Informatics & Disaster Management

➽ What is SPARRSO?

Full form of SPARRSO is Bangladesh Space Research and Remote Sensing Organization. It is a multi-sectoral governmental research organization that is concerned with space technology and remote sensing. It is situated in Agargaon, Sher-e-Bangla Nogor, Dhaka, Bangladesh. It monitor agriculture, climatic condition, hazards, environmental change in different areas of Bangladesh using Japanese and American satellites. Government website of SPARRSO: http://Sparrso.gov.bd

➽ History of Establishment of SPARRSO:

The remote sensing was first initiated for water resource study, forest resource study, cartography and mapping in 1930’s and 1940’s. In 1968, an APT (Automatic Picture Transmission) system was established for synoptic view of cloud formation and for cyclone and flood forecasting in Bangladesh. SPARRSO was established in November 1980 under Science and Technology Division, Cabinet Ministry. Initially Atomic Energy Commission guide and administer the organization. The parliament of Peoples’ Republic of Bangladesh re-organized Bangladesh Space Research and Remote Sensing Organization (SPARRSO) by the enactment of Act.29 1991. It is now an affiliated organization of the Ministry of Defense of Bangladesh.

➽ Objectives of SPARRSO:

SPARRSO is a focal point organization for remote sensing in Bangladesh. It mainly deals with environment, climatology, forestry, agricultural activities, oceanography, geography, urbanization, water resource, land use, weather, cartography etc. It collects, analyzes and disseminates information regarding these sectors and help government and other related organization. As Bangladesh is a disaster prone country, it face tremendous economic, social and environmental losses. Bangladesh is affected by flood, cyclone, tornado, salinity intrusion almost every year. The information provided by SPARRSO regarding these hazard helps to reduce the losses. Government uses these data to provide early warning and forecasting to the vulnerable community. SPARRSO has technical capabilities, trained work force and facilities for receiving, processing, analyzing, aerial photographs and satellite data.

➽Activities of SPARRSO:

SPARRSO apply space and remote sensing technology in environment, climate, weather related sector, water resource, agriculture, forestry, geography, oceanography etc. It conduct research activities for the development and practical application of the technology. It also share information and research result with the government of Bangladesh and different organization. SPARRSO collect and share information about remote sensing technology of other countries with the government of Bangladesh to formulate different policy. It collaborate with different national international organization and conduct training, research and monitor on remote sensing technology.

➽ Divisions of SPARRSO:

There are severaldivisions of SPARRSO:

Atmospheric Division: Monitoring and recording of weather data - rainfall, temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure etc. It provides weather forecasting and early warning. Climate change research, vulnerability assessment, climate change impact assessment are done by SPARRSO.
Agriculture Division: Agricultural planning, soil resources database, soil survey, soil data analysis, characterization, of soil, soil erosion assessment and prediction, climate change impact on agriculture are done by remote sensing.
Agro-hydrometeorology Division: Monitor and investigate the agro-meteorological condition and climate of Bangladesh and plan, implement and report research project.
Forestry Division: Planning and management of forest, forest inventory, climate change impact on forest, forest vegetation change monitoring.
Water Resources Division: Water resources management, watershed analysis, fisheries resources monitoring. Monitoring morphological changes of rivers, navigation and dredging, construction and maintenance of embankments, flood forecasting and management.
Oceanography Division: Application of remote sensing and GIS GNSS technology in coastal, offshore and open sea for exploration of available resources . Acting as the main point for blue economy.
Fisheries Division: Monitoring of water bodies for fisheries development using remote sensing and satellite technology.
Cartography Division: Rendering cartographic assistances for map production in other divisions of SPARRSO and conducting research.
Ground Station Division: Receiving, processing and achieving the satellite data through remote sensing, GIS in the Ground Station of SPARRSO.
Photographic Division: Photographic reproduction and printing of aerial photographs and satellite imagery required for different internal and external use. Scanning photographs making digital archives.
Instrumentation and Data Processing Division: Installation, up-gradation and maintenance of Satellite Ground Station, monitoring network systems, email, Internet and SPARRSO website, maintain wind-receiving station. Provide technical assistance and maintain sound system.
Ground Truth Division: Receiving, processing and achieving the satellite data through Ground Station of SPARRSO. Planning, implementing and reporting of research project.
Geology Division: Monitor geological resources and upcoming hazards using remote sensing and GIS/GNSS.

