Integrating Remote Sensing and other Products into the Decision Support Systems of the United Nations World Food Programme

This presentation will describe our collaborative work with the World Food Programme of the United Nations, including web-based information services and tools to address global and regional water related issues, such as, floods and droughts.

Set-up in 1963, the World Food Programme (WFP) is the United Nations frontline agency in the fight against global hunger. WFP depends on donors worldwide. The United States of America has been the largest donor. Natural disasters, such as, floods and droughts, occur every year in third world countries and often require emergency food aid. Moving large quantities of foods is not an easy task. Time and planning are required. Accurate and timely environmental information will facilitate decision-making and food distribution and maximize the use of contributions.

Few observational data are available for disaster monitoring in remote and poor countries. Satellite observations provide a unique way in providing such data from space. The NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC) and Dr. Lenard Milich of WFP have been collaborating for the past three years on ways to integrate Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) data into forward planning exercises for establishing geographic areas (e.g., sub-equatorial Africa, Indonesia, and North Korea) in need of food assistance. To monitor and assess current conditions, the GES DISC has developed a number of rainfall products derived from TRMM and online based tools to facilitate data and information access. These tools will not only benefit the WFP decision-making activities, but also other local agencies and the general public. All data and services are web-based to minimize the cost for data accessing and maximize the use of global rainfall data products.