The  CD Lab GEOHUM is entering its final phase. Following a recent evaluation event at the  iDEAS:lab of the Department of Geoinformatics, the CDL has now been extended for a second time.

Its impressive portfolio convinced both the funding bodies of the  Christian Doppler Research Association, and the international review board, represented by Prof. Petri Pellikka from the University of Helsinki. In cooperation with  Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders, MSF), the lab is developing information services based on Earth observation to optimise and increase the efficiency of the organisation’s humanitarian missions worldwide.

These services focus on population estimation in conflict and crisis zones, assessing the impacts of disasters such as floods and earthquakes, and planning vaccination campaigns and other medical care and prevention scenarios. For Assoc. Prof. Stefan Lang, head of the CDL and project initiator, it is ‘an incredible honor to work for one of the largest international humanitarian organisations and to utilise the full potential of cutting-edge technologies for the benefit of affected people.’

Laura Leyser, General Director of Médecins Sans Frontières Austria, who was present at the evaluation, emphasises: ‘Logistics is a core element of our global operations. Thanks to the CD Laboratory, we were able to effectively and sustainably integrate geoinformation technology into our work. Furthermore, at MSF Austria, we have developed the expertise to make this technology available to our entire organisation.’

• The CD Laboratory GEOHUM will now run for its maximum duration, from 2020 to 2027.
• It is (currently) the only CD Laboratory at the University of Salzburg.