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Researchers studying carbon dioxide, a leading greenhouse gas and a key driver of global climate change, now have a new tool at their disposal: daily global measurements of carbon dioxide in a key part of our atmosphere. The data are courtesy of the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument on NASA’s Aqua spacecraft.

Moustafa Chahine, the instrument’s science team leader at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., unveiled the new product at a briefing on recent breakthroughs in greenhouse gas, weather and climate research from AIRS at this week’s American Geophysical Union meeting in San Francisco. The new data, which span the seven-plus years of the AIRS mission, measure the concentration and distribution of carbon dioxide in the mid-troposphere—the region of Earth’s atmosphere that is located between 5 to 12 kilometers, or 3 to 7 miles, above Earth’s surface. They also track its global transport. The product represents the first-ever release of global carbon dioxide data that are based solely on observations. The data have been extensively validated against both aircraft and ground-based observations.

AIRS provides the highest accuracy and yield of any global carbon dioxide data set available to the research community, now and for the immediate future,” said Chahine. “It will help researchers understand how this elusive, long-lived greenhouse gas is distributed and transported, and can be used to develop better models to identify ‘sinks,’ regions of the Earth system that store carbon dioxide. It’s important to study carbon dioxide in all levels of the troposphere.”

Chahine said previous AIRS research data have led to some key findings about mid-tropospheric carbon dioxide. For example, the data have shown that, contrary to prior assumptions, carbon dioxide is not well mixed in the troposphere, but is rather “lumpy.” Until now, models of carbon dioxide transport have assumed its distribution was uniform.

Carbon dioxide is transported in the mid-troposphere from its sources to its eventual sinks. More carbon dioxide is emitted in the heavily populated northern hemisphere than in its less populated southern counterpart. As a result, the southern hemisphere is a net recipient, or sink, for carbon dioxide from the north. AIRS data have previously shown the complexity of the southern hemisphere’s carbon dioxide cycle, revealing a never-before-seen belt of carbon dioxide that circles the globe and is not reflected in transport models.

In another major finding, scientists using AIRS data have removed most of the uncertainty about the role of water vapor in atmospheric models. The data are the strongest observational evidence to date for how water vapor responds to a warming climate.

AIRS temperature and water vapor observations have corroborated climate model predictions that the warming of our climate produced as carbon dioxide levels rise will be greatly exacerbated — in fact, more than doubled — by water vapor,” said Andrew Dessler, a climate scientist at Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas.

Dessler explained that most of the warming caused by carbon dioxide does not come directly from carbon dioxide, but from effects known as feedbacks. Water vapor is a particularly important feedback. As the climate warms, the atmosphere becomes more humid. Since water is a greenhouse gas, it serves as a powerful positive feedback to the climate system, amplifying the initial warming. AIRS measurements of water vapor reveal that water greatly amplifies warming caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide. Comparisons of AIRS data with models and re-analyses are in excellent agreement.

“The implication of these studies is that, should greenhouse gas emissions continue on their current course of increase, we are virtually certain to see Earth’s climate warm by several degrees Celsius in the next century, unless some strong negative feedback mechanism emerges elsewhere in Earth’s climate system,” Dessler said.

Originally designed to observe atmospheric temperature and water vapor, AIRS data are already responsible for the greatest improvement to five to six-day weather forecasts than any other single instrument, said Chahine. JPL scientists have shown a major consequence of global warming will be an increase in the frequency and strength of severe storms. Earlier this year, a team of NASA researchers showed how AIRS can significantly improve tropical cyclone forecasting. The researchers studied deadly Typhoon Nargis in Burma (Myanmar) in May 2008. They found the uncertainty in the cyclone’s landfall position could have been reduced by a factor of six had more sophisticated AIRS temperature data been used in the forecasts.

AIRS observes and records the global daily distribution of temperature, water vapor, clouds and several atmospheric gases including ozone, methane and carbon monoxide. With the addition of the mid-tropospheric carbon dioxide data set this week, a seven-year digital record is now complete for use by the scientific community and the public.

