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(April 2015) In the face of challenges to its sovereignty in the Far North, Canada is ramping up its claim to the Arctic with four active military exercises aimed at Russia, and, it appears, an upgraded satellite observation program.

Under the the auspices of the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Harper government is requesting bids for $17 million worth of development on the Inuvik satellite station in the Northwest Territories. The current station is used for “mapping, weather, surveillance, and other purposes.”

Established in 2010 in partnership with the German Aerospace Centre and the Swedish Space Corporation (SSC), the northern station was chosen based on its “strategic geographic location” above the Arctic Circle, which is “uniquely positioned to track and receive data in real-time.”

As of late, the SSC has increased its stake in the Inuvik satellite station. The Swedes, also an Arctic player, have had their own dealings and standoffs with Russia in recent months. The SCC upgrade will give the corporation greater access to polar orbiting satellites, providing valuable earth observation intelligence to its clients.

The development and support plan is designed to make the station a leading science and technology centre developing “its full potential as an international, multi-use, science and technology facility, with an emphasis on Earth Observation.”

Above all else, the government states the project is “Exercising our Arctic sovereignty,” “Protecting our environmental heritage” and “Promoting social and economic development” —all pillars of Canada’s greater Northern Strategy, a policy initiative Prime Minister Stephen Harper himself has championed for years.

Besides the need to maintain Arctic sovereignty to protect traditional Canadian borders, receding permafrost promises the advent of new lands for natural resource extraction, a key policy platform for the Alberta-strong Tories since they became the government in 2006.

In the Arctic Ocean corridor alone, there’s potentially 90 million barrels of oil sitting untapped in the North Pole, and close to 1,700 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.

Of course, that kind of potential petro-loot piques Russian interest, another country with massive Arctic borders and a stake in the latest rounds of UN talks establishing the northern borders of the world.

With the resurgent Russians invading Ukraine and flying bombers close to Canadian and American airspace in a return to Cold War games, the North Pole is suddenly a major geopolitical point of interest for Harper and President Vladimir Putin alike. Satellite stations and military might are just an extension of that diplomatic climate.

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Abu Dhabi, April 2, 2015—Over 650 delegates from government, UN bodies, the non-governmental sector, private sector, academia and civil society will gather in Abu Dhabi between 6 and 8 October for the Eye on Earth Summit 2015, to bridge the information gap policy makers face in designing plans for sustainable development.

The experts gathered will explore solutions and actions necessary for greater access to, and sharing of, environmental, social and economic data to support sustainable development. The Summit will address the profound impact that rapid economic and industrial development is having on natural resources, biodiversity and consumption patterns around the world. These global challenges require international collaborative action to find transformative solutions that span political boundaries and help secure a sustainable future for all. One of the critical first steps – and the focus of Eye on Earth Summit 2015 – is to address the need for evidence-based decision-making that can benefit from the available wealth of scientific data, information and knowledge, if they are made more accessible to all.

“Sustainable development across the globe is being hindered because policy makers lack access to data that would improve decision-making,” stated HE Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, Secretary General Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi. “This Summit will develop ways of closing the data gap between what citizens and decision makers need to know, and what is available and accessible. It will look at solutions for greater access to, sharing and application of environmental, social and economic data through science, technology and citizen participation.”

Eye on Earth is a collaborative effort between the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi through the Abu Dhabi Global Environmental Data Initiative (AGEDI), and the Eye on Earth Alliance, a partnership of organisations that aim to build and mobilise global support for access to environmental data. As part of its ongoing expansion, the Alliance has recently grown to include, in addition to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Group on Earth Observations (GEO), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the World Resources Institute (WRI).

“This year world leaders will convene for a number of major sustainable development events, among them the Summit for the Adoption of the post-2015 development agenda and the climate change conference in Paris,” said UN Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner. “The decisions made at these meetings will shape the way forward on sustainable development and climate action for years to come.”

“For leaders to make the right decisions in such global processes, reliable, ample and timely data is absolutely essential. One of UNEP’s key roles has long been to work with partners to provide the data that informs this science-policy interface,” he added. “Partnerships such as Eye on Earth are living proof of the new frontiers in knowledge and data, as well as the leadership role that Abu Dhabi has shown in this endeavour.”

