Skip to content

A group coordinated by the University of Washington in Seattle has developed a tool to facilitate continuous monitoring of tropical cyclones through the combination of lightning and microwave satellite data. The World Wide Lightning Location Network’s (WWLLN) tropical cyclone (WWLLN-TC) platform is publicly accessible and visualizations of the global data are updated every three hours.

Lightning is a rich source of information

2017 marked one of the worst tropical storm seasons on record, leading to large disasters in affected regions. Forecasts of changes inside cyclones are crucial to prevent people from being affected and to strengthen preparedness for effective disaster management and response.

Past research has revealed that intensity changes are closely connected to the density of lightning strokes surrounding the storm centre. Hurricane Matthew, which caused widespread damage in October 2016 for example, weakened and came to its final stage just after an obvious peak in stroke rates was detected by the WWLLN.

Making monitoring outcomes visible in near real-time

The foundation of these measurements is a combination of microwave radiometric data by the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) and stationary lightning data, which is detected by measuring electromagnetic pulses from more than 70 WWLLN receiver stations worldwide and combined with measurements by Earth Networks. The microwave images are gathered by different satellites such as NASA’s Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) and Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM), as well as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP). The combination helps to fill gaps in between satellite cycles and increase the spatial and temporal resolution of the data.

The data is then published on the WWLLN-TC website. It provides four categories of images and histograms that help to both follow the course of the cyclone and keep track of its activities, in terms of the location and intensity of lightning strikes as well as its current pressure condition and wind speed. Information for more than 700 tropical cyclones that have occurred since November 2009 can be accessed on the website.
Source

Finnish companies Aker Arctic Technology, the world leader in ice-going vessel design and engineering, and ICEYE, the leader in synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) technology for microsatellites, joined forces to develop and provide satellite ice information and related services for customers operating in icy conditions.

Combining the new SAR data from microsatellites with data from maritime environments provides an innovative and cost-effective service for marine users, Aker Arctic said.

During a one-year pilot phase Aker Arctic plans to develop and test these services with its partners. The company runs a special testing facility in Helsinki and offices in Canada and Russia. In addition, ICEYE is launching two more SAR satellites to increase data availability. The aim is to improve situational awareness in polar sea areas.

Aker Arctic sees the new SAR data as beneficial to improving understanding of ice conditions in specific areas, thus also supporting the development of new shipping routes and maritime construction.

With extensive experience in Arctic sea technology and the greater maritime industry, Aker Arctic will utilize ICEYE’s SAR data, collected with satellites such as ICEYE-X1, to extend and improve its services for customers.

ICEYE aims to provide democratized access to reliable Earth observation data by developing efficient SAR sensors and microsatellites, enabling everyone to make better decisions. Through an imaging service available anywhere around the globe, anytime, and with response times measured in just few hours, ICEYE helps clients resolve challenges in segments such as maritime, disaster management and security and intelligence.

ICEYE is the first organization to successfully launch SAR microsatellites and commenced its commercial data operations this year.

The company is on track to launch its next SAR-enabled satellite, ICEYE-X2, as soon as this summer. Providing high resolution images and extensive global data, ICEYE’s vision is to launch a constellation of up to 18 SAR satellites to provide users with accurate images of any point on Earth every few hours.

Source

Rapid growth in the types and diversity of sensors available to collect data — from ground sensors, to drones, to rapid advancements in satellite technology — and the application of machine learning and AI is set to radically change the way geospatial data is used.

Richard Blain, CEO, Earth-i, UK

The increase in demand for location-based services, and the need to analyze, understand and interpret geospatial data from many different sources, plus the urgent need to address fundamental environmental and economic challenges on our planet, shows how critical a pillar location is in this period of change. Just think of the revolution automated cars will bring and the importance of location in realizing that opportunity. Or the importance of location data in analyzing and understanding critical supply chains and energy security. There will also be a radical increase in the application and usage of social, mobile, analytics and Cloud (SMAC) and location data to power a wide range of analytics, insights and new governmental and commercial services.

There is not a single industry today that is not touched by geospatial. We have also seen information technology companies and large industrial houses developing own geospatial capabilities or acquiring companies with mapping or spatial analytics abilities. This trend is driven by the increasing need to anchor data analytics and insights into a geospatial framework. Customers are increasingly turning ‘data agnostic’, and looking for analytics and insights, not the raw data or imagery. As data and technology becomes more affordable, intelligent platforms are developing fast to deliver data as a service and insights-ready products.