For more information click here

Source: JPL and eoportal

After nearly 5 years of concurrent operations with the Afternoon Constellation, known as the “A-Train,” the PARASOL satellite is going on another orbit “track.” The A-Train includes a number of NASA satellites that orbit the Earth one behind the other on the same track and until this month, PARASOL has been part of that train.

PARASOL is an Earth observation mission, managed by the French Space Agency (CNES). PARASOL stands for “Polarization and Anisotropy of Reflectances for Atmospheric Sciences coupled with Observations from a Lidar.” According to CNES, it was maneuvered to leave its position inside the A-Train at 12:48 UTC, December 2, 2009.

The A-Train satellite formation currently consists of five satellites flying in close proximity: Aqua, CloudSat, CALIPSO, PARASOL and Aura. Each of these satellites cross the equator within a few minutes of each another at around 1:30 p.m. local time. By combining the different sets of nearly simultaneous observations, scientists are able to gain a better understanding its main mission, studying the important parameters related to climate change. As an additional benefit, the A-Train satellites provide unique information about tropical cyclones, the collective term for tropical depressions, tropical storms, hurricanes and typhoons.

The PARASOL satellite has now reached an orbit of 3.9 kilometers (2.4 miles) under the A-train, which will enable it to keep on sharing data periodically with the A-train members, while gradually leaving the A-Train neighborhood. Based on a typical decay of its orbit, it is expected to be completely out of the A-train neighborhood at the end of 2012. The CNES team will continue to coordinate operations with the A-Train Mission Operations Working Group to ensure safety.

PARASOL’s measurement of aerosols is based on polarization, so is unique within the existing A-Train. Its departure leaves a data gap that will be filled when Glory (also a polarization spectrometer) launches in 2010. Cross-calibration between Glory and PARASOL, to merge the 2 datasets into a single long-term trending dataset, will take longer with PARASOL in a different orbit.

Steven Platnick, Acting Earth Observing System Project Scientist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. said, “With its novel combination of polarimetry and multiangle capabilities, PARASOL continues to provide a unique and important perspective on cloud and aerosol properties. More important, as a strong complement to other A-Train instruments, POLDER has contributed to an unprecedented data set that will be studied for years to come.”

CNES launched PARASOL into the A-Train orbit in December 2004. For the past five years, PARASOL, originally designed to be a 2-year mission, flew within ~30 seconds of the CALIPSO and CloudSat satellites.

For more information click here

Source: NASA
and eoportal

In what might seem rather appropriate weather conditions, the CryoSat-2 Earth Explorer satellite has completed its journey to the Baikonur launch site in Kazakhstan, where it will be prepared for launch on 25 February.

The satellite and support equipment left the ‘IABG’ test centre in Ottobrunn, Germany, by lorry on 12 January. The CryoSat mission is dedicated to precise monitoring of the changes in the thickness of marine ice floating in the polar oceans and variations in the thickness of the vast ice sheets that overlay Greenland and Antarctica. With much of Europe still in the grip of one of the coldest winters for some years, the icy conditions aptly set the stage for this first leg of CryoSat-2’s journey.

After arriving at Munich airport, the containers were loaded onto an Antonov aircraft. Along with team members from ESA and their industrial partner for CryoSat-2, EADS-Astrium, the Antonov took off in the early evening bound for Ulyanovsk, a city some 900 km east of Moscow, Russia. Once through customs clearance at Ulyanovsk, the aircraft continued the journey to the Baikonur Cosmodrome.

The weather was –12°C and fine on arrival. Safely cocooned in its thermally controlled container, CryoSat-2 and accompanying cargo were offloaded and moved to the integration facility. The launch campaign team will now spend the next six weeks preparing the satellite for launch. CryoSat-2 will be launched by a Dnepr rocket – a converted intercontinental ballistic missile – on 25 February at 14:57 CET (13:57 UT).

