Authorized User Success Stories: New Zealand
The International Charter: Space and Major Disasters (the Charter) has made satellite data available for disaster response since 2000. In 2012, the Charter opened its doors even wider with the “Universal Access” (UA) initiative, adopted to give non-Charter member countries the opportunity to register to become Authorized Users (AUs). This has further strengthened the Charter’s contribution to disaster management worldwide by allowing mandated disaster response organizations to submit emergency observation requests after completing a training and approval process. Currently, the number of the Charter’s “Authorized Users” integrated under the UA scheme has reached 58. Charter activation requests received directly from Authorized Users have increased significantly since 2012, a positive effect of this initiative, meaning that more and more countries are able to access the Charter independently.
Some Authorized Users not only request emergency observations over their own territory but also contribute to Charter activities by requesting Charter activations on behalf of neighboring countries who do not have a Charter AU. New Zealand is among these countries and plays an important role in disaster management in the pacific region. New Zealand has activated the Charter twice for Papua New Guinea, once in 2024 and once in 2026.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) is the government lead for emergency management in New Zealand and holds a national mandate to coordinate emergency response measures under the Ministry for Emergency Management. NEMA is also the lead agency for natural hazards, including severe weather, floods, earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions. NEMA applied to be an AU at the end of 2023 and was approved as an Authorized User under the UA scheme in 2024 after completing the standard Authorized User training and simulation exercise. NEMA has also participated in several AU refresher training courses in 2025 and 2026 and has provided valuable insight to the Charter regarding the overall user experience.
NEMA’s first time activating the Charter for a disaster on their own territory was on July 12, 2025, after heavy rainfall caused severe flooding across the Nelson Tasman region, on the northern tip of the South Island of New Zealand. Approximately 800 homes were damaged, and more than 3,000 people were left without electricity. The flooding also severely impacted infrastructure. Fifty roads were temporarily closed, and a water tanker was deployed in Kaiteriteri after a pipeline break cut off the community’s water supply.
During this activation, Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) acted as the Project Manager, coordinating the data flow and defining the areas of interest for crisis image acquisition. ACRI-ST acted as the Project Manager deputy, guiding the New Zealand response team through their first Charter activation by providing support on the Charter operating system and various tools. Value added products were generated by SERTIT and ACRI-ST in France, and the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center in the UAE. These value-added products consisted of flood maps generated through the processing of radar data, as well as impact assessment maps generated from visual inspection of very high-resolution optical data.
Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) is New Zealand’s government lead agency for property and location information, Crown property and overseas investment regulation. In the context of disasters, LINZ plays an important role in helping New Zealand response agencies access reliable location-based information during emergencies. The country is highly exposed to natural hazards including earthquakes, volcanic activity, landslides, flooding, coastal hazards and severe storms, making timely geospatial data essential for situational awareness, damage assessment and recovery planning. LINZ provides geospatial support to response agencies during emergencies, including access to imagery, LiDAR, maps and other data through its emergency geospatial support function.
LINZ’s involvement in the International Charter strengthens New Zealand’s ability to rapidly access satellite imagery and space-based information when major disasters occur. By linking national emergency management needs with the Charter’s international network of satellite operators and value-adding partners, LINZ can help ensure that decision-makers in New Zealand receive timely, trusted geospatial information to support response and recovery operations. Its Māori name, Toitū Te Whenua — “the land remains” — reflects a long-term responsibility to care for the land and support the communities that depend on it.
NEMA also activates the Charter on behalf of other countries in the region. The most recent example was an activation for flooding and landslides in Papua New Guinea in April 2026. This activation was on behalf of the National Disaster Centre of Papua New Guinea, after Cyclone Maila swept through the Solomon Sea with Category 5 winds reaching up to 300 km/h before weakening as it moved into Papua New Guinea. The storm triggered widespread flooding, landslides, and infrastructure collapse. Entire villages were destroyed in both coastal and inland areas, with homes swept away by floodwaters or buried under mud.
“We received positive feedback from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) regarding the speed at which we were able to activate support. The simplified COS-2 platform played a key role in this, enabling us to submit the request quickly and efficiently.” – Jennifer Fernandez, Senior Advisor Application Management – Operational Systems NEMA New Zealand
As of May 2026, NEMA has requested a total of 10 Charter activations and has become a key partner of the Charter concerning disaster events in the Pacific region. Out of the 5 events so far in 2026, 73 value added products have been shared with New Zealand response agencies via the Charter. The Charter continues to make strides in ensuring as many countries as possible are aware of and can access the Charter to aid in their emergency response. These outreach and capacity building activities are supported by the existing Authorized Users, the Charter members, and the Charter Cooperating Bodies: The UN and Sentinel Asia.