25 March 2025

The Role of Charter Project Managers: A Crucial Link in Disaster Response from Space

As the International Charter: Space and Major Disasters celebrates its 25th anniversary, key roles such as the Project Manager continues to be essential in ensuring rapid and appropriate satellite data deployment during natural and man-made disasters. This role coordinates the Charter's resources to ensuring data reaches those who need it most, providing rescue personnel with invaluable information, enabling efficient disaster response worldwide.

One of the important figures behind the success of the Charter are the Project Managers. The Project Managers work is vital in ensuring that satellite data is effectively utilized in response to major disasters worldwide. The Project Manager is also in charge of coordinating the work of the various Value Adders, who help to produce geoinformation products for end users during activations.

Key Responsibilities of the Project Manager:

1. Coordinating Satellite Data Requests:
   The Project Manager ensures rapid mobilization of appropriate satellite resources following a disaster.
    
2. Managing the Data Flow:
   Collaborating with Value Adders, the Project Manager oversees the transformation of the Charter’s satellite data into actionable products and their prompt delivery to end-users.
    
3. Ongoing Support:
   Throughout the activation, the Project Manager maintains clear communication with the Authorized User that triggered the Charter mechanism and the end users, addressing inquiries and clarifying data requirements.
    
4. Post-activation Reporting and Feedback:
   After meeting immediate disaster needs, the Project Manager announces closure of the Charter activation and compiles a comprehensive report, incorporating final user feedback on the Charter mechanism to enhance future response efforts.
    

Impact and Collaboration

The role of the Project Manager involves constant collaboration with space agencies, co-operating bodies, Value Adders, and end users like disaster response teams. Their ability to orchestrate the use of space technology in a timely and effective manner can make a life-saving difference in the aftermath of a disaster. Over the past 25 years, this collaboration has evolved into a streamlined process that continues to provide critical information in some of the most challenging situations.

 

Insights from Project Managers: Simon Plank and Jakrapong Tawala
 

To gain a deeper understanding of the Project Manager's role in action, we spoke with Simon Plank from the German Aerospace Center (DLR), a seasoned Project Manager with the Charter. With years of experience in disaster response, Simon shared his firsthand perspective on how the Charter's resources make a critical difference during a crisis. We also spoke with Jakrapong Tawala from the United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT) office in Bangkok, who has been actively involved in recent activations and brings valuable insights from his work coordinating response efforts.

Simon Plank

Q1: Can you describe a particularly challenging disaster activation you managed and how the Charter’s resources helped address it?

A: One of the most challenging activations I managed was in January 2021 when tropical cyclone Eloise hit Mozambique and Eswatini. The cyclone not only caused direct damage but also triggered widespread flooding and landslides. The fast provision of different types of satellite data enabled us to solve the challenge of this cascading disaster. This highlights how the Charter’s ability to quickly mobilize satellite resources can provide critical insights during complex, multi-faceted disasters.

Q2. How has your role as a Project Manager evolved with the advancements in satellite technology over the years?

A: I noted how satellite technology has evolved over the years, particularly with the addition of high-resolution satellite missions. The increasing availability of optical and SAR Very High Resolution (VHR) satellite missions was a major step forward, especially for rapid damage mapping after disasters. The ability to assess affected areas in great detail has made a huge impact on rescue and relief efforts on the ground, providing essential information to first responders.

Q3: What do you believe is the most significant impact the Charter has had on disaster response in your experience?

A: I emphasize its speed and scope. Due to its virtual constellation of several hundreds of satellites, the Charter is able to provide very quickly an overview of the most affected areas, the grade of damage, and the accessibility of these areas. This capability allows rescue teams to quickly identify which roads and bridges remain intact and accessible, significantly improving the efficiency of response efforts.

Jakrapong Tawala

Q1: What inspired you to become involved with the Charter, and what keeps you committed?

A: I have been working with the United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT) since 2019, in UNOSAT’s Rapid Mapping team based in Bangkok office. Our main objective is to provide timely and accurate geospatial analysis and satellite imagery analysis to support responses to natural disasters, humanitarian crises, and complex emergencies globally.

During this time, I was introduced to one of our key mechanisms for emergency response, the International Charter: Space and Major Disasters. I began getting involved with the Charter by serving as the Value Adder and continued learning how the Charter's mechanism works. Then after a year, I was nominated as the Project Manager. The Charter’s goal of providing timely, free access to critical information for disaster-affected areas is both inspiring and aligns perfectly with my work and my desire to apply my knowledge to benefit society over the past six years with UNOSAT.

Q2: Can you describe a particularly challenging disaster activation you managed and how the Charter’s resources helped address it?

A: One of the most challenging disaster responses I worked on was during the multiple tropical storms that affected the Philippines in 2024 (Activation 923 and 930). They caused heavy flooding and damage to buildings. Many communities were affected, and there were serious concerns about the flood and strong winds. However, timely satellite images from the Charter helped us overcome these challenges. By using radar and optical sensors, we quickly mapped the flooded areas, found the affected zones, and assessed the damage to help both international and local agencies.

One example was using radar images to track floodwaters in real-time, even with heavy clouds, and optical images to spot damaged buildings and roads. This helped authorities focus their relief efforts. The Charter’s platform allowed experts from different agencies to work together as Value Adders using GDACS Satellite Mapping Coordination Activity CS) to keep updating the analysis area and progress. Meanwhile, through the Charter Mapper platform, analysis began immediately after satellite images were uploaded, ensuring local responders got accurate data quickly for coordinated relief efforts.

Q3: How has your role as a Project Manager evolved with the advancements in satellite technology over the years?