Inevitably, the geospatial industry must adapt to and adopt the technological changes. Partnering and collaborative working have long been a part of our industry, but new commercial opportunities and greater innovation will inevitably accelerate the need for more collaboration. The geospatial industry is already on the threshold of a transformation and I think the reason is a mix of the industry innovating from within and the impact of new ideas and start-ups from outside. Many of these start-ups have come from within the industry rather than completely fresh from outsiders. Earth-i itself is a collaboration of outsiders and industry experts.

Small satellites a big game changer

In the earth observation space, the single biggest technology game changer in recent times has to be the change in the economics of commercial space brought about by the radical reduction in the size and cost of EO satellites. This enabled us plan to build a large constellation of small EO satellites. The Earth-i constellation — first to offer full-color, full-motion video — will collect high resolution imagery with high frequency revisits to anywhere on Earth, and rapid tasking and download of data in near real time.

Together with the development of our analytics and insights platform, utilizing machine learning and AI, this stream of high spatial and temporal resolution data will enable the application of planetary Big Data to unlock powerful insights about our planet for a wide range of industry sectors and governments.

Our outlook is very strong and carefully planned. We are set to deploy the first batch of five satellites next year. It is a hugely exciting time in our industry; we expect growth to be rapid in the technology, the applications and in the types of customers for data and derived insights.

Earth observations contribute to increased understanding of complex phenomena occurring in, on and around our planet. Such observations allow the international community to make more informed decisions and policies to address global challenges, such as climate change and disaster resilience.

Data collected on the Earth is increasingly being made openly and freely available to the public, but what happens when those who need it don’t have access?

To ensure that Earth observations underpin decision-making for the benefit of all, the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) has been working for the past decade to build a Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS).

Through GEOSS, GEO has already made over 400 million open Earth observation data and information resources available via the GEOSS Portal and through the GEODAB API, both part of the GEOSS Platform, in order to contribute to global development efforts.

Not everyone working with Earth observations, however, has the same access to this data, such as in cases where high-speed landlines and/or Internet connectivity are not available, or in regions where terrestrial communication lines are not reliable or have been disrupted by disasters.

In an effort to increase access to Earth observations, GEO delivers data and products on a routine basis using satellite Digital Video Broadcast (DVB) technology to a worldwide user community through its initiative GEONETCast.

Accessible and affordable data

GEONETCast is a global network of cost-effective satellite-based dissemination systems which broadcast Earth observation data, products and services (including space-based, air-borne and in situ data) to areas with otherwise limited access.

“Through the GEOSS Platform where internet access is good, and through GEONETCast for areas where internet access is limited, we look forward to a future where everyone has easy access to the Earth observation data and information they need, when they need it.” —
Barbara Ryan, GEO Secretariat Director

Currently serving approximately 6,000 users in 169 countries, this user-driven and low-cost service operates through 3 GEONETCast Network Centres: GEONETCast Americas (US NOAA), EUMETCast (EUMETSAT) and CMACast (China), with established data exchange between them.

The cost of reception stations is kept to a minimum, resulting in an affordable solution for individuals, communities and businesses to ensure access to the Earth observations they need. A typical GEONETCast reception station includes a standard PC, a Digital Video Broadcast (DVB) reception device, and a satellite off-set antenna, and costs approximately 3,000USD for all equipment and installation.

Regional impact

The number of stations in the Americas has doubled over the past year, with a total of 78 stations operating in 19 countries as of February 2018, and 4 more planned for installation. Many of these stations, including 10 recently donated by the United States to Mexico , are intended to improve early warning and disaster monitoring.

The services and data delivered by GEONETCast allow users to better forecast extreme weather events for better prevention, mitigation and rapid response to emergencies and natural disasters.

Covering Europe and Africa, EUMETCast has more than 4,060 registered reception stations. ACMAD, the Weather and Climate Centre for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in Africa, has recently developed seasonal forecasts at the continental level dedicated to the DRR community, based on the information delivered by GEONETCast stations. This enables disaster risk management entities at the sub-regional and national levels to improve their disaster preparedness.

RELATED: Satellite-based solutions for smart societies

In the Asia Pacific region, CMACast uses AsiaSat-9 C band transponders to broadcast meteorological and satellite sensing data to over 2,700 registered users. The China Meteorological Administration (CMA) has provided CMACast to 20 countries in the region, in order to improve their capability to predict severe weather and reduce risk.

