Francesco GAETANI
Scientific Officer
GEO Group on Earth Observations
Switzerland

Biography
Francesco Gaetani is Scientific and Technical Officer at the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) Secretariat in Geneva.After graduating in Civil Environmental Engineering (MSc) from the University of Genova, he gained a PhD in Automatics and Computer Sciences at the Politecnico di Torino in 2003.His most recent research concerned the development of integrated systems for Early Warning and resource relocation for flooding and wildfire risks.

Abstract
Using Earth Observations to Enhance Disaster Risk Reduction and Management

Earth observations and information, derived both from space and surface networks, have demonstrated not only their maturity, but a critical role in supporting first responders and risk managers by providing effective tools to rapidly map damages and impacts during rescue operations. GEO through its 150 partners comprised of 90 Governments, UN Organizations including UNISDR, and scientific associations, is working to expand the use of satellite imagery and surface data for managing risks posed by fires, floods, earthquakes and other hazards.Crisis management faced by governments due to high-frequency natural and human-induced extreme events requires Earth observation capacities that generally cannot be provided by one country alone; effective response requires regional/international collaboration and coordination. The Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) represents the collective effort of hundreds of governments and organizations, and thousands of individuals to monitor the Earth system, share and exchange Earth system data, and deliver useful information to society. GEOSS has enabled many countries to access information and thereby provide essential services to address challenges which otherwise would not have been met. GEO is promoting broad open data policies and practices, real-time data-sharing, and standardized procedures and practices in general, and specifically for tsunami hazard assessments. GEO is developing a globally-coordinated warning system for wildland fires to improve prediction and emergency response at the local, national and regional levels.
The GEO Community is developing decision-support tools and applications for the full cycle of natural-disaster management, particularly for developing countries. Space agencies through the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) -- the space coordination arm of GEO -- have created a Disaster Working Group to help improve disaster risk management (DRM) on a global basis, for all phases of disaster management.