A: Over the years, improvements in satellite technology have greatly changed my role as a Project Manager within the Charter. At first, my focus was mainly on coordinating access to a limited number of satellite resources and ensuring the data met user needs. The increasing resolution and variety of satellite images have allowed for more detailed and useful insights, helping me manage more complex disaster situations. For example, with radar and night-time light sensors, I can now provide crucial data regardless of weather or time of day, which was difficult in the past. Additionally, advancements in data processing, like artificial intelligence and machine learning, have made it easier to analyze large datasets quickly. Now, my role includes incorporating these innovations into disaster response strategies, making sure we deliver not just maps but actionable intelligence.

Q4: What do you believe is the most significant impact the Charter has had on disaster response in your experience?

A: The International Charter has an impact on the response to disasters by providing critical satellite images and analytic geospatial data accessible to a broad community of users. It provides free, fast, and coordinated access to data during crises, helping responders from national agencies, humanitarian aid groups, to make decisions that may help to save lives and reduce the impact of the disaster. The Charter also helps bridge the gap between advanced technology and real-world needs. For example, in disasters like flooding, landslides, or earthquakes, it lets responders quickly assess the damage, find affected areas, and focus relief efforts where they’re most needed. The Charter’s ability to bring together space agencies and organizations also shows how working together on a global level can tackle disasters that cross borders.

Q5: How do you think the Charter has evolved to meet the changing needs of disaster management?

A: The Charter has greatly evolved over the years to keep up with changes in disaster emergency response. What started as a provider of basic satellite imagery has become a powerful system delivering tailored geospatial data, actionable insights, and near real-time support. This growth reflects the increasing complexity of global challenges like climate change, urbanization, and human conflict. One major development has been the integration of different satellite technologies. The Charter now provides a variety of sensors, such as high-resolution optical imagery, radar, and thermal sensors, to cover more disaster scenarios. Another shift is in data accessibility and processing. The Charter Mapper platform has improved, allowing for faster and more accurate insights. This has boosted the Charter’s ability to quickly generate maps and damage assessments, supporting decision-making during emergencies. The Charter has also expanded its collaboration with a wider range of agencies and stakeholders, ensuring local needs are better understood and met, and promoting knowledge sharing globally. Additionally, training programs have helped Project Managers and Value Adders better use the Charter Mapper for satellite data analysis, broadening the Charter's impact beyond immediate responses.

Q6: What is one lesson you’ve learned through your work with the Charter that you think is crucial for others to know?

A: One important lesson I’ve learned from working with the Charter is the power of collaboration and communication in disaster response. No matter how advanced the technology or detailed the satellite imagery, its impact depends on how well teams work together. This includes smooth coordination between the Charter secretariat team, Project Manager, Value Adders, space agencies, and users to turn data into actionable solutions. Disaster response is always urgent, and making sure the right information reaches the right people at the right time is crucial. I’ve seen how early and clear communication—like providing local authorities with flood maps or working with humanitarian groups to locate and assess damage—can turn chaos into a well-organized response. It's also vital to build trust and understanding between technical experts and end-users. Simplifying complex geospatial data into clear formats helps those on the ground act quickly and confidently. This lesson shows that disaster management is not just about technology, but about people, partnerships, and a shared goal. By strengthening collaboration and communication, we can make sure life-saving information is used to reduce impacts and support recovery.

Q7: What do you envision for the future of the Charter in the next 25 years?

A: Over the next 25 years, I hope to see the Charter becoming a central mechanism of global disaster management. With advancements in technology and stronger international cooperation, it will help build resilience and address the impacts of climate change. The Charter will use new satellite technologies, including communication, high-resolution sensors and small satellite constellations. These improvements will provide faster and more detailed data, making disaster responses more effective and timelier. Artificial intelligence and machine learning will also play a bigger role. These technologies will help the Charter move from reacting to disasters to predicting them, helping communities prepare before crises happen. The Charter will also focus on empowering local communities by providing tools and training to better understand and use satellite data. Stronger partnerships with governments, NGOs, and other organizations will create a more united and effective approach to managing disasters. It will also become more accessible to people in remote areas, ensuring that vulnerable communities benefit from satellite data and geospatial technology.

 

Looking Ahead: Evolving Technologies and the Future of Disaster Response As satellite capabilities continue to advance, the role of the Project Manager is set to become even more crucial in the future of disaster response. Looking at space segments involved with the virtual constellation of the International Charter, more EO missions and more types of sensors are newly available and planned. Looking at the associated ground segments and the growth of geospatial data infrastructures, technology is progressing to deliver data with improved response times. New on-line processing environments enable seamless access to diverse collections of co-located data from different satellite operators. The Charter Mapper, the on-line Earth observation satellite data processing platform of the Charter is available to Project Managers and Value Adders. This cloud-based environment is operationally fed with all the data provided to Charter activations, which can be viewed in full resolution, allowing for fast screening without the need to download unnecessary data. Processing services such as flood mapping, burned area mapping, DInSAR, and Change detection are currently available, with new services added periodically. The environment allows users to save and share data packages and processing results, enhancing the collaborative activity between the project managers and value adders. Processing services that transform data into information are likely to continue to advance throughout the disaster response space. The technological advancement continuously sought by members of the International Charter and the close collaboration with EO practitioners and users from the international humanitarian community, such as with Sentinel Asia, the Copernicus EMS, and the satellite mapping teams of the United Nations, etc., follow the strategy to maximize the impact and benefit of space technology for disaster response. With improved data processing, higher-resolution imagery, and the expansion of the Charter’s satellite constellation, the potential for saving lives and enhancing crisis management will only grow stronger in the years to come.