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High Resolution Satellite Imagery--A Valuable Asset for Environmental Monitoring, Disaster Mitigation, and Emergency Response Author: Brian L. Soliday 12076 Grant Street Phone: 303-254-2133 The dramatic increase in natural and man-made disasters, soaring growth of the world's population and ever-present environmental issues such as global warming all threaten the balance of our fragile ecosystem. Each year in the United States alone, the loss of billions of dollars and hundreds of lives can be directly attributed to weather-related phenomena, fires, earthquakes, and other disasters. It is crucial that all available resources are utilized to plan ahead, prepare for, and respond to emergencies and disasters. Recent advances within the remote sensing industry, specifically the availability of high-resolution imagery, are changing the way that government agencies and the private sector industry are dealing with natural and man-made disasters, providing information in the form of highly detailed images that can be a vital asset in disaster mitigation, environmental monitoring, and emergency response. This paper will discuss existing and emerging application uses of high-resolution satellite imagery in support of these efforts. |