Global opportunities

The types and sources of data received currently differ by region according to needs and priorities, but GEO envisions a future where GEONETCast is able to transmit the entirety of the GEOSS data and information resources to all receiving stations globally.

As it continues to expand towards this vision, GEONETCast is demonstrating the value of data access, and is contributing to a more resilient society that is better equipped to sustainably face environmental challenges.

Source

Two recent expeditions that took scientists 26 000 km across the Atlantic Ocean have returned critical information to make sure that the Copernicus Sentinel satellites are delivering accurate data about the state of our oceans.

The RSS Discovery carried scientists from the UK to South Georgia to make in situ measurements of the ocean as part of the campaign to validate the Copernicus Sentinel satellites. (courtesy: PML)

Information from the Sentinels is used in a myriad of ways to make lives easier and businesses more efficient.

For example, ocean forecasting is important for maritime safety and off-shore operations, and biological productivity helps sectors such as the fishing industry.

It is therefore imperative to monitor data quality throughout a satellite’s life – and this means venturing out to make in situ measurements that can be compared with measurements taken from space.

In 2016 and 2017, a team of scientists did just this and braved the seas for months on voyages that took them all the way from the UK to the South Atlantic to collect reference measurements of chlorophyll, sea temperature and more.

ESA ocean scientist Craig Donlon explained, “We rely on these measurements, which are fully traceable, independent and collected according to strict protocols.

“They are an essential part of making sure that the satellite data can be used with confidence for practical applications and scientific research.”

Gavin Tilstone from the Plymouth Marine Laboratory said, “Each expedition took around seven weeks.

En route to South Georgia and the Falkland Islands we took around a million measurements each time, including readings of ocean colour, surface temperature and wave motion.

“We voyaged through many different ocean regimes so that these measurements were as varied as possible, from productive coastal regions to desert-like gyres in the centre of the ocean that are rarely accessed by research ships.”

Importantly, where possible, measurements were taken at the same time as the Sentinels passed overhead.

“It was also important to compare measurements taken by different shipborne instruments, which is all part of making sure they are of the highest quality and rigorously calibrated before they are used to check the satellite data,” added Dr Tilstone.

Some of the initial results suggest that the measurements of chlorophyll by Sentinel-3A’s ocean and land colour instrument can be improved slightly, which is now being addressed in the data processing chain.

Craig Donlon commented, “This is exactly why these campaigns are vital. They build confidence in our missions and data products, and highlight issues that can be easily addressed by our expert teams. Regular-repeat campaigns are a core part of our satellite missions because they provide the evidence of mission quality for our users.”

The Copernicus Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2 and Sentinel-3 satellites return different types of data about the oceans.

For example, Sentinel-1 can be used to look at waves and oil spills, Sentinel-2 and Sentinel-3 both offer information about phytoplankton, which form the basis of the marine food chain and are important in the balance of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Sentinel-3 is also used to map sea-surface temperature, which is needed for forecasting. In addition, information on both phytoplankton and temperature is important for understanding how our oceans are changing.

Source

On 27 February 2018, the Riga airTEXT service was officially launched, offering free access to regularly updated air quality forecasts for the capital of Latvia.

Riga airTEXT is a stand-out case of the use of the free and open data and ready-to-use information from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS).

It is yet another showcase of the application of the Copernicus Services for the public good, business ideas and international cooperation.

The Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service is one of the six operational services of the most ambitious Earth Observation and Monitoring programme in history, the European Union´s Copernicus programme. This service is aimed at supporting policymakers, businesses and citizens by providing free and open data about the present and forecasted status of the atmosphere in terms of pollen, NO2, ozone, Particulate Matter and a range of other pollutants, on a global basis but also with a higher resolution focus on Europe.

There are numerous business cases and applications using one or more CAMS information products, which demonstrate how societal and environmental challenges are being tackled using Copernicus data. Riga airTEXT is one of these examples.

What is Riga airTEXT?

The newly launched Riga airTEXT service is a free and independent service that twice daily provides the public with 3-day air quality forecasts, relying on CAMS information and data for pollutant levels. More specifically, the service regularly provides information about air quality, ultraviolet radiation (UV), pollen and temperature in Riga and thus, is especially useful for people who experience respiratory problems, heart diseases, allergies or have a weaker immune system. The Riga airTEXT forecasts are distributed through different channels: Riga airTEXT phone application (downloading the Android App on Google Play), Twitter, Facebook, SMS text messages as well as through its official website.