The announcement of the Summit dates follows a meeting of representatives from the Eye on Earth community in Bonn, Germany to provide input into the development of indicators to track some of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and to discuss how to support the data and information needed to implement them. A set of 17 goals with 169 targets, the SDGs cover a broad range of sustainable development issues, including ending poverty and hunger, improving health and education, making cities more sustainable, combating climate change, and protecting oceans and forests. The work of Eye on Earth is expected to be pivotal in providing the necessary data required to measure the progress and impact of the SDGs, with current and future Special Initiative (SI) projects aligning closely with them to ensure the provision of relevant, timely and accessible information.

A global audience will participate in the Summit and contribute to the dialogue via online and social media tools. Information on how to take part in the event will be shared via the Eye on Earth website.

Barbara J. Ryan, Director Group on Earth Observations:

“Expanding the Eye on Earth Alliance and convening the Eye on Earth 2015 Summit are critical steps to ensure that data, information and knowledge are made open and accessible to decision makers across the societal spectrum. Only with these vital tools can we all make the informed decisions necessary to preserve the planet.”

Andrew Steer, president and CEO, World Resources Institute:

“This summit will shine a spotlight on the importance of securing better, more accessible data to improve decision making,” said Andrew Steer, president and CEO, World Resources Institute. “With extraordinary leaps forward in technology, remote sensing, and digital communication, people have an unprecedented ability to understand how development affects natural resources, the economy and our planet. This summit will bring together leaders at a critical moment to improve how we can use data and information to shape the future development agenda.”

Inger Andersen, Director General IUCN:

IUCN is pleased to be part of the Eye on Earth Summit,” says IUCN Director General Inger Andersen. “The Summit offers a rare opportunity to shine a spotlight on the importance of supporting knowledge products, such as the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, so that they can deliver the critical data to guide the post-2015 sustainable development agenda.”

About Eye on Earth

Despite technological and scientific advancements, decision makers often lack vital data on the state of the world’s resources. Eye on Earth is a global movement that aims to improve access to and sharing of environmental, social and economic data, to better inform decision-making for sustainable development. Its primary goal is to convene thought and action leaders, converge on key areas of mutual importance, and collaborate on initiatives to close the data gap.

The mission of Eye on Earth is achieved through the work of the five governing Alliance Partners, eight targeted Special Initiatives, and the Eye on Earth Summit.

For more information, please visit www.eoesummit.org

About EAD

EAD was established in 1996 to preserve Abu Dhabi‘s natural heritage, protect its future, and raise awareness about environmental issues. EAD is Abu Dhabi‘s environmental regulator and advises the government on environmental policy. It works to create sustainable communities, and protect and conserve wildlife and natural resources. EAD also works to ensure integrated and sustainable water resources management, clean air and minimise climate change and its impacts. For more information

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Geospatial information exploitation technology is one of the vital enablers and defining aspects of 21st century defence, intelligence and homeland security capabilities and operations. In a digital age where the vast majority of data has a location and time, GIS and GEOINT systems provide the means to reference it geographically.

In this visual context, complex dynamics, patterns and relationships can be revealed, analysed and understood in a completely new way. This takes ‘situational awareness’ to an entirely different level, and enables an unprecedented and powerful new type of analysis: geospatial analysis. A key part of this overall capability is a new generation of tools for advanced digital mapping and modelling, which extend the applications of GIS much beyond intelligence, C2 (command and control) and the achievement of information superiority – into areas like resource management, mission simulation, and down to individual soldiers.

In the 21st century information superiority is absolutely essential for success in dealing with increasingly complex threats and emergencies, making the need for GEOINT absolute. This is not a ‘nice to have’, but a ‘must-have’ capability – and countries around the world are realising and investing in it with increased urgency. Phenomenal advances in technologies like cloud and 3D modelling, together with increased availability of high-quality, high-accuracy geospatial data especially from space-based remote sensing satellites, are propelling the market for governmental GEOINT solutions forward into a very exciting future.

