Press Releases
Critical Software shows risks and vulnerabilities to natural disasters to Rio de Janeiro officials
Project “Rio de Janeiro Vulnerability” is a partnership between Critical, ESA and the World Bank
6 Mar 2012
Critical Software – a company specialized in providing reliable technologies for critical information systems – will present this week, at a conference in Rio de Janeiro, the findings of the "Rio de Janeiro Vulnerability" project, a partnership with the European Space Agency and the World Bank that aims to identify the vulnerabilities of this Brazilian city in the face of natural disasters such as floods and landslides.
Critical Software established a partnership with the European Space Agency and World Bank called "EOworld - Earth Observation Support to World Bank Projects", with the goal of exploring the impact of several urban scenarios (consequences of urban expansion, deforestation, etc.) on the vulnerability of Rio de Janeiro to floods. To achieve that goal, the project used very high resolution images, collected via satellite between 2007 and 2011, integrated with a high resolution digital surface model.
The findings of this study, , developed for EOWorld in partnership with NOA (National Observatory of Athens) and Hidromod, will provide end-users (such as staff at the Department of Municipal Works of Brazil, at the CEPERJ – Geographical Information for the State of Rio de Janeiro and at the Geological Service of the State of Rio de Janeiro) with detailed and up-to-date information, including a digital terrain elevation model and slope maps as well as the mapping of soil use for Rio de Janeiro municipality. The characterization of Rio de Janeiro’s vulnerability to natural disasters, specially in terms of flood simulations at the Rio Grande river basin, allow for investigation of the impact of four potential future urban scenarios (in terms of urban expansion and reforestation) connected to natural catastrophes such as floods.
“This project demonstrates the potential of Earth Observation (EO) satellite technologies for the development of urban cartography and in the evaluation of risks in the face of natural disasters, such as floods. This technology has an enormous application potential to other areas. Cross-checking several data collected via satellite allows us to identify vulnerabilities on the ground, making it possible for competent authorities to deal with risk situations in good time, minimizing damage as much as possible”, says Marco Costa, CEO at Critical Software.
