USE OF OPERATIONAL SATELLITE DATA IN CENTRAL AMERICA TO SUPPORT DISASTER MANAGEMENT

In order for Central American countries to respond to weather related disasters, they need to have strong meteorological forecasting capabilities, knowledge of the current state of the land and water resources, and emergency plans of action. In response to the devastating effects of Hurricane Mitch (October 1998), the United States Agency for International Development funded a project through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS), and the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere to improve the forecasting capabilities in Central American countries. The project included upgrading the geostationary satellite receiving capabilities and installing a data server at the Instituto Meteorologico Nacional (IMN) in San Jose, Costa Rica to serve digital satellite data to the surrounding countries through the Internet. This paper chronicles events both prior to and during the project and presents ongoing efforts in the region.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Full conference proceedings available on CD-ROM.
• Corporate Authors:

  American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing

  5410 Grosvenor Lane, Suite 210
  Bethesda, MD  United States  20814-2160
• Authors:
  • Connel, B
  • DeMaria, M
  • Leon, V C
  • Alfaro, R
  • Sessing, J
• Conference:
  • Integrating Remote Sensing at the Global, Regional and Local Scale. Pecora 15/Land Satellite Information IV Conference
  • Location: Denver, Colorado
  • Date: 2002-11-10 to 2002-11-15
• Publication Date: 2002

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: 6p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Disasters; Emergencies; Forecasting; Hydrology; Imagery; Meteorological instruments; Satellite communication
• Geographic Terms: Belize; Central America; Costa Rica; El Salvador; Guatemala; Honduras; Nicaragua; Panama
• Subject Areas: Highways; Hydraulics and Hydrology; Planning and Forecasting; I10: Economics and Administration;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00937895
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Feb 6 2003 12:00AM