Maarten Pennings
Business Line Manager
See the situation. Act fast.
Damage, passable routes and displaced people, mapped across the entire affected region.
Decisions can’t wait for data
In the first hours and days after a natural disaster, emergency services decide where to send people and aid with very little information to go on.
An earthquake strikes without warning, so there is no plan to start from. A hurricane is often forecast, but the response plan still has to be checked against what actually happened.
Whatever the disaster, responders need one overview of the whole affected region that shows:
- which routes into and within the area are still passable
- where the damage is worst
- where displaced people are, and how many
That overview is often fragmented, expensive to put together or it arrives too late to act on. Every delay means aid reaches the wrong places and victims and responders face more risk.
One common operational picture
Terramira compares satellite imagery from before and after the disaster and detects changes to roads, buildings and infrastructure. Because the processing is largely automated, the analysis scales to an entire region. The service was developed at national scale and is used in countries around the world.
We process new imagery as it arrives and send updated results. Radar sees through cloud and works at night, and we can add drone data where it is available.
What we deliver
Road accessibility
Which roads and bridges are still passable, so teams and supplies can get in.
Building and infrastructure damage
Where damage to housing, roads, bridges and the power grid is most severe.
Displacement monitoring
Where displaced people are and how many, updated as new data comes in.
How it works
Together we select the area of interest and the services you need.
We combine a historic baseline from before the event with the latest imagery, including radar and, where available, drone data.
Automated processing detects changes and assesses the impact. Where needed, we validate results with local partners or ground truth.
You receive the insights in the format that fits your operation: a dashboard, GIS layers for your own systems and/or a report.
We keep monitoring the situation and deliver updates as new data becomes available.
Intelligence when it matters most
Day and night, any weather
Radar data keeps the picture current, even under cloud cover.
Evidence for accountability
Reliable data for reporting to authorities, management and donors.
One shared picture
A common view across all responding organisations.
Built on proven data
The analysis draws on Terramira datasets for buildings, roads, bridges, the power grid, trees, biomass, crops and land use. We process multiple remote sensing sources with foundation models and embeddings.
Built for emergency responders
Humanitarian coordination bodies
One picture of the whole region to coordinate the international response from.
National governments
A basis for deciding where aid and teams go first.
Urban search and rescue teams
Passable routes and damage hotspots, before and during deployment.
EU response mechanisms
Region-wide insight for coordinating European assistance.
International NGOs
The location and size of displaced groups, to plan relief.
Frequently Asked Questions
A common operational picture after a natural disaster. It shows damage, passable routes and displaced people across the affected region.
Processing is largely automated. The first results follow once usable imagery from after the event is available.
Yes. Radar data sees through cloud and does not depend on daylight.
Yes, with local partners or ground truth data where possible.
Yes. The core service is standard. We adapt the methodology and the integration to your operation.
The same data supports recovery planning. See Reconstruction Intelligence.
Request a rapid assessment of your area of interest.
Maarten Pennings
Expert Safety & Security
