Fourth Training Workshop under the BulgaRisk Project

10.2008

On the 8th and 9th of October 2008 in Hall 1 at the SAITC, the forth of the training workshop series related to the Bulgarian-French project BulgaRisk on the topic “Integration of satellite imageries in the operational procedures of hazard management in Bulgaria” was held. Besides the methods for simultaneous analysis of data of various sources, the participants get to know the technology for location determination GPS and its use in a GIS environment with a KOMPSat-2 satellite imagery at the background for mapping and collection of data during a field survey.

Guest lector was Mr. Bernard Allenbach – an expert of SERTIT, France. The exercises were carried out together with experts from ReSAC, which granted their Differential GPS units for the demonstration of the difference in the precision of the measurements collected by professional as opposed to the popular navigational GPS receivers.

The participants-trainees were experts of the SFA, ACO at the MES, SAITC, NFSCPS at the MoIn, NIMH/BAS, IO/BAS, BD-Pleven at the MEW, MSAAR.

Visit of National Experts to France under the BulgaRisk Project Frame

09.2008

Ten experts from the state administration, regional structures as well as from scientific organizations were sent under the BulgaRisk project frame to France from 22nd to 26th of Sept. 2008. More specifically these were members of ReSAC, Port Burgas, SFA, BD-Pleven at the MEW, MSAAR - "e-Government", MoIn - NFSCPS, SAITC and ACO at the MES. The purpose of this business trip was to visit the offices of SPOT Image, EADS Astrium — Intespace, INFOTERRA, CLS, SERTIT, and DDSC at the French MoIn, and to familiarize with their experience in satellite data processing - from the construction of the space devices, trough image processing, together with continuously received traditional measurements on the ground, to end up with decision making in any stage of the risk management cycle.

Software solutions and EO data processing techniques for not only VHR optical but for radar imageries too were shown when applicable. Experts from Bulgaria were able to see, as a result of a well working legal system, the top performance of the French specialist during decision making for critical situations. The entire visit was documented on a movie dedicated to the BulgaRisk project.

The Blasts at the Military Unit Near Chelopechene

07.2008

The main objectives of the Bulgarian-French project BulgaRisk are related to the risk management and the accurate assessment of the losses consequent upon natural hazards and man-made disasters. Besides the analysis of historical events, the project has an aim to show the effectiveness of the initiative in real time as fast and effective tool for action planning and decision making in crisis situations.

In accordance, a monitoring on the situation following the explosions in the military unit 18 250 near Sofia's housing estate Chelopechene was carried out. The critical situation occurred on 3rd July when a series of blasts concluded in many mostly material losses and the closure of the capital's international airport. a generalized preliminary assessment of the losses was made through change detection on a pair of images with very high spatial resolution.

The historic imagery was IKONOS 1m archive and the new acquisition was a product of FOMOSAT-2 with a pixel resolution of 2m. The later was requested only 3 hours behind the first blasts and delivered only few hours after the acquisition made by SPOT IMAGE of 8 July 2008, and which revealed the actual status following the incident.

The imageries and the information were delivered to SAITC and ASDE, as the main beneficiaries of the project BulgaRisk, while the assignment was elaborated by ReSAC with satellite data courtesy by SPOT Image.

ReSAC Participation in BALWOIS 2008

05.2008

The Third International Scientific Conference BALWOIS 2008 was held in Ohrid, 27, 31 May 2008, Hotel Bellevue.

The general aim of the BALWOIS Project is to create a community of major stakeholders in the field of water protection and water management involving scientists, private sector, experts, NGO's, decision makers and broader public around the Balkans.

BALWOIS 2008 was organised by IB2E, METEO MAK, Hydrobiological Institute of Ohrid, Faculty of Civil Engineering at the "Sts. Cyril & Methodius" University in Skopje, University "St. Kliment Ohridski" - Bitola, the Hydrometeorological Service of Macedonia, and the Remote Sensing Application Centre (ReSAC, Bulgaria) under the patronage of the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning of the Republic of Macedonia and of the French Ambassador in Skopje.

ReSAC was one of the sponsors of the conference together with SPOT Image, who both participated as exhibitors of their services and products. ReSAC's experts presented a report on the topic "Remote Sensing for the purposes of the Integrated Water Resources Management: Examples from Bulgaria". Further, a joint workshop of ReSAC and SPOT Image was held with the thematic titles “From Satellite Data Distribution to Application Provision, Education and Consultation” and “Study for the integration of satellite imagery in the operational procedures of risk management in Bulgaria”.

2nd Training Workshop under the BulgaRisk Project

04.2008

On the 23-th and 24-th of April 2008 in Hall 1 at the SAITC, the second of the training workshop series related to the Bulgarian-French project BULGARISK – “Integration of satellite imageries in the operational procedures of hazard management in Bulgaria” was held. The certificates to participants from the first training workshop were awarded by Mrs. Ljudmila Milenova, Director of ReSAC.

The leader of the project is SPOT Image – France and the beneficiaries are SAITC and ASDE. The lecturers were experts of SERTIT and SPOT Image. The exercises were supervised by experts of ReSAC.

The main topics discussed during the training workshop were digital image processing for information extraction, classical image classification-segmentation methods, water signature, permanent water identification with optical sensors, water and moisture signature with radar sensors, water bodies survey with EO data from normal to crisis (flood) situation, vegetation, storms and fire, man-made bodies and earthquakes etc.

The participants-trainees were experts of the SFA, CASM at MES, NFSPPS at MInA, NIMH/BAS, IO/BAS, Basin Directorate – Pleven at the Ministry of Environment and Water, MSAAR.

Workshop Training Course by the Bulgarian-French Project BulgaRisk

03.2008

On the 6th and 7th of March 2008 in Hall 1 at the SAITC, the first of the training workshop series related to the Bulgarian-French project BULGARISK – “Integration of satellite imageries in the operational procedures of hazard management in Bulgaria” was held. The workshop was opened by Mr.Petar Iliev – Director of the Network Integration and Planning Directorate. The leader of the project is SPOT IMAGE – France and the beneficiaries are SAITC and ASDE. The lectures and exercises were prepared and presented by specialists from ReSAC and the French company SERTIT, which are one of the major project executors.

The main topics discussed during the training workshop were: remote sensing, GIS technologies, image processing, including radar data for natural hazard risk assessment, such as forest fires, floods etc.

The participants were experts of the State Forestry Agency, CASO at MSPDA, NFSPPS at MInA, NIMH/BAS, IO/BAS, Municipality of Rousse and Basin Directorate – Pleven at the Ministry of Environment and Water.

The agenda of the training workshop is available here.