member of the International Expert Committee for
Strategic Development of CEODE (Center for Earth Observation and Digital
Earth, Chinese Academy of Sciences), Beijing.
His major international awards and honors include the Otto von Gruber
Gold Medal (ISPRS,1980), Talbert Abrams Award Grand Trophy (ASPRS, 1985
and 1995), with Honorable Mention 1989, Fairchild Award (ASPRS, 1994),
Miegunyah Distinguished Fellowship Award of the University of Melbourne,
1999, ISPRS U.V. Helava Award 2000, E.H. Thompson Award 2005, ISPRS
Brock Gold Medal Award 2008, Dr. Boon Indrabarya Gold Medal Award 2009,
Yuri Gagarin Medal 2014.
Title of paper: Image Based Modelling for Emergency Management
Abstract
Natural and man-made disasters have had a great impact lately
worldwide. As global communication intensifies we are becoming
increasingly aware of the amount of damage that is done in terms of
injuries to and loss of humans and materials. Therefore a tremendous
amount of efforts goes into activities aiming at disaster mitigation and
early and effective rescue actions.In this context disaster response
planning plays a specific role. Disaster response planning consists of
three components: (a) development of damage simulation models, (b)
methods and models to rapidly assess damage, and (c) methods to allocate
limited resources in an optimal way.Among the various techniques applied
in this domain remote sensing technology can contribute in particular to
(a) and (b), but to a certain extent also to (c).
In this presentation the emphasis will be on the characteristics and use
of image-based techniques.We dispose nowadays of a large spectrum of
different sensors, operating from a variety of platforms like satellites
(optical, radar), aerial (images, LiDAR, helicopters, UAVs) and
terrestrial (Mobile Mapping systems, flying “mosquito†robots). We
will show how these techniques can be used both for simulation of
events, risk analysis and for the empirical analysis of events and
prevention, and for the monitoring of actual events.The true challenge
today lies not so much in sensing, but in data processing. Especially if
on-line processing and real-time responses are required, the lack of
performance in data processing techniques is still an annoying factor.
This presentation will cover all aspects from sensing to data
processing, supported by a number of exemplary international projects.
Arbind Man Tuladhar holds a PhD degree from Delft University of
Technology (TUDelft), and is currently working in the Department for
Urban and Regional Planning and Geo-Information Management of Faculty of
Geo-information Science and Earth Observation (ITC) at University of
Twente in the Netherlands. Currently he holds the positions of visiting
Professor in the fields of Geo-informatics and Land Administration at
the School of Engineering of Kathmandu University (Nepal) and Changa’n
University (Xi’an, China). His current research focuses in the fields
of land governance, land tenure, land management/ land administration,
informal settlement, climate changes, disaster risk management,
Geo-information system modelling and development, national and municipal
land information systems including 3D modelling and spatial data
infrastructure.
Title: Land issues and Geo-information: Responding Post Disaster
Earthquakes in Nepal
Abstract
The April 2015 major earthquake took place about 76 km northwest of
Kathmandu followed by more than 300 aftershocks killed 9000 people and
injured 25,000 people in Nepal. Recent official report by Government of
Nepal (GoN) indicates that these earthquakes have affected the lives of
eight million Nepalese people which is about one third of total
population. This is a dangerous natural disaster which causes tremendous
impacts on human vulnerability and leads to human, structural and
financial losses and destructions. At international level, there are two
major frameworks namely Hyogo and Sendai frameworks that address to the
Multi-hazard environment including the threats to people’s lives,
livelihood and assets. These frameworks can provide very good guidance
to develop an action-oriented framework at the country level. Since land
is fundamental to the recovery process, this presentation discusses land
issues including access to land for shelters, protection of land rights,
livelihood and early recovery from the earthquakes, and highlights how
to incorporate these land issues into the action-oriented framework for
recovery. Finally, this presentation presents land matters and
Geo-information needs for post disaster reconstruction planning process
within the context of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Mr. Rajan Aiyer is Managing Director/GM (SAARC Region), Trimble
Navigation Ltd and BOD member of half-a-dozen wholly owned subsidiaries
of Trimble Navigation Ltd, USA. Rajan is responsible for all aspects of
these subsidiaries’ operations in SAARC Region (India, Pakistan, Sri
Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Maldives). Under his leadership,
Trimble revenues in India Region have more than quintupled in the last
five years. Prior to this Mr. Aiyer headed his own start-up company in
Silicon Valley, CA for 5 years. He has held increasingly responsible
positions in engineering, marketing, sales and customer service in
various Boston and Silicon Valley, CA hi-tech companies.
