Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/43993
Time-sensitive GeoWorld departments such as NetLink, PeopleLink, Product News and Business News now are maintained solely at the GeoPlace.com Web site. Check there often for the latest updates as they happen. "We are certain that this project, similar to the Landsat program in the 1980s, will stimulate devel- opment of advanced remote-sensing applications," said Olga Gershenzon, ScanEx founder and vice president. MAPPS Taps New Directors The Management Association for Private Photogrammetric Surveyors (MAPPS) elected three new members to its board of directors, joining five board members who were re-elected. The MAPPS board also elected officers for the association's 2011-2013 term. New board members include Claire Kiedrowski, president of Kappa Mapping Inc.; Jim Page, CEO of James W. Sewall Co.; and Tim Stagg, vice president of federal programs for AeroMetric. Richard McDonald, director of geospatial services at T3 Global Strategies Inc. and a member of the MAPPS board for six years, has taken on the role of president for the association. He will be replaced by Robert Hickey, vice president of marketing/business development at Photo Science, when the term ends in 2013. USGS Lends Data Aid for Famine Network The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) partnered with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) on a project to assess famine potential in regions worldwide. The Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) is a USAID-sponsored initiative that identifies critical instances in which "food-insecure" populations in the developing world require critical aid. Such populations typically have liveli- hoods tied to subsistence farming and livestock. As famine emerged earlier in 2011 in East Africa (par- ticularly Somalia), FEWS NET information helped form an environmental outlook that allowed United Nations agen- cies to declare parts of Somalia as "a region of famine," a designation that mobilizes international assistance. "The partnership between USAID and USGS, through the Famine Early Warning Systems Network, is a great example of two science-based agencies working together to help mitigate a humanitarian crisis that is also vital to peace and security," said Rajiv Shah, USAID administrator. "This partnership has facilitated an early response to the severe drought affecting millions in the Horn of Africa." FEWS NET scientists use climate forecasts to develop assessments for food security, based on factors such as expected agricultural results for the next season. FEWS NET relies on satellite remote sensing of vegetation and rainfall, because networked ground-based observation tools are rare in developing countries. "None of the many uses of Earth-observing satellites is more vital—or has as much potential for prompting timely humanitarian intervention—as famine early warning," said Marcia McNutt, USGS director. "Remote sensing from space allows USGS scientists to provide rapid, accurate Federal agencies are applying remotely sensed data, such as drought and rainfall observations, to forecast the potential for famine. A photo shows the impact of drought on livestock in Somalia. assessments of a broad range of environmental and agri- cultural conditions." The USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science Center, Sioux Falls, S.D., supports FEWS NET by providing scientific analysis based on remote sensing, environmen- tal modeling and GIS technologies. In addition to USGS and USAID, other organizations play a role in providing data and support for the network. Partners include NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Chemonics International. SEPTEMBER 2O11 / WWW . GEOPLA CE .C O M 7 USGS