In response to the worsening flood crisis in Poland, the Crisis Information Centre of the Space Research Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences (CIK CBK PAN) launched a dedicated satellite monitoring system on Friday 13th of September. In collaboration with the Polish-Finnish company ICEYE, satellites detect areas where water has overflowed riverbanks and floodplains are forming. ICEYE operates the world’s largest civilian radar satellite constellation, providing critical data to aid in flood response efforts.
Every few hours, detailed data and reports are delivered to the State Fire Service, crisis management centers, and the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management (IMGW). The swift access to information helps these agencies better understand the evolving situation on the ground and direct resources where they are needed most.
This marks the inaugural operation of Poland’s Civil Security Hub, a project under the European Space Agency (ESA) aimed at enhancing crisis response capabilities. Originally, the satellite information delivery system was planned for testing in spring 2025, but due to the severity of the current floods, the system was launched earlier in experimental mode. Despite its early activation, it is already providing operationally useful data.
The system has the potential to become a game-changer for crisis management, offering precise, rapid, and reliable information. It enables better decision-making during emergency situations, such as floods, where understanding the scale of the event and forecasting its development is essential.
Since the onset of the current flood, which has significantly impacted multiple regions in Poland, the satellite monitoring system has been working around the clock. By Friday morning (20/09/2024), the Civil Security Hub had already generated:
- 27 releases of Flood Rapid Impact analysis,
- 6 releases of maximum water extent analysis,
- 112 quick-view maps delivered to users, with a processing time of approximately 50 minutes after each satellite pass.
These reports were made available to the State Fire Service, regional crisis management centers, the hydrological services, and military’s Operational Command. CBK PAN is also working on enhanced analysis, including damage assessment in collaboration with the Main Statistical Office and water pumping support with IMGW.
This successful trial of the satellite monitoring system highlights the growing role of new technologies in crisis management. Satellite data and UAV support will become integral to real-time decision-making in future emergency situations. With the Civil Security Hub becoming fully operational, Poland will be better prepared to respond to natural disasters, ensuring a more efficient and coordinated response across various agencies, as it facilitates the entire process by defining needs, identifying critical observation areas, maintaining two-way communication with multiple users, and ensuring that space-based information is delivered efficiently to meet their needs.
