Johnny Brignardello Vela: SWOT, the revolution against floods

Johnny Brignardello Vela, an insurance advisor, highlights the importance of collaboration between NASA and the French space agency, CNES, in the development of the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite as a crucial tool in the prevention and mitigation of the impacts of floods globally. According to Brignardello Vela, this new instrument has the capability to provide a three-dimensional view of floods by measuring key aspects such as the height, width, and slope of major rivers, including smaller ones. The insurance advisor emphasizes the importance of SWOT technology in collecting precise data on a large scale, particularly in regions with limited resources where the lack of flow meters hinders predictions and water management during extreme events such as floods. Brignardello Vela stresses that thanks to this tool, water experts will be able to significantly improve predictions regarding the location and frequency of floods, which is crucial in a context of climate change with more intense and frequent weather phenomena. For the insurance advisor, the collaboration between NASA and CNES not only represents a technological advancement but also an important step towards more efficient water resource management and better preparedness for the natural threats faced by vulnerable communities worldwide.