CASE STUDY
SECTOR
National Mapping, Natural Resources and Environment, Public Safety and Security
Source: Chen et al., 2022 (Elsevier)
geospatial-damage-assessment-and-forest-recovery-mapping-poststorm-in-latvia
Source: Chen et al., 2022 (Elsevier)
In response to the devastating thunderstorms that struck central and western Latvia in August 2023, the Latvian Geospatial Information Agency (LGIA) played a central role in providing authoritative geospatial data for forest damage assessment. The storm caused the destruction of at least 100,000³ metres of timber and significantly impacted agricultural lands and ecosystems. To quantify this damage, LGIA’s topographic, hydrographic, and geo-name databases were integrated with the state administration’s forest inventory, forest register, and farmers’ datasets. High-resolution pre- and post-storm satellite imagery was overlaid with this geospatial information to assess and map storm impacts across 32 identified areas of interest. Vegetation within each area was categorised as 'destroyed', 'damaged', or 'removed', and cross-referenced with tree species data to understand species-level impact. This comprehensive damage mapping supported rapid post-emergency assessment and future recovery planning. Data access was facilitated through the Copernicus Framework Licence agreement between the European Environment Agency (EEA) and EuroGeographics, enhancing use of authoritative national datasets in the CORDA platform and Open Maps for Europe interface.
Latvian Geospatial Information Agency
Valsts ugunsdzēsības un glābšanas dienests (State Fire and Rescue Service, Latvia); European Environment Agency (EEA)
Geospatial Media and Communications Pvt. Ltd.