The International Charter “Space and Major Disasters”: A worldwide collaboration for disaster relief

2020-10-06 - The Charter provides a unified system to make satellite data of affected areas available to support relief efforts. Timely, reliable and accurate information enables response teams to be better equipped to save lives and limit damage. (Credit: Canadian Space Agency)

A worldwide collaboration for disaster relief

The Charter provides a unified system to make satellite data of affected areas available to support relief efforts. Timely, reliable and accurate information enables response teams to be better equipped to save lives and limit damage.

• Founding members: ESA, CNES, CSA
• 34 contributing satellites
• Canada's participating satellites: RADARSAT-2 (launch: 2007) and RADARSAT Constellation Mission (launch: 2019)
• Effective since November 2000
• Members cooperate on a voluntary basis, at no cost to the user
• Activations from 2000 to October 6, 2020:
  • 678 in 126 countries
  • 14 in Canada
• 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
• Types of disasters: floods, cyclones/hurricanes, volcanoes, landslides, oil spills, earthquakes, tsunami
• 17 members