The Riga airTEXT service is based on an air quality modelling software developed by Cambridge Environmental Research Consultants (CERC), a British environmental consultancy. For Riga airTEXT, a local air quality model is combined with data derived from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) Regional Ensemble air quality forecast and weather forecasts from private provider Meteogroup.

Air pollutants, UV radiation and pollen forecasted by Riga airTEXT

The air quality as reported and forecasted by Riga airTEXT is gauged using information on the concentration of four major air pollutants. Based on the concentration of these pollutants a daily Air Quality Index (AQI)(see [1]) is derived for each of them. These four pollutants are: nitrogen dioxide (NO2), Particulate Matter (PM10, and PM2.5) and ozone (O3).

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is a powerful oxidant which gets into the air we breathe typically through the burning of fuel, produced by power plants or vehicles. Thus, high levels of NO2 are, for example, a clear indicator of road traffic density. Also, natural phenomena contribute to the formation of NO2 in the air, e.g. volcanic activity, lightning, trees or plants. NO2 has adverse effects on our respiratory system as well as on cardiovascular functions.

Particulates or Particulate Matter (PM10) and (PM2.5) have the most significant effect on human health when compared to other athmospheric pollutants and clearly correlated with increased mortality rates. Particulate Matter are a complex mixture of solid and liquid, organic and inorganic particles in the air, e.g. nitrates, ammonia, black carbon, mineral dust, water, etc. The most health-damaging particles are those with a diameter of 10 microns or less (≤ PM10), which are measured and forecasted by Riga airTEXT.

Ozone (O3) is a crucial component of the ozone layer in the upper atmosphere that acts as a shield against the UV radiation. However, the ozone role as a protector changes the closer it gets to the Earth’s surface. At ground level, ozone participates in the formation of smog, which is aggravated by the sunlight and certain chemicals, for instance those of vehicle and industrial emissions. Ground-level ozone is damaging to lungs and is currently causing major concern throughout the European Union.

Alongside the air quality indicators, ultraviolet (UV) radiation is measured and forecasted by CAMS and reported by Riga airTEXT by taking into consideration the levels and effects of ozone, clouds and Particulate Matter. UV-light from the sun is essential for our bodies as they contribute to the production of Vitamin D, yet overexposure to UV rays is dangerous for health – it is closely associated with skin cancer, accelerated skin ageing and adverse effect on our eyes and immune system.

Riga airTEXT also provides daily forecasts about birch and grass pollen – a common allergen affecting 10-20% of the population in Europe. The pollen seasons triggers an allergic response with sensitive people. Even though pollen-induced allergies are seasonal, they can cause permanent effects. For instance, a long-term study (Settipane et al, 1994) showed that allergic rhinitis, a common form of pollen allergy, can develop into chronic asthma.

Riga airTEXT, a prime example of how the CAMS services can be used to support citizens and local authorities

Riga airTEXT is a step forward for public health care in the Latvian capital. Therefore, national authorities encourage the residents and visitors of Riga to use the Riga airTEXT forecasts, for example, to plan their trips outdoors.

“Air quality management is one of key priorities of the environmental protection policy in Latvia and the EU. The provision of information on air quality to the citizens, including alerts on possible short-term pollution accidents, is an important element of this policy. Riga airTEXT is a good way to show that air quality is not only policy documents, legal acts and scientific reports, but a vital factor in our everyday life, which often is taken for granted, while having significant impact of human health. Now Riga citizens will have access to important air quality data presented in a modern and user-friendly manner.” says Alda Ozola, Deputy State Secretary of Latvian Ministry of Environmental and Regional Development at the inauguration of the new service.

Riga airTEXT is yet another showcase of the application areas of the Copernicus Services for public good, business ideas and international cooperation. Richard Engelen, Deputy Head of CAMS stated: “The Riga airTEXT service is a prime example of how the CAMS services can be used to support local citizens. Small and Medium-sized enterprises using the data for new services at country and city-level is key to the success of the Copernicus programme.”

Riga airTEXT was developed and is operated by the Cambridge Environmental Research Consultants (CERC) Ltd, a British environmental consultancy and SIA Estonian, Lithuanian and Latvian Environment (ELLE), a local SME, in partnership with the Municipality of Riga and the Ministry of the Environment and Regional Development. The service was created following the airTEXT initial prototype, which provides forecasts for the regions of Greater London. The Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) funded the development phase and the 2-year market trial phase of Riga airTEXT. The results of these two phases are available in the Public Final Report.

