Pictometry International Corp., the leading provider of aerial oblique imagery and measuring software, announces that its aerial oblique imagery of the earthquake damage in Haiti is being used by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) to help strengthen Haiti’s devastated economic base by preserving cultural locations for tourism and commerce.
In January, Pictometry captured more than 600 square kilometers of earthquake damage in and around the cities of Port-au-Prince and Jacmel. Within days of capture, the imagery was processed and donated to GISCorps volunteers working with the large multinational relief organizations.
At this time, the ICOMOS organization reports that it was securing satellite imagery and historic map data from GeoEye, NASA, Google, World Bank, the World Monuments Fund, Conservation Tech Consulting, Sparks Engineering, and the GISCorps when it became aware of the availability of Pictometry imagery through the GISCorps. As a result, ICOMO began utilizing mapping data in conjunction with the Pictometry oblique image data sets to evaluate historic areas damaged by the earthquake.
“Our objective was to provide information to teams that would be arriving in Haiti to assist local authorities in identifying, preserving, and restoring the historic structures there that are such a rich part of that nation’s cultural heritage,” said International Council on Archaeological Heritage Management co-president President Douglas Comer. “We have been amazed by the many outstanding organizations and individuals that have come forward to assist, and are very grateful to them all.”
ICOMOS has since established a protocol for using mapping data and imagery to identify and restore historic areas. Simply put, volunteers scan historic maps from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries then overlay the maps on imagery to locate the footprint of a structure on a historic map and match damaged structures to those on the images. Locations are then tagged as a potential historic site and are examined in greater detail. The oblique views and high resolution detail of Pictometry imagery allows examiners to not only assess the amount of damage but also distinguish between earthquake damage and pre-existing damage or demolition. ICOMOS volunteers then share the imagery and information with Haitian authorities to protect historic structures so they will not be bulldozed or demolished.
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