Satellites can play an important role in the management of natural and man-made disasters. An international symposium will be held in Brussels on 16 March 2003 and bring togehther the various actors to review the results of the charter on risk management signed by major space agencies, two years ago. This ESA TV Exchange provides an overview of the possibilities space technology offers for disaster mananagement, and recent examples of how it was put at work. These include inter alia the Prestige tanker break-up, Australian forest fires and volcanic eruptions.
The programme comprises of a 7 minute A-roll with split audio (English commentary/international sound) and is complimented by a B-Roll with clean international sound.

A-roll Script
00:41 Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, storms and floods are some of the most frightening of natural disasters.. For rescue teams and those dealing with humanitarian efforts, time is the most valuable and critical resource. Accurate information about the situation on site and about future developments is crucial.
01:02 Satellites can deliver invaluable information about almost any region in the world and support the ground operations effectively. But how does the right information get to the right place when it is desperately needed?
In 1999, the space agencies of France, Canada and Europe initiated the International Charter 'Space and Major Disasters' to make space imagery available in emergency situations whenever and wherever they occur.
01:17 J?r?me B?quignon (20:02): The people on the ground need to assess quickly what is the size of the damage, where it occurred and how they can bringassistance to the place. Basically they need all these information. And that's the information th