Turning Data into Action: The Value Adders' Expertise
The International Charter: Space and Major Disasters provides rapid information from satellite data for disaster response to be used by relief organizations in case of major disasters worldwide. The workflow and availability of satellite data and their products are overseen by Project Managers (PM) with the help of Value Adders (VA), who are responsible for crafting and processing satellite data into useful information for disaster response.
In the past, Value Adding was performed by the PM, in addition to the majority of tasks required during a Charter activation. Over time, the amount of data made available to the Charter grew to such an extent that the PMs now spend much of their time reviewing and coordinating delivery of large quantities of data. This necessitated the creation of a dedicated Value Adder role to support the PM.
In order to deliver Value Added Products in accordance with End User (EU) and PM specifications, the VA plays a very important role focusing on specific regions and disaster types. To fulfill this assignment, the VA selects appropriate satellite images provided by member agencies and data contributors. They apply relevant algorithms to these images to extract valuable disaster-related information in an appropriate format to be used by the EU.
The VAP production cycle is focused on efficiently providing information. The EU requests locations they would like to see imaged and the PM assigns the available Value Adders to cover the different locations. From that point on, each VA investigates available pre and post disaster images appropriate to the geographic scale and disaster type.
With the support of adequate image processing tools and their own Geoprocessing Analysis knowledge, Value Adders combine information to highlight how the areas were impacted by an ongoing disaster, by delineating infrastructures or regions severely affected. Some part of this work is usually conducted on a VA´s preferred Geoprocessing platform. More recently, the Charter started to offer its own Value Adding production platform named the Charter Mapper, which contains well-known algorithms to enhance, extract and derive rich useful information from satellite images.
Although the VA ideally has some knowledge of the affected areas, most of the time that is not possible, and the VAs must rely on their expertise and previous experience. For Dafherlym Briceño, an experienced VA from ABAE: "It may be that the affected area is not known personally, however, when a satellite image is observed, analyzed and interpreted, it is as if we were in the affected place. We can see the affected area through satellite images so, with the expertise and professional experience in analyzing and interpreting satellite images, we can measure the degree of affectation by the event that occurred". And she continues, addressing some of her roles while analysing data: "It is also very helpful comparing and analysing pre and post event images from the affected area in order to develop an impact analysis based on the spatial changes of the territory".
For Dafherlym, the availability of images and criteria such as spatial resolution and the sensor type are very important in deciding on the product they will create. "If the End User requires a specific spatial resolution to be able to observe the impact of the area, the availability of satellite images shared by all members of the Charter who were activated for the call is evaluated. In the event that satellite images are available with the spatial resolution required by the End User, Value-Added products are generated for the End User".
Throughout the work of investigating and producing relevant disaster related material, the event and its consequences can significantly improve Value Adder's skills, but also their sensitivity due to all the impacts generated. These personnel are committed to delivering useful products to the end users, and they also feel a personnel engagement in their work. Alexandre Homem de Mello, PM and VA from INPE, Brazil, describes this feeling as: "An opportunity to volunteer and put our granted knowledge in people's real life critical demands". As a geographer, Msc. in Remote Sensing and a GIS specialist, he conceives the role of VA as an incredible asset to his personal and professional life, which every computer based student should perform in his life: "The Earth System is rapidly responding to our changing habits, and we must respond to it accordingly".
The contributions of Value Adders go far beyond technical analysis—they represent a bridge between complex satellite data and life-saving action on the ground. Their ability to quickly transform raw imagery into accessible, actionable information is essential in disaster scenarios where time and clarity are of the essence. With each activation, these professionals not only sharpen their expertise but also reaffirm their commitment to humanitarian aid and global solidarity. As the Charter continues to evolve and respond to increasing environmental challenges, the role of the Value Adder remains a cornerstone of its mission—turning data into action when the world needs it most.