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The AAAS Geospatial Technologies and Human Rights Project uses a number of geospatial techniques to examine human
rights abuses across the world. Most of these methods are already well explored
in other contexts, however this project seeks to revise our understanding
of these methods for the purposes of the human rights community.
AAAS also seeks to capitalize on the full range of information technology resources
available today to develop a distributed geospatial information system leveraging the power
of burgeoning Internet mapping platforms including Google Earth, NASA WorldWind and Microsoft Virual Earth.
The human rights community is exploring these tools to develop a Human Rights Observing System
The primary technique we have used thus far is high resolution remotely sensed imagery. Remote sensing means examining properties from afar, by satellite-based sensors
(cameras, radiometers, scanners), aerial photography, radar systems, sonar,
lasers, radio frequency receivers, thermal devices, seismographs, magnetometers,
gravimeters, scintillometers, and other sensing instruments. The project mainly uses Panchromatic and Multispectral satellite imagery that staff
analyze either visually or quantitatively. For example, in the Zimbabwe case study, Amnesty International
was interested in observing and counting structures destroyed by government
forces. To that end, project staff acquired a number of before and after
high resolution images of the destroyed informal towns and settlements, and then visually counted missing structures (see
below).
  
A before (top left) and after (top right) shot of Killarney, a suburb of Bulawayo.
Bottom image shows analysis of the destroyed structures (missing buildings are
marked with red dots. Total count of destroyed houses was 486. © Copyright
2006 DigitalGlobe Inc. All rights reserved.
Working with satellite data requires using software programs specifically designed
to view and analyze the data. At AAAS a range of software programs are utilized
including ESRI's ArcGIS,
Leica Geosystem's ERDAS
Imagine and Global Mapper. A
more extensive list of relevant software and tools available today is available
on our Resources page.
Developments in web design, software and computer technologies have spurred the development of web-based
and Internet-integrating mapping applications that have revolutionized the way
we view and share geospatial data. AAAS has been investigating the use of
these platforms - including Microsoft Virtual Earth, Google Earth and NASA World Wind - for collaborating with NGOs and other partners in the research
process and for disseminating research results and other information to partners
and to the public. A short description of each program listed above, highlighting the
benefits of each, is provided below:
Google Earth is a standalone software program that makes satellite imagery available in a 3D-globe interface. Much of the developed world is available
for viewing in high resolution, and less-developed areas are increasingly seeing the addition of high resolution data with
Google making updates often. The program taps into the Internet for downloading imgery and other data. It has gained world-wide
popularity and recognition and is particularly powerful for the easy sharing of data among users.
NASA World Wind is an open source software program that makes a range of satellite imagery available
to users in a 3D-globe interface. High-resolution data is not part of the program's baselayer, although
it can be added to the program. It is well-received in the scientific community as there a
number of important mid-to-low resolution satellite imagery datasets available.
Microsoft Virtual Earth is a web-enabled mapping interface powered on the backend by Microsoft. The company has partnered with the GeoEye
Corporation to make high-resolution data available in the program for many areas around the globe. Where it is not available, data can be added. Users have the ability
to integrate Virtual Earth maps into webpages, making it easy to share geographic data to any audience over the web.
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 09/25/2007)
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