➽ Ground Stations:

They have two Satellite Ground Station: NOAA AVHRR Ground Station, FY-2E Satellite Ground Station. They have laboratories: Digital Image Processing Laboratory, GIS Laboratory, Cartographic & Photographic Laboratory. They provide web based information dissemination services.

➽ Application of Remote Sensing and Space Technology by SPARRSO:

Natural Resources:

The SPARSSO use remote sensing technology for taking aerial photographs of different resources, plan in the management of resources. Monitor climatic variation and its effect on natural resources. Management and development planning and maintenance of natural resource. They survey on natural resources, conduct research paper and provide information and research result to the government. Monitoring Habitat and ecosystem, wetlands, wildlife, protected areas, National parks and World heritage sites, ecotourism development.

Application on Environment:

Monitoring, modelling and management of land degradation using GIS/GNS. Monitor the atmosphere and collect regular weather data, analyze them, create report and provide it in the website or to the government or other organization. Conduct survey and research on environmental factors, provide research article for policy making of government. Monitoring river and coastal erosion modelling, flood management.

Application on Weather Monitoring:

SPARSSO use remote sensing data to monitor and collect data from atmosphere. Monitor and record weather data - rainfall, temperature, humidity, etc. Analyze the collected data and provide weather and climate report. It also provide weather forecasting and warning to different organization and government. It predict climatic model and helps to make policy of the governmental agency. It is primary tool for the preparedness planning of disaster management.

Land resources and land use planning:

By using GIS and remote sensing it is possible to get the information about land use pattern, vegetation cover, and infrastructural location etc. of a particular area. That can help in land use planning, land inventories, land survey, land use and land cover mapping. GIS maps of urban areas, cities and municipalities helps to make plans and policies, infrastructure development planning, industrial development planning and many other things.

Agriculture:

Crop monitoring is possible by using remote sensing. As Bangladesh is an agricultural country, so here crop monitoring is very important. If properly crop monitoring and climatic conditions data can be collected, it could play a significant role in food security of the country. SPARRSO conducts monitoring of crop and weather in this regard regularly.

Forestry:

Planning and management, forest inventory, afforestation, climate change impact on forests etc data are collected by SPARRSO by using remote sensing. Total map of forest of country can be formed with GIS. SPARRSO monitor mangrove forest change, impact of climate change on forest, other forest situation and condition etc.

Water resources monitoring:

SPARRSO also monitor water resources, changing in water bodies, pollution etc. This helps in water resources management, watershed analysis, fisheries resources development planning, river bank erosion and accretion, monitoring morphological changes and hydrology of rivers, navigation and dredging, construction and maintenance of embankments, flood forecasting and management, water pollution.

➽ Remote Sensing Application in Disaster Monitoring in Bangladesh:

Bangladesh is a disaster prone country. Almost every year different types of disasters like flood, cyclonic storms, tidal surges, droughts, tornadoes, river bank erosion, earthquake, etc. occurred in this country. In conjunction with conventional techniques, space science, remote sensing and GIS methods are also used in disasters. Remote sensing aerial photography is being used in Bangladesh since 1930s and 1940s for cartographic mapping, forest inventory and water resources studies. In 1968 the use of satellite technology started. Since then all the cyclonic storms formed in the Bay of Bengal have been tracked and necessary forecasting and warning through Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) have been issued. Bangladesh Space Research and Remote Sensing Organization (SPARRSO) is the focal point of space and remote sensing activities in the information to BMD for forecasting the devastating floods of 1974, 1987 and 1988 and Cyclones of 1970, 1985, 1991 and 1994. Not only that, SPARRSO is contributing to forecast other disaster like, drought, cyclone, river erosion etc. By monitoring the climatic condition SPARRSO spread information and data to the related organizations. So that they can give early warning, reduce the risk and vulnerability to disaster. Remote sensing and GIS techniques are also being used for resource inventory, environment protection, disaster monitoring, development planning and educational purposes. So it is clear that remote sensing application is playing a very important role in disaster monitoring in Bangladesh.

