Satellite imagery at work Emergency management
Last updated:18 June 2024
In times of fire and flood, satellites are eyes in the sky
Natural hazards are occurring at unimagined scales across Australia, in unprecedented combinations and in unexpected locations. Many of these events are being driven by our changing climate. The provision of satellite imagery and data to help emergency services plan for and respond to these hazards — especially fire and flood — has been a driving force behind the Digital Earth Australia program.
Our imagery and data can help model fire risk indicators, contribute to weather observations and forecasts, map land cover types, investigate water quality and availability, assess the impact and extents of fires and floods, and contribute to hazard planning, response, and recovery efforts.
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Copernicus Emergency Management System
Geoscience Australia coordinates activation of the International Charter: Space and Major Disasters and the European Union’s Copernicus Emergency Management Service (CEMS) on behalf of Emergency Management Australia and state emergency services.
This means when crises are encountered, Australia can gain rapid access to satellite imagery and information products from satellite data operators around the world to assist our emergency managers.
Landsat at hand during Black Summer
The 2019–20 bushfire season was the worst New South Wales has ever recorded. Over the course of a few months, 5.5 million hectares of land was burnt, claiming the lives of many people and upwards of a billion animals.
Our long-term partnership with the United States Geological Survey (USGS) meant we could make vital satellite imagery available to emergency services.
Related Resources
DEA Hotspots
DEA Hotspots is a national bushfire monitoring tool detecting areas of unusually high temperatures for use by emergency services.
Bushfire Earth Observation Taskforce
The Australian Space Agency explores the role of Earth Observation information in planning, response and recovery for bushfires.
Geoscience Australia for Community Safety
Discover how other programs of Geoscience Australia are informing work on bushfires, floods, earthquakes and cyclones.
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