He brings 23+ years of total industry experience in IT, Telecom, and
Data communication fields and has over a dozen key patents in key areas
of networking and communications. He has a passion for fitness and
enjoys a variety of hobbies including traveling, photography, dance, and
squash. He is active in American Chamber of Commerce Executive
Committee, IMA CEO Forum, is a founding member of Association of
Geospatial Industries (AGI) Governing Council, IIT Alumni Association,
HBS Alumni Association. Mr. Aiyer graduated with a B.Tech. from Indian
Institute of Technology, New Delhi and an M.S. Computer Science from
University of Texas, Austin. He has completed General Management Program
at Harvard Business School.
Title of paper: Geospatial Technologies for a Disaster Resilient
Community
Abstract
The adoption and integration of geospatial information across the
wide expanse of socio-economic sectors continues to advance at a rapid
rate. For nations facing high risk of natural disasters, geospatial
information is a critical element in the development of disaster risk
management systems. A plethora of innovative geospatial technologies
available today will help not only to produce these critical
information, but also enable analytics to support quick and effective
decision-making . Rajan Aiyer will discuss some of these technologies
and how they are applied in pre- and post-disaster projects.
Plenary Speakers
Professor and Director
Center for Geospatial Research
Department of Geography,University of Georgia
Title of paper: Geo-spatial Technologies and People are needed to
Prepare, Respond and Recover from Disasters
Abstract
Disasters are non-ordinary events and come in many shapes and sizes.
They can be characterized by extraordinary delivery of wind, water and
fire, and in the case of earthquakes, energy that moves the very ground
we stand upon. Although the occurrence of disasters may be unexpected,
measures can be taken to prepare for them. We can be ready to respond
and understand what we must do to recover. Geospatial technologies, for
example, can provide community leaders, planners, policy makers and
emergency responders with critical data and disaster analysis tools.
Satellite programs acquiring image data that are regular, synoptic and
complete in coverage are invaluable for disaster assessment because they
provide both the “before†and “after†views. Imagery from
airborne and unmanned aerial systems (UAS) also provide critical
information to assist responders with prioritizing their actions,
planning paths of evacuation and delivering aid and supplies. Combining
imagery with geographic information systems (GIS) and existing data of
Spatial Data Infrastructures also allows analysis of current conditions
and past disaster events in order to model risk, patterns of damage and
predictions of future events. Spatio-temporal analysis of time-series
remotely sensed imagery, 3D terrain data and point clouds provide
advanced geovisualizations and animations that allow us to virtually
experience disaster scenarios and evaluate possible responses. This
presentation will discuss geospatial technologies and analyses being
conducted by researchers at the Center for Geospatial Research (CGR),
Department of Geography at The University of Georgia, USA that can be
used for disaster preparation, response and recovery. Case studies will
be presented using multi-temporal imagery from satellite, airborne and
unmanned aerial systems (UAS) platforms that document current conditions
and establish baselines for assessing future changes. Training staff and
approaches for easy access to geospatial technologies also will be
addressed because people with local knowledge and who are on-site when
disasters strike are the most important component of disaster
management.