Grounded in a comprehensive analysis of the aspects described above, Visiongain’s examination of the global governmental spending on GEOINT Solutions for defence and homeland security reveals a market worth $9.7bn in 2014. The coming decade will see governments around the world scrambling to acquire GEOINT capabilities on increasingly higher scales, to ensure they stay on top in the ‘information superiority’ race. At the moment, outside the US this is a relatively young market, at the very beginning of a period of large international expansion over the next ten years.

  • Why you should buy Governmental Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT) Solutions Market 2014-2024: Digital Mapping, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Cloud-Based Geo-Analytics & Geo-Data Exploitation for Defence & Homeland Security
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  • What will the expenditure be on each type (submarket) of GEOINT Solutions, year-on-year between 2013 and 2024?
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[SatNews] ImageSat International N.V. , the owner and operator of the EROS A and EROS B very high resolution imaging satellites, will reveal the 70 cm resolution EROS B satellite portable end-to-end ground Mini-Terminal (MiniTer) for real time ultra-fast downloading of data from Earth observation satellites at LAAD 2015.

The EROS B MiniTer solution allows direct downloads from the satellite to any location and combines a 1.5m or 2.4m X-band antenna system designed by ORBIT Communication Systems, with a processing unit developed by ImageSat. Specially designed to meet the needs of EROS B customers, this compact, rugged, portable solution can be installed in any environment or weather condition, enabling rapid deployment for any earth observation application.

The lightweight MiniTer receives X-band signals when the EROS-B satellite passes within a 2000-km radius footprint of the MiniTer’s location. Features include X-band signal demodulation, image reconstruction, image display during signal reception (quick look) and image archiving.

According to Mr. Rani Hellerman, Vice President for Business Development, “We will debut our portable ground system at LAAD 2015—the first of its kind in the world—allowing deployment in one hour. The system enables our customers to receive accurate, high quality data in real time – delivering images of large areas in the shortest possible time, from the battlefield or the location of an event. Currently beginning the marketing of the system, we are very happy with the feedback we have received from potential customers, and expect the first orders to be placed in the near future.”

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Filipinos may heave a sigh of relief over news that one of two microsatellites slated for launch into space in 2016 may play a crucial role in improving weather forecasting, managing disasters, and protecting forests, among other benefits. It will also be a boon in terms of the preservation of natural and cultural heritage sites.

It’s a known fact that the Philippines has had its share of super typhoons, landslides, and flash floods attributed to denuded forests. It is geographically situated at the frontline of typhoons coming from the Pacific Ocean. With better scientific devices and updated facilities, the country can alleviate suffering and poverty created by destruction of crops and other natural resources due to natural disasters. It’s a big step forward, then, for the Philippines and neighboring countries.

The Philippines’ first satellite, named Diwata (which means fairy), will showcase the ingenuity of Filipino students taking up masteral studies in Japan. It is an amazing feat not just for the Filipino scientists involved, but for the entire Philippine scientific community. The students who will build the first Philippine satellite have obtained a government scholarship and have been in Japan since the last quarter of 2014. The important project spearheaded by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research will have state-of-the-art components. There will be a telescope that can assess damage extent from natural disasters. Reports say that once the first Pinoy-made satellite is launched into space, it will hover for about six minutes every time it passes (possibly four times) over the Philippines. The estimated number of images that the satellite can capture each day 3,600. The images will be conveyed to the ground receiving station in Subic.

The University of the Philippines in Diliman, which is where a research laboratory will be set up, has been delegated the responsibility of developing enhancements to the program.

A second satellite is in the works and is timed for a 2017 launch. For now, all eyes & ears are on “Diwata” which is touted as a breakthrough as far as predicting/evaluating environmental changes and counteracting the threatening effects of the changing climate are concerned.

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(March 2015) China’s most advanced earth observation satellite, the Gaofen-2, was put into service after being launched in August.

The Gaofen-2 is the second of seven satellites that will be launched for the Gaofen mission, China’s high-definition observation project, before 2020. The project was initiated in May 2010 and Gaofen-1 was launched in April 2013.

The new satellite is able to see 0.8-meter-long objects from space in full color and collect multispectral images of objects 3.2 meters or longer, according to the Chinese State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense.

