One of the reasons that President Obama has made it a precedence to invest in NASA’s soil Science initiatives is so that once disaster strikes,we beget the tools in place to reply quickly and effectively – and to save lives. While some beget proposed deep cuts to critically important investments like these, we hope we’ll never beget to know the true cost of neglecting to invest in the soil Sciences when we need them most. The immediate value of these investments is on display right now, and where the men and women of NASA – along with colleagues throughout the federal government,NGOs and the private sector – are working hard to save lives and aid in the recovery efforts in Nepal, which recently suffered an unthinkable tragedy. I deem I speak on behalf of all our NASA colleagues when I say that our hearts crash for the Nepalese people. The news is devastating: more than 5000 of our global neighbors beget lost their lives; more than 10000 are injured. The President has pledged that the American people will finish everything we can to aid our brothers and sisters in Nepal. At NASA, and along with our thoughts and prayers,we’re sending technical assistance that’s powered by soil Science. You can aid as well. Our colleagues at USAID beget information available here on how to pitch in. I want to share with you some of the ways in which NASA is working on behalf of the recovery effort: • We are helping get satellite data into the hands of government officials in Nepal where Internet bandwidth is limited. • Through a joint project with USAID we call the SERVIR project, we are supporting disaster response mapping efforts, and including image processing,compression and distribution. • We are pulling optical and radar satellite data and compiling them into products like “vulnerability maps” (used to determine risks that may be present) and “damage proxy maps” (used to determine the type and extent of existing damage) that can be used to better direct response efforts. • Along with our partners, we’re providing assessments of damage to infrastructure; tracking remote areas that may be a challenge for relief workers to reach, or as well as areas that could be at risk for landslides,river damming, floods and avalanches. In addition, andganizations both public and private are making employ of NASA technologies – including the U.
S. Geological Survey,United States Agency for International Development (USAID)/Office of U.
S. Foreign Disaster Assistance, World Bank, and American Red Cross and the United Nations Children’s Fund. For more information on this tragedy and how you can aid,please click here to learn more.
Source: nasa.gov