➽ Contribution of SPARRSO Towards Society:

SPARRSO is an organization which works with space technology for the welfare of the country. We all know that Bangladesh is a disaster prone country. Through spreading early warning system, preparedness and post disaster relief and rehabilitation SPARRSO assists the risk reduction, damage to life and property caused by the disasters. It also helps in the agricultural production by informing the farmers and farming through early forecasting about droughts, rainfall, holocausts. This organization is assisting the dissemination of information, education and research about space technology and use of remote sensing in diversified fields of knowledge. It helps in spreading of science and technology among the public, students and the society. This is how SPARRSO is contributing towards the society.

➽ Projects:

As mentioned earlier SPARRSO is the focal point for space and remote sensing activities in the country. A number of projects have been undertaken by SPARRSO for social and economic development of the country and only a few of them are described below:

Coastal Afforestation Project of the Forest Department:
In the coastal areas of Bangladesh the Forest Department has undertaken an afforestation project. SPARRSO has been given the responsibility to monitor the progress of afforestation by using satellite imagery, aerial photos and ground observation. Giving training to Forest personnel was also undertaken by SPARRSO.

Water Bodies Survey for the Fisheries Department: UNDP and FAO supported the project for inventorying of water bodies (both large >25 hectare and small water bodies) throughout Bangladesh.

SPARRSO completed FCDI (flood Control, Drainage and Irrigation) projects mapping and River Catchments are mapping of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB).

Geologic and Drainage mapping of Geological Survey of Bangladesh was made by SPARRSO.

Thana (sub-district) level infrastructure development mapping and training of personnel of Bangladesh Local Government Engineering Department (BLGED) was done by SPARSO.

For weather/cyclone forecasting and flood warning purposes regular information/data/satellite imagery etc are disseminated to Bangladesh Meteorology Department and Bangladesh Water Development Board.

Some of the on-going research projects are:

Establishment of Remote Sensing based Integrated River Monitoring

Establishment of remote sensing based Flood Monitoring System: Area, Population and Crop Damage

Establishment of Remote Sensing based Drought Monitoring System

Assessment of Irrigation Potentiality over an Area through the Combined Application of Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographic Information system (GIS)

Detection and Monitoring of Young Mangrove Plantation on Satellite Imagery

Assessment of Landuse and Land Cover changes in Bandrban Sadar and Lama Upazila of Bandareban District in relation to identification of potential landslide areas.

Analysis of accretion and erosion (from 2010 to 2016) of Bhola Island of Bhola District in Central Coastal area , Bangladesh using remote sensing &GIS Technology

And so one

➽ Collaboration:

SPARRSO is collaborating and cooperating with different national and international organizations. Those national and international organizations are listed below:

National

· Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS)

· Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE)

· Bangladesh Forest Department (BFD) and

· Department of Fisheries (DoF)

· Department of Environment (DoE)

· Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB)

· Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC)

· Different Universities

International

· Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)

· Japan international Cooperation Agency (JICA)

· Asian Institute of Technology (AIT)

· Center for Space Science and Technology Education in Asia and the Pacific (CSSTE-AP)

· Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization (APSCO)

· International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD)

· United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)

· Asian Conference on Remote Sensing (ACRS)

➽ References:

Begum, S., Nessa, M., Alam, M.S. and Azam, M.R., Remote Sensing and GIS Technology in

Bangladesh For Environmental Monitoring A case Study. Journal of Environmental

Science and Natural Resources, 7(1), pp.111-112.

Begum, S. and Nessa, M., 2013. Remote sensing technology contributes towards food security of

Bangladesh. American Journal of Remote Sensing, 1(3), pp.67-71.

Duti, B.M., Hossain, M.M., Khadim, F.K., Rahaman, A.Z. and Quadir, D.A., MAPPING FLOODS

IN BANGLADESH USING SATELLITE DATA: AN OVERVIEW.

Panwar, R. and Kumar, A., GIS And Remote Sensing Applications In Natural Resources

Management.

Pramanik, M.A.H., 1994. Remote sensing applications in disasters monitoring in Bangladesh.

In ACRS Conference 1994.