To date Respond has provided mapping and imagery resources in a variety of areas around the world, including China, Ethiopia, Angola, Mozambique, Iran, Maldives, India, Darfur, Chad.
What Our Users Have To Say
Testimonials from our users highlight the value of our services in supporting improved decision-making, planning and adaptation to humanitarian crises around the world.
Stage 2
Nicaragua
“This is an interesting and most useful analysis of the mudslide susceptibility of Cerro Musun using EO-based technologies. It gives considerable knowledge into the decision making cycle for better land management and planning in the area” - UN ISDR
Darfur / Chad
“Until then (the delivery of Respond maps) we had no map of the operational area whatsoever! It showed the area vital for us since the sub-delegation was located in Abeche and regular travel between both locations was necessary in very difficult climatic conditions. The map enabled us to pre-plan supply routes, access routes and logistics ex airport” - German Red Cross (DRK)
“The vegetation imagery and processing provided by Respond was essential to conduct spatial analysis and assign cooking fuel priorities to settlements and IDP* camps” - United Nations Joint Logistics Centre
“In July 2004 THW did an assessment in the Darfur region. Via Phone we contacted DLR from the field, discussing some maps for the planed mission. This was the „kick-off“ for now regular business. The possibility of getting specific data helps THW a lot. In Sumatra a mountainous region was mapped by radar to get the topographic data, saving us minimum 1 month of hard field work. The team in Al Fasheer in Darfur uses the Respond town map for security planning. There are several other examples, showing the Management in HQ, that these products are useful and not only a gadget or nice to have.” - THW
Indonesia (Northern Sumatra)
“This was the only available professionally produced post-tsunami city map of Banda Aceh. The product is so much valued as it took into consideration input from the field based UN information centre and its knowledge of local needs.” - UN OCHA Humanitarian Information Centre, Sumatra
On a satellite-based debris assessment
“This was the only technically sound study to quantify the debris needed to be cleared in the area of interest. Hence it provided baseline data for which our actions were taken.” - UN OCHA
Niger
We are specialists of the remote sensing use for health at the interface of environmental epidemiology and public health. Projects like Respond are at the interface of remote sensing “sources” and users like us. We appreciated the discussions to make our needs more optimal.
This product is at an optimal spatial scale and could confirm some of our hypothesis. This scale is high enough to observe difference in villages, and low enough to be able to study dynamics at the Sahel scale. It is very easy to use and was a key input to my work - CERMES
Honduras
We used it to have real information for recovery purposes after a disaster and it gave the possibility to get a bigger view of the problem. It gave a realistic view of the situation and better possibilities to react in a correct way. It was very easy to use and was very useful to my work - Agencia Espanola de Cooperacion Internacional
Tajikistan
In Tajikistan the use and acces to EO data is very basic. The provided map and information layers add important additional information for many different applications like capacity building, risk analysis infrastructure planning, risk awareness building etc. The provided information is unique.
The only other information source about landslides in Tajikistan is in situ information. In this respect the information layer is unique - SDC Tajikistan and local partners
Ghana
The maps were used for depicting the disaster situation as the crisis unfolded and were updated regularly, to provide all relief agencies with access to a common operational picture.
The MapAction mapping was useful in many ways:
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It helped to provide a common operational picture for relief workers so that geographical gaps in assessment could be identified;
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It was used to record, using graphical methods, relief efforts underway and thereby enable relief workers to monitor effectiveness of their plans;
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It provided a common point of reference for discussions on priorities;
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It enabled donors to grasp the range and scope of problems.
The mapping was also useful for reports and for informing the larger public about the disaster and provide relief. It was very much part of the overall exertion to identify the extent of the problems involved, coordinate relief work and record progress and changes to the situation.
“A map is useful to show the big picture of the situation we have to deal with, instead of many written documents” - F. Zanetta, IFRC
Stage 1
Tsunami maps
“The timely maps provided by UNOSAT were key documents in the planning of our activities. We plotted them out before leaving to Aceh and got a flying start on the baseline information and first damage assessments. At the time, these were the only available maps showing the potential impact of the tsunami and we found them to be quite accurate.” (UNHCR)
Darfur products
The HIC Darfur products and services were well carried out and integrated into the HIC management. The service was very much appreciated. – UN OCHA
Camp maps: The maps provided are very good. They will be used for improving registration exercises, camp management, and protection of refugees. – UNHCR
Post-Tsunami Products
Indian Ocean Tsunami waste disposal study for selected villages in Aceh for OCHA HIC Sumatra. Although the study is useful and it is very good to provide vector data for inclusion in OCHA HIC GIS, the products must be better integrated into OCHA HIC services – especially in situations where staff turnover is significant, it is very important that data/products are well integrated in the standard management of the HICs. – UN OCHA
Banda Aceh post-Tsunami map – this is one of the main deliverables from Respond so far. It is a highly popular map among the field users, not only for its professional layout, but just as much for the user-friendly hardcopy format. This is an element that should not be underestimated. OCHA HIC is likely to need more copies of this map, and would also like to see similar products for all of Aceh. – UN OCHA
Other Products
The demonstration map showing who does what where in Erbil, Northern Iraq, showed how a detailed satellite image can be used for project monitoring and accountability. This is a very useful product (although simple) it makes the daily running of programmes easier to mange and hand over of dossiers between staff easier to do. – UNOPS
Landcover demonstration over Liberia was very useful – UNDPKO
The DEM created was/is a successfully used as a standard part of the GIS in Liberia – UNDPKO
The map of Cabinda was very useful in planning our potential activities in the city in case the Marburg virus spread there – WHO
Maps from the China floods were used internally and sent to our offices in Beijing as useful supportive information in addressing the widespread flooding – WFP
The detailed map of Gunung Sitoli was impressive and a key element in our assessment of the earthquake situation - OCHA
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