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AAAS Case Studies | Other
Case Studies
An important component of the AAAS Geospatial Technologies and Human Rights
Project is the dissemination of information resources on geospatial technology
applications for the human rights community. In addition to the work AAAS has
been conducting in this area, we will describe and link to the work of others
in the field. Below is a sampling of case studies summarizing AAAS work and
the work of others involved with geospatial technologies and human rights. In
some cases, high-resolution satellite imagery and other information gathered
during these efforts are also available as geospatial visualization layers,
such as Google Earth layers.
Afghanistan
With information from Physcians for Human Rights AAAS acquired and analyzed multiple satellite images of a suspected mass grave site at Dasht-e Leili, Afghanistan. Analysis helped determine the precise date of possible excavation of those graves, and indicated the presence of heavy earthmoving equipment at the site.
Report | Visualization Layers
Burma
With reporting from human rights organizations in Burma, AAAS analyzed images of Karen State to document the destruction of civilian infrastructure and the construction of military operation camps carried out by the ruling military government in Burma.
Report | Report (PDF) | Visualization Layers
Chad and Sudan
Using satellite imagery of this region, AAAS documented past attacks by the Sudanese government-backed Janjaweed militias against civilian communities in Darfur, Sudan and Chad and is developing methods for tracking current attacks.
Report | Imagery Characteristics | Visualization Layers
Ethiopia
With information from Human Rights Watch, AAAS provided satellite imagery and analysis which corroborated reported attacks in civilians in the Ogaden region.
Report
Lebanon
AAAS attained and analyzed images of damage to civilian infrastructure in Southern Lebanon to assist Amnesty International's examination of whether such destruction was deliberate and not merely "collateral damage."
Report | Visualization Layers
South Ossetia
Based on media reporting and other information sources, AAAS provided satellite imagery and analysis which provided insights and documentation of reported attacks on civilians between August 10th and 19th.
Report | Report (PDF) | Visualization Layers
Sri Lanka
As the conflict in Sri Lanka drew to a close, AAAS helped respond to international concerns over civilian well-being in the country, and provided satellite imagery and analysis for the period between May 6th and 10th and beyond.
Report | Visualization Layers
Zimbabwe
Amnesty International requested assistance from AAAS to analyze satellite images of four communities in Zimbabwe - Porta Farms,
Hatcliffe, Chitungwiza, and Killarney - affected by the government of Zimbabwe's Operation Murambatsvina, a campaign begun in 2005 to destroy homes and business in allegedly "illegal settlements."
Report | Imagery Characteristics | Visualization Layers
Eritrea and Ethiopia
The State of Eritrea employed geospatial technologies to document alleged destruction of Eritrean
public and private infrastructure by occupying Ethiopian forces in order to present an analysis to an international claims commission established at the Hague to settle claims disputes.
Summary
Gaza Strip
Human Rights Watch undertook a 2004 study to investigate the use of geospatial
technologies in verifying the destruction by Israeli Defense Forces of housing and other infrastructure along the
southern border of the Gaza Strip.
Summary | HRW Report
North Korea
The U.S. Committee for Human Rights in North Korea published a 2003 extensive study on North Korea’s prison camp system that includes ex-prisoner testimonies corroborated with annotated high-resolution satellite images of the camps obtained from 2001 to 2003.
Summary | USCHR Report
Contact
Us: To learn more about this project or to submit a request for assistance
with a potential human rights related case study.
(page updated 06/09/2009)
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