Drone Applications in Humanitarian Response Training Course

Participants can prepare a lawful permissions pathway for humanitarian UAS operations.

• ICAO Annex 2 principles and national UAS rules interpreted for humanitarian missions
• Permission pathways documented for civil aviation, security and local authorities
• Visual line of sight, altitude and airspace constraints translated into procedures
• Remote pilot competency, registration and insurance requirements verified before deployment
• Flight authorisations aligned with curfews, border controls and protected areas
• Records retained for incident reporting, audits and operating certificate renewals
• Cross-border aircraft importation, customs clearance and temporary admission planned

Participants can assess UAS risks and establish practical controls for field missions.

• SORA methodology used to assess ground and air risk
• Bow-tie analysis connects hazards, preventive controls and recovery measures
• Operational risk assessment addresses weather, terrain, crowds and conflict
• Emergency response procedures cover flyaways, lost links, injuries and crashes
• Crew resource management assigns pilot, observer and payload responsibilities
• Go/no-go criteria set using wind limits, battery margins and threat reporting
• Safety management system logs hazards, occurrences and corrective actions

Participants can convert response information needs into measurable UAS mission requirements.

• Rapid needs assessment converts information gaps into measurable drone mission objectives
• User stories define map, model, imagery and delivery product requirements
• Minimum viable information products prioritised under time, bandwidth and staffing constraints
• Sampling design distinguishes complete coverage, transects and statistically valid counts
• Ground sample distance matched to damage assessment and mapping decisions
• Stakeholder acceptance assessed through community consultation and feedback channels
• Mission concept of operations documents people, platforms, procedures and outputs

Participants can select suitable platforms, sensors and acquisition settings for humanitarian tasks.

• RGB, thermal, multispectral and LiDAR sensors matched to humanitarian tasks
• Flight planning sets overlap, sidelap, altitude, speed and camera angle
• Ground control points and checkpoints improve positional accuracy and quality assurance
• Photogrammetric acquisition planned for orthomosaics, digital elevation models and 3D reconstruction
• Thermal surveys account for emissivity, timing and false-positive sources
• Payload trade-offs assessed against endurance, transport limits and data requirements
• Metadata captured using ISO 19115 elements and mission logs

Participants can specify processing and quality assurance workflows for aerial information products.

• Orthomosaic processing workflow covers alignment, dense cloud, surface model and export
• QGIS tools produce damage maps, access routes and population exposure layers
• Change detection compares pre-event and post-event imagery using consistent baselines
• Object-based image analysis supports shelter counts and infrastructure damage classification
• Accuracy assessment uses confusion matrices, reference samples and error reporting
• Web map products apply scale, symbology and uncertainty communication principles
• Data quality checks identify gaps, blur, geolocation error and processing artefacts

Participants can select and adapt UAS workflows for priority humanitarian response applications.

• Post-disaster damage assessment workflows classify buildings, roads, bridges and utilities
• Flood extent mapping combines aerial imagery, elevation data and field observations
• Search planning uses probability of area, terrain analysis and thermal constraints
• Camp mapping supports shelter layout, service access and drainage assessment
• Medical cargo missions calculate payload, route, battery reserve and handover controls
• Agricultural livelihood assessments identify crop stress, irrigation damage and field boundaries
• Protection-sensitive missions avoid exposing displaced people, routes and safe locations

Participants can establish protection-sensitive controls for humanitarian aerial data collection and sharing.

• ICRC Professional Standards guide protection-sensitive collection, storage and dissemination decisions
• Data protection impact assessments identify necessity, proportionality and residual risks
• Purpose limitation restricts imagery reuse beyond agreed humanitarian objectives
• Access controls separate raw imagery, derived products and public releases
• Retention schedules define deletion, archival and handover decisions
• Community communication explains collection purpose, risks, complaints and consent boundaries
• Do-no-harm review tests products for surveillance, stigma and targeting risks

Participants can prepare field support arrangements for reliable UAS deployment and handover.

• Deployment plans schedule aircraft, batteries, spares, personnel and transport
• Battery management procedures control charging, storage, transport and end-of-life disposal
• Field maintenance schedules prevent failures through inspections, firmware control and logs
• Communications plans coordinate crews, incident command and remote technical support
• Contingency stocks address generator failure, connectivity loss and delayed resupply
• Partner handover plans specify training, documentation, warranties and spare parts
• Cost model separates capital costs, operating costs and mission unit costs

Participants can establish an accountable implementation plan for a humanitarian UAS service.

• Results framework links drone outputs to decisions, outcomes and accountability
• Key performance indicators track turnaround time, coverage, accuracy and use
• Procurement specifications define performance requirements without restricting fair competition
• Vendor evaluation matrices score safety, support, interoperability and total cost
• Data-sharing agreements assign ownership, access rights, safeguards and publication conditions
• After-action reviews capture mission evidence, lessons and corrective actions
• Personal application plan schedules a priority mission and stakeholder actions