Institute of Hazard, Risk, and Resilience and Department of
Geography
Durham University, UK
Title: Co-seismic and post seismic landsliding in the 2015 Nepal
earthquake sequence
Abstract
The 2015 earthquake sequence in Nepal, including the Mw 7.8 Gorkha
earthquake of 25 April and the Mw 7.3 Dolakha earthquake of 12 May,
triggered several thousand landslides in Nepal. These were predominantly
located in high-relief areas of the Lesser and High Himalaya, north and
northeast of the epicentre of the 25 April earthquake. A number of
different organisations used optical and radar satellite imagery to map
landslides in the immediate aftermath of the earthquakes. This mapping
effort was largely successful in identifying the main areas that were
affected by landsliding, along with the locations where major disruption
to roads and other infrastructure should be expected. At the same time,
the mapping effort was hampered by a number of different issues,
including lack of suitable cloud-free imagery, difficulty in identifying
coseismic landslides, and coordination between the different teams, data
providers, and potential end-users. Here, we review the earthquakes and
the patterns of coseismic landsliding, emphasising the key role of
satellite imagery in allowing rapid assessment of the landslide hazard.
We also describe the longer-term effects of the earthquake on landslide
occurrence in the region, focusing in particular on the Upper Bhote Kosi
valley, Sindhupalchok, as a representative example of the wider
earthquake-affected area.
Head of School Civil Engineering and Surveying
Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences
University of Southern Queensland, Australia
Title of paper: Challenges and Opportunities in Utilising SDI and
Crowd Sourced Data during Disasters
Abstract
Technology is changing the way in which we live our lives including
the way we work, communicate, socialise, purchase goods and services and
relax. Modern disaster reporting is becoming increasingly sophisticated
with the ready access to social media and user-friendly online mapping
tools. Citizen engagement in location enabled disaster reporting is more
obvious, and the availability of crowd generated geospatial data is
higher than ever before. Crowd generated geospatial content is current
and more diverse than conventional geographic information; however,
quality and credibility issues exist. Although spatial data
infrastructures (SDIs) have proven to be successful in supporting
disaster management activities in the past, delays in providing public
mapping portals and gaps in data are common. Crowd support and crowd
generated spatial data have the potential to speed up disaster
management actions and disaster mitigation actions.
Formal or authoritative SDIs have formed the base mapping framework for
emergency management authorities to utilise during emergencies. However,
these data are often not available for citizens to access quickly during
a disaster and therefore crowd responders are utilising other less
authoritative mapping sources to respond during disasters. The
utilisation of base maps such as OpenStreetMap, Google Maps or Bing Maps
is commonplace for crowd sourced mapping. In some instances, these base
maps are superior to the officially available government maps whilst in
other cases the official mapping is more current or complete. This
presentation will discuss the role of crowd sourced mapping during
disasters, the challenges data quality and credibility, the
opportunities that crowd sourced data presents and the role of
government agencies in spatial data access and management to support
disaster management.
Associate Professor in Geospatial Science
Mathematical and Geospatial Sciences Department
Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Australia
Title of paper: International Lessons in Disaster Recovery and
Reconstruction
Abstract
A study of disaster recovery and land tenure/land administration in
other countries allows us to identify lessons for Nepal. Lessons can be
drawn from previous earthquake events such as Haiti, and New Zealand. A
number of key land administration challenges faced during the earthquake
recovery and reconstruction periods are identified and summarised. This
includes priorities for tenure security, land use planning, and property
valuation. These priorities will often differ from country to country
but common themes and options emerge.
Executive Director
National Society for Earthquake Technology (NSET)
Title of paper: Role of Surveying Professionals.
Abstract
The United Nations in September agreed to the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals and 169
targets as agreed demonstrated the scale, reach and ambition of this
Agenda. These goals and targets should inspire and galvanize actions
over the coming decade in areas crucial and important to humankind.