KSAT, Norut, and PPO.labs have entered a strategic partnership to establish operational services of spaceborne radar technology to provide ground motion monitoring services.

Analysis of Copernicus Sentinel-1 radar data (Feb 2015 – Nov 2016) show ground displacement of the San Francisco Bay Area, with millimetric accuracy. A number of hot spots are clearly observed, including subsidence of reclaimed land in San Rafael Bay, just north of San Francisco. [Credit: Norut/PPO.labs]

The Earth Observation business is going through a rapid change. As space based monitoring data is becoming easily accessible worldwide, the need for a robust yet scalable service providing
national or even continental scale products, emerges across many sectors.

There is a high demand for reliable space based ground monitoring services. Stakeholders and applications are very diverse: from urban planning applications in the context of modern smart cities, to governments trying to identify critical areas prone to subsidence or natural hazards.

With this partnership, we aim to contribute to the global trend in commoditization of Earth Observation data. KSAT-GMS will ofer a unique service to our customers worldwide, specifcally tailored for ground deformation monitoring applications.

KSAT Ground Monitoring Services (KSAT-GMS): Global, Scalable, Reliable

Tackling the challenges of operational ground motion mapping requires a multidisciplinary approach and experience to cover the entire lifecycle of the service, from satellite data retrieval to
added value products.

KSAT-GMS partners are key players in the EO market with a well-established track-record and decades of experience. This partnership stems from an already ongoing cooperation in strategic
projects, in which unique know-how and services are being developed by partners for selected global players.

KSAT is an industry leader in maritime time-critical earth observation services performed with multimission SAR satellites and runs a global network of downlink stations that enable Near-Real-Time deliveries. Together with expertise of Norut in applied EO research and development, combined with PPO.labs as a highly specialized provider of interferometric methods and services, this partnership aims at ofering full operational capability and scalability in order to respond both to local and supra-national ground monitoring needs.

This partnership is uniquely positioned to capture growth in the global market demand for operational ground deformation monitoring services.

Staying ahead in the ground motion monitoring business

Jan Petter Pedersen, KSAT Vice President, noted that: “During discussions with our customers, frequently the following questions would come-up: How can we complement our maritime services
with ground monitoring products? And if so, can such a product be fexible, scalable, and reliable to meet our current and future needs? With this partnership we are confdent we are able to address these questions.”

Norut’s research director for earth observation, Kjell Arild Høgda, said: “As research institute, we are at the point where further scaling up from our current Research & Development status to more efcient use of data from European Commission Copernicus programme requires additional investment. We see this partnership as a great way to make more efcient the path from successful
R&D results to operational use. And this is only the start.”

“This is a tremendous opportunity for us to extend our reach globally to new clients of all sizes”?? said Petar Marinkovic, Founder and Chief Scientist at PPO.Labs. ??“We are excited to partner with KSAT and Norut to bring our products and technology to another level, and contribute towards making
spaceborne deformation mapping a commodity tool.”

Press contacts

For all inquiries and further information, please contact:
Carles Debart – Project development KSAT-GMS
carlesd@ksat.no
+47 77661325

Nina Soleng – Marketing Director KSAT
nina@ksat.no
+47 77600277

On 15th February 2018, NEREUS together with Bremen Region, and GIZ. hosted a Working Breakfast Meeting aiming at presenting the project “Space for Development: What can Earth Observation do for Benin and Togo?” and facilitating the encounter with NEREUS members active in the field of Earth Observation, African embassies, and other stakeholder associations such as EARSC.