The main goal of the Gaofen series is to provide all-weather, 24-hour services covering the globe. The data will be provided for more than ten Chinese government departments as well as for Non-governmental organizations, including private enterprises, in developing value-added services.

Read full story Ecns

(05/03/2015) Delegates in the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted a consensus resolution last week, by which they addressed global geospatial information management.

The document entitled “A global geodetic reference frame for sustainable development” (A/RES/69/266) urges States to voluntarily implement open sharing of geodetic data, standards and conventions, inviting them to improve national geodetic infrastructure and engage in multilateral cooperation that addressed infrastructure gaps and duplications, towards the development of a more sustainable geodetic reference frame.

The resolution specifically recognizes the “economic and scientific importance of and the growing demand for an accurate and stable global geodetic reference frame for the Earth that allows the interrelationship of measurements taken anywhere on the Earth and in space, combining geometric positioning and gravity field-related observations, as the basis and reference in location and height for geospatial information, which is used in many Earth science and societal applications, including sea-level and climate change monitoring, natural hazard and disaster management.”

United Nations

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Satellite technology helps to monitor drought in Kenya providing detailed information about the strength, location, spatial extent and duration of the drought.

The spatial information allows an analysis of the drought situation in the country and in some of the most affected regions such as Wajir, Marsabit, Isiolo and Garissa. This allows for better disaster management and facilitates the request for donor support. In 2011 Kenya had one of the worst droughts in recent times. It was difficult for the country to implement appropriate preparedness measures. The use of satellite technology could improve these processes.

“We used to get conflicting and misleading information from arid and semi-arid areas. Some regions are generally very dry and when rains fail for some time, they say they are in extreme drought. Now we can plan, detect drought early and advise even at policy level on what measures to take,” said Luigi Luminari, a technical advisor at Systems for Drought Management in Kenya.

Read full story Standard Digital

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(March 2015) The Argentinean National Space Activities Commission (CONAE) has been producing information about recent floods based on radar satellite images. In March, the provinces of Santa Fe and Santiago del Estero suffered from intense floods.

Satellite imagery of the affected areas has served as support for the efforts of national institutions and organisms to mitigate the damages. The imagery was obtained from the Italian Cosmo SkyMed mission as well as from Landsat and SPOT5 satellites.

According to the newspaper La Nación, the floods in Santa Fe and Santiago del Estero were caused by an unusual amount of rainfall in the central area of the country that forced more than 5000 to evacuate and killed 10. It also caused a collapse of the vital infrastructures and daily activities. The rural areas are the most affected with more than 500,000 hectares of crops destroyed.

According to an article in La Nación, experts agree that climate change is one of the main explanations for this increasing rainfall, but take also into consideration the lack of strong infrastructures, the effects of monoculture and the inclusion of non autochthonous flora, among other factors.

The satellite-based maps are available on CONAE’s website

CONAE is UN-SPIDER’s Regional Support Office in Argentina

UN-Spider

NEREUS President Nichi Vendola and Senator Günthner (Minister of Economic Affairs, Labour and Ports Minister of Justice and Constitution) of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen would like to seize the opportunity to invite you (see invitation and draft programme attached) to the regional workshop “Space Applications at the Bremen location” that in collaboration with NEREUS will organize on 21-22 April 2015 in Bremen, Germany.

The workshop aims at presenting the region’s capabilities and expertise in the area of using and developing space based services and products.

The workshop will comprise two main parts:
-On the first day the region showcases its capacities and expertise in the area of using and developing space based services and products. Participants are invited to visit relevant industry sites and research facilities to gain a firsthand insight and will get the opportunity to learn more about the region’s flagship initiatives and activities.
-The second day participating regions (NEREUS-member regions but also new regions interested in the event) as well as associated members are explicitly invited to take the floor and give informational presentations on the profile of the space community in their territory (including major enterprises and research organisations, aerospace district or relevant clusters), main interests and expertise and introduce key activities and regional best practices.
Moreover, in the evening of the 21st of April you are invited to an i2b event where the topic space will be presented in different ways and social networking is provided.

If you are interested please register until April 8th by following this link Password: #Nereusbremen