The International Charter on “Space and Major Disasters” is a worldwide collaboration, through which satellite-derived information and products are made available to support disaster response efforts. The International Charter is made up of space agencies and space system operators from around the world and is supported by partners around the world, who work together to provide satellite imagery for disaster monitoring purposes.

The Algerian Space Agency (ASAL) has been contributing to the efforts of the International Charter in the management of natural disasters since 2002. The images from the first Algerian earth observation satellite Alsat-1 were thus used for this purpose. As an International Charter partner, ASAL provides it with images from various Algerian earth observation satellites.

In 2018, and within the framework of an agreement signed between the Algerian Space Agency and Airbus Defense and Space, relating to “distribution, by Airbus, of imagery and support services for the Alsat-1B satellite”, Alsat-1B has become one of the satellites making up the DMC (Disater Monitoring Constellation), one of the data sources used by the International Charter.

The most recent events for which the Alsat-1B satellite imagery was used are:

1. Forest fires that occurred during the period August-September 2020 in Argentina:

Forest fires affected the province of Cordoba during the months of August and September 2020. More than 14,000 hectares were burned.

2. Eruption of the Merapi volcano (Indonesia) in November 2020:

Since June 2020, clouds of gas and volcanic dust have been ejected into the sky by the Merapi volcano. In November 2020, 500 people living on Mount Merapi were evacuated following increased activity from the volcano.