Humanitarian Relief Organization Uses Satellite Imagery to Plan Agriculture and Disaster Relief Efforts for Developing Countries
Longmont, Colo., June 14, 2006 – Healing Hands International (HHI), a non-profit humanitarian organization, is working with the Native Communities Development Corporation (NCDC), a DigitalGlobe business partner, to obtain satellite imagery from DigitalGlobe for use in planning and visualization efforts surrounding agricultural development and disaster relief missions in Africa and Central America.
HHI provides sustainability education and training to third-world countries. Its mission is to implement efficient and lasting sustainable technologies, paving the way for agricultural economies in rural areas of developing countries to feed starving communities.
DigitalGlobe’s satellite imagery of Honduras, Nigeria and Senegal have been instrumental in allowing HHI to assess agriculture potential and conduct pre-planning before visiting the location to implement agricultural programs like drip irrigation systems and training.
HHI provides relief assistance to developing countries devastated by natural disasters. Before and after imagery of Madras, India – an area still suffering the effects of the December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami – is helping HHI to assess the extent of damage and plan for reconstruction and development initiatives. The imagery allows HHI to prioritize its efforts and develop detailed rebuilding plans to ensure that, once on the ground, precious time and resources are leveraged. The imagery is also helpful for planning access to devastated rural areas.
NCDC’s Satellite and Imaging Division is also supplying training courses to HHI. The courses emphasize the use of ESRI’s ArcGIS software package for analyzing and viewing the satellite imagery in a geographic information systems environment.
“NCDC maintains a strong commitment to community development efforts, and we are passionate about supporting humanitarian initiatives that work toward improving the lives of our fellow global community members,” said Jason San Souci, COO of NCDC.
“I have been a long-time believer in the use of aerial and satellite imagery for agriculture planning and mapping,” said Dave Goolsby, director of International Agricultural Development & Relief, HHI. “In the future, I want to expand our use of imagery to assess the progress of our important rebuilding and agricultural program implementations.”
About NCDC
Native Communities Development Corporation (NCDC) is an Indian-owned enterprise which provides services to Native American and Alaskan Native communities; and federal, state, local and rural agencies concerned with the planning, monitoring and management of natural and cultural resources. NCDC’s High Resolution Satellite Imaging and Mapping Division specializes in using the power of DigitalGlobe’s QuickBird satellite’s sub-meter imagery to map, measure, and assess resource types with special emphasis on natural resource, environmental and emergency planning applications.
About DigitalGlobe
Longmont, Colo.-based DigitalGlobe (www.digitalglobe.com) is the clear leader in the global commercial Earth imagery and geospatial information market. The company’s technical superiority and innovation, unparalleled commitment to customer service, extensive business partner network and open systems philosophy make DigitalGlobe the preferred supplier of imagery products to government and commercial markets. DigitalGlobe’s QuickBird satellite is the world’s highest resolution commercial imaging system. The company’s next-generation WorldView I is scheduled to launch in mid-2007, and WorldView II is anticipated to launch in 2008, pending finalization of customer contracts. The company’s updated and growing ImageLibrary contains over one hundred million square kilometers of global imagery for countless mapping and planning needs.
