Satellite-Based Damage Assessment for Town of Baga, Borno State, Nigeria

Publisher:: Human Rights Watch
Publication Date:: 1 May 2013
Tags:: Nigeria

Summary of main findings: A total of 2,275 destroyed and 125 severely damaged buildings were identified within the town of Baga (Borno State, Nigeria) based on a change detection analysis of two very high resolution satellite images collected on the mornings of April 6, before the violence, and April 26, 2013, after the violence. Damages were widely distributed across the southern half of Baga, with multiple clusters of near total building destruction measuring approximately 8 hectares in total area. Virtually all identified building damages exhibit signatures fully consistent with fire, including the presence of burn scars, destroyed trees as well as intact load-bearing walls without a roof. Further, damages match the spatial extent of satellite-detected active fire zones recorded on the night of April 16 (20:55 UTC, 21:55 local time) and the afternoon of April 17, 2013 (12:15 UTC, 13:15 local time) strongly suggesting identified building damages occurred during this period. It is likely that a small percentage of destroyed or severely damaged buildings have not been identified because of tree cover. Total building damages are therefore likely to be higher.

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Satellite-Based Damage Assessment for Town of Baga, Borno State, Nigeria

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