Earlier in the year, the global community adopted the Sendai Framework
for Disaster Risk Reduction with an emphasis on the importance of
developing, providing and improving disaster risk information leveraging
on geospatial information technologies. Under the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change, there is the much anticipated
21st Conference of the Parties later this month in Paris. Next year, the
global community heads into Habitat III Conference seeking the New Urban
Agenda that will provide solutions for the complexities within human
settlements and urbanization. These international agendas and
developments all have a people-to-place dimension.
Christchurch, New Zealand
Title of paper: Disaster Recovery Post Christchurch 2011 Earthquakes
Abstract
New Zealand typically experiences 20,000 earthquakes annually.
However the southern city of Christchurch was considered a relatively
quiet seismic area – until September 2010. What followed over an
eighteen month period were 13,000 earthquakes and aftershocks.
Christchurch suffered catastrophic damage to buildings and loss of life.
Geospatial professionals were needed immediately to support the rescue
effort by Urban Search and Rescue, Civil Defence, Police and Army.
Support from Surveyors and GIS experts increased as the emergency
response turned into recovery and then rebuild of the city. Today, five
years on, the need for surveyors and GIS specialists is still as strong
as ever and it is important to recognise their contribution to disaster
recovery.
School of surveying
University of Otago, New Zealand
Title of paper: Towards a modernized geodetic datum for Nepal:
Options for developing an accurate terrestrial reference frame following
the April 25, 2015 Mw7.8 Gorkha earthquake
Abstract
Along with the damage to buildings and infrastructure, the April 25,
2015 Mw7.8 Gorkha earthquake caused quite significant deformation over a
large area in central Nepal with displacements of over 2 m recorded in
the vicinity of Kathmandu. In this paper we consider options for a
modernized geodetic datum for Nepal that will have the capacity to
correct for the earthquake displacements and ongoing tectonic
deformation associated with Nepal’s location on the India/Asia plate
boundary. The current Nepal datum is a classical datum developed in 1984
by the Military Survey branch of the Royal (UK) Engineers in
collaboration with the Nepal Survey Department. It has served Nepal well
however the recent earthquakes have provided an impetus for developing a
semi-dynamic datum which will be based on the most current available
ITRF and have the capacity to correct for tectonic deformation.
In the scenario we present here, the datum would be based on be ITRF2014
with a reference epoch set some time after the end of the current
sequence of earthquakes. The deformation model contains a grid of the
secular velocity field combined with models of the Gorkha Earthquake and
the May 12 Mw7.3 aftershock. We have developed a preliminary velocity
field by taking published velocities for Nepal and adjacent pars of
China and India from five previous studies and aligning them to the
ITRF. We are currently working on developing patches for the co-seismic
part of the deformation using published dislocation models. While these
models do a reasonably good job of modeling the deformation, there are
some significant discrepancies between their predictions and the limited
GPS measurements. We hope to improve these models by developing revised
grids that will incorporate increased GPS and INSAR measurements of the
deformation field. Top level control would be based on a CORS network
based around the existing Nepal GPS Array. Coordinates for existing
lower order coordinates would be determined by readjusting existing
measurements and these would be combined with a series of new control
stations spread throughout Nepal.
Department of Operations and Emergencies (DOE)
IOM, Headquarters, Geneva
Title of paper: Balancing the HLP needs, rights and available
resources before, during and after natural disaster
Abstract
Designing and implementing comprehensive and efficient policies for
preventing and addressing the impact of natural disasters represent
significant political and socio-economic challenge for any society. This
challenge manifests itself in the conundrum of finding the right balance
between the needs and the rights of affected population, the existing
legal frameworks and the societal demands and the available state and
community resources. There is no universal recipe for achieving this
balance and each society has to find its own. However, there are set of
principles which can guarantee equitable and efficient policies and
mechanisms such as the principles of participation and consultative
decision making. This discussion paper will set to explore these
principle and elaborate on the variety of feasible and efficient models
for addressing housing, land and property issues before, during and
after natural disasters.
