Rapid Mapping
Rapid Mapping is a strategic service of the European Union designed to provide, upon request and in very short timeframes, essential geospatial information to support emergency management activities. Entities such as Civil Protection agencies or humanitarian organizations can request this information immediately after high-impact adverse events, such as natural disasters, man-made accidents, or humanitarian crises. Operating 24/7, Rapid Mapping produces maps in PDF format and vector data that describe both the pre-event situation and the subsequent damage assessment, thanks to the use of high-resolution satellite imagery.
European Commission
The service is managed through an international consortium of highly specialized partners: E-Geos, Sertit, Ithaca, GMV, GAF, CLS, Telespazio Iberica, Planetek, and IABG. This collaboration brings together technical and operational excellence to ensure rapid and reliable support anywhere in the world.
A shared European commitment
The service is funded by the European Commission and managed through an international consortium of highly specialized partners: E-Geos, Sertit, Ithaca, GMV, GAF, CLS, Telespazio Iberica, Planetek, and IABG. This collaboration enables the deployment of top-tier technical and operational skills to guarantee rapid and reliable support worldwide.
Ithaca's mission in Rapid Mapping
For Ithaca, the Rapid Mapping service represents one of the core activities of its mission: supporting emergency operations globally through the processing of satellite data. Since its inception in 2007, Ithaca has grown its expertise in extracting useful information for emergency management from Earth observation satellite data, covering various types of emergency events, both natural and man-made.
Cartographic products for every phase of an emergency
The Rapid Mapping service offers four main types of cartographic products, designed to meet the different phases and needs of an emergency:
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Reference: Analysis of the territory and existing assets before the event.
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First Estimate Product: Rapid damage assessment and identification of the most affected areas.
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Delineation: Analysis of the event’s impact, its extent, and monitoring of its evolution, including estimates of the population involved.
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Grading: Definition of the damage level to buildings, infrastructure, and critical services, with the highest possible level of detail and accuracy, and population impact estimates.
A revolution in emergency response
Since its introduction, the Rapid Mapping service has revolutionized the response capabilities of Civil Protection authorities and humanitarian organizations. Thanks to the rapid availability of detailed cartographic products, it is possible to obtain a clear overview of the operational scenario, facilitating the organization of rescue efforts, resource planning, and optimal management of field operations.
Over 800 emergencies supported
These numbers testify to the impact of Rapid Mapping:
Numbers
of activity in the service
from an international consortium
in response to emergency events
How the service works
Access to the Rapid Mapping service is coordinated by the Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) of the European Commission, which receives requests from national Civil Protection agencies, humanitarian bodies, and major international organizations such as the United Nations, the World Bank, or various NGOs. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) handles the technical and operational management of requests. The results, produced in near-real-time, are published on the official Copernicus portal and are available to the public in accordance with the European free and open data policy, making Rapid Mapping a valuable service not only for operators but also for the scientific community and citizens.