The African delegation, composed of experts working in research centers and public administrations from Togo and Benin, visited our office on 16th February where Ariane presented the different activities of our association, with a specific focus on Africa. More information

April 2018
Start Date End Date Name Locality Country
April 3, 2018 April 5, 2018 Space 2.0 Summit San Jose, CA USA
April 3, 2018 April 8, 2018 FIDAE 2018 Santiago,Chile
April 6, 2018 April 8, 2018 Climate Show 2018 Geneva Switzerland
April 8, 2018 April 13, 2018 European Geosciences Union General Assembly 2018 Vienna Austria
April 9, 2018 April 11, 2018 CAPIGI conference Amersfoort Netherlands
April 9, 2018 April 20, 2018 COPUOS Legal Subcommittee
April 10, 2018 April 12, 2018 Commercial UAV News – Commercial UAV Expo Europe Amsterdam Netherlands
April 10, 2018 April 11, 2018 ENGAGE 2018 London United Kingdom
April 17, 2018 April 19, 2018 7th Digital Earth Summit (DES-2018) El Jadida Morocco
April 17, 2018 April 19, 2018 2018 GIS for a Sustainable World Conference Geneva Switzerland
April 18, 2018 April 19, 2018 EARTH OBSERVATION & COPERNICUS TECHNOLOGIES AND SOLUTIONS FOR USER APPLICATIONS Bochum Germany
April 18, 2018 April 19, 2018 EO & Copernicus Technologies Workshop Bochum Germany
April 18, 2018 ⏶ Space-based services for regional strategies in the digital economy: a Balkan perspective Sofia Bulgaria
April 18, 2018 April 19, 2018 Regional Seminar of the European Space Agency and the Bulgarian Presidency Sofia Bulgaria
April 19, 2018 April 20, 2018 10th International Conference SATELLITE RUSSIA & CIS 2018 Moscow, Russia
April 22, 2018 April 25, 2018 GEOINT 2018 Tampa USA
April 23, 2018 ⏶ Workshop on Copernicus uptake by public authorities Brussels France
April 23, 2018 April 26, 2018 International Review Workshop on Satellite Altimetry Cal/Val Activities and Applications Chania Greece
April 24, 2018 ⏶ BeGeo 2018 Brussels Belgium
April 25, 2018 April 27, 2018 AfriGEOSS Symposium 2018 Libreville, Gabon
May 2018
Start Date End Date Name Locality Country
May 2, 2018 May 5, 2018 ICIEM 2018 Sousse, Tunisia
May 2, 2018 May 4, 2018 3rd GEO Data Providers Workshop Frascati Italy
May 7, 2018 May 10, 2018 SeaSAR 2018 Frascati Italy
May 8, 2018 May 11, 2018 2nd International Doctoral Seminar in field of Geodesy, Geoinformatics and Geospace University of Zagreb Croatia
May 14, 2018 May 16, 2018 Global Space Applications Conference 2018 (GLAC 2018) Punta del Este, Uruguay
May 15, 2018 May 16, 2018 Space Forum 2018 Luxembourg Luxembourg
May 22, 2018 May 24, 2018 OCEAN X SPACE Stavanger Norway
May 22, 2018 May 23, 2018 GEO Business 2018 London United Kingdom
May 24, 2018 ⏶ Global Space Economic Workshop “Space Cybersecurity for Mobility” Brindisi, Apulia Italy
May 28, 2018 May 29, 2018 2nd ItalianWorkshop on Radar and Remote Sensing 2018 Pavia Italy
May 28, 2018 June 1, 2018 SpaceOps 2018 Marseille France
May 29, 2018 May 31, 2018 Land ISR & C2 Battle Management conference London United Kingdom
May 29, 2018 May 31, 2018 PROBA-V Symposium 2018 Belgium

In January 2018, GAF successfully established a Geological Data Management and
Information system (GDMIS) for the Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy & Mining
in Malawi.

A modern and reliable management of geological and mining data is an essential
asset to better understand existing natural resources, recognize mineral potentials,
and attract investments of the extractive industry. The GDMIS project, funded by the
World Bank Group, established such a management and geographic information
system for the Geological Survey Department (GSD) of Malawi. The system is based
on web-technology, allowing the administration and evaluation of non-public data
(Intranet) and the promotion of public data (Internet) to attract potential investors of
the extractive industry. The new website will be published soon – after pending
clearance of some data copyright issues.

Currently, the GSD holds approximately one Terabyte of digital geo-data and digitized
documents. Additional data will be available in the near future from ongoing field
works. The new system is the main tool to publish, archive, manage, evaluate, and
cross-relate the various information layers. In particular, the geographic information
system (GIS) component of the system allows the combined analysis of spatial and
attributive data. This is of major importance for the identification of prospects for
mineral deposits.

GAF, a German technical consultancy company, used its modular and scalable
software GeMinIS (Geological and Mineral Information System,
https://www.gaf.de/content/geminis) to realize this project. GAF proved once more
its capacities in technical consulting for the implementation of complex spatial data
management projects.