Using Remote Sensing Data for Earthquake Damage Assessment in Afghanistan: The Role of the International Charter Joseph Maada Korsu Kandeh 1 , Abdul Wali Ahadi 1 and Lalit Kumar 2 1 UNDP AIMS, P.O. Box 5, Foreign Ministry Rd., Kabul, Afghanistan. Email: joseph.kandeh@undp.org 2 Department of Ecosystem Management, School of Environmental Sci- ences and Natural Resources Management, University of New England, Armidale NSW 2351 Australia. Email: lkumar@une.edu.au ABSTRACT Afghanistan is located in a zone of high-seismic activity. Given the rugged and mountainous nature of the country and the location of villages, towns and cities, there is propensity for widespread death and destruction due to landslides whenever an earthquake occurs. Use of satellite imagery by humanitarian agencies in Afghanistan in preparation for and response to natural and man-made disasters has been very limited, mostly to International organizations such as the United Na- tions. Earth Observation Satellites (EOS) due to their vantage position have demonstrated their ability to rapidly provide vital information and services in a disaster situation. EOS has been used in emergency situations where the ground resources are often lacking. The perception amongst humanitarian agencies and civil protection au- thorities in most developing countries is that the cost of satellite imagery is not cheap. With limited budgets available for purchasing satellite data, they tend to opt for less expensive solutions such as interagency survey teams to assess damages. The rugged and mountainous nature of Afghani- stan and the lack of roads in most parts of the country, survey teams are most often hampered, leading to delays in delivery of information from the field to the decision makers. Recent earthquake in the Hindu Kush of the country in April 2004 wit- nessed the triggering of the International Charter for free delivery of satel- lite imagery.