With the effects of a changing climate fast becoming apparent, particularly in the polar regions, it is increasingly important to understand exactly how Earth’s ice fields are responding. Diminishing ice cover is frequently cited as an early casualty of global warming and because ice, in turn, plays an important role regulating climate and sea level, the consequences of change are far-reaching.

In order to understand fully how climate change is affecting these remote but sensitive regions, there remains an urgent need to determine exactly how the thickness of the ice, both on land and floating in the sea, is changing. By addressing this challenge, the data delivered by the CryoSat mission will complete the picture and lead to a better understanding of the role ice plays in the Earth system.

Following on from GOCE and SMOS, CryoSat-2 will be the third of ESA’s Earth Explorers launched within 12 months, marking a significant step in ESA’s dedication to improving our understanding of the Earth system.

“Source ESA”: http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEM1UZLJ74G_index_0.html

News from ITT VIS

ENVI EX:Enhance Your GIS with Imagery

To add information from imagery to your GIS, you need more than just image analysis software. You need a software solution that integrates with your existing software tools.

ENVI EX is the image analysis software for GIS users. It’s designed specifically with your needs in mind and is seamlessly integrated with ArcGIS, the software tool you already use and trust.

A tight integration with ArcGIS means you can:

  • Easily drag and drop data and layer files from ArcGIS to ENVI EX

*GeoLink to ArcMap to synchronize the geolocation of the display in both products
*Work with ArcGIS layers in ENVI EX and maintain the same symbology, styling, and rendering

Source ITT

With the world becoming ever more interconnected and interdependent, governments are exploring new ways of collaborating with one another on common goals. (reprinted at earthzine website December09 from MEA Bulletin September08)

The Group on Earth Observation is co-chaired by China, the European Commission (EC), South Africa and the United States. They are represented by Dr. Zheng Guoguang, Administrator of the China Meteorological Administration; Ms Manuela Soares, Environment Director in the EC’s Research Directorate General; Dr. Phil Mjwara, Director General of the Department of Science and Technology, South Africa; and Ms Sherburne Abbott, Associate Director for Environment, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Ms. Abbott was chair of the Washington meeting.

The 2009-2011 GEO Work plan
• Users were given access to the world’s largest collection of land surface imagery – including Global Landsat data – via the Land Surface Imaging portal;
• A new digital topographical map of the Earth was made publicly available to respond to the critical need for a comprehensive, highly accurate, fully consistent, and freely available global Digital Elevation Model (ASTER GDEM);
• The principle of “universal access” to the International Charter on Space and Major Disasters was endorsed by space agencies. In 2008, 45 GEO Member countries still did not have Authorized User status to the Charter;
• World seismic information strongly progressed towards free availability at minimum time delay. Access to the complete Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data holdings was granted through the Supersite website. Over 170 geological datasets were made available by 40 nations through the OneGeology Portal;
• Major global reanalysis datasets were released by national and international numerical weather and climate centers in Europe, Japan and the USA;
• Satellite data records were expanded through the launch of the Japanese Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite “IBUKI” (GOSAT) satellite and the development of a new Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) virtual constellation to provide ocean biology and bio-geochemistry products;
• Near-real time and archived measurements of remotely-sensed ocean-color products and seasurface temperature (SST) were made available for South America, Africa and the Indian Ocean through the ChloroGIN portal;
• Numerous global runoff data sets and products were made available through the newly-reworked Global Runoff Data Centre (GRDC) website – including time series of daily and/or monthly river discharge data of more than 7,300 stations from 156 countries over a period of around 38 years;
• Long-record (quasi-)global precipitation climatology datasets were made available by the Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (GPCC), the Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP), and the TRMM Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (TMPA);
TIGGE – a global database of ensemble weather forecasts originating from 10 major numerical centers (Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Japan, Korea, UK, USA and ECMWF) – was made a free resource for high-impact weather research in early warning and societal applications”

At the global level, they are pursuing the renewal and restructuring of the 60-year-old United Nations system. In the field of environmental governance, for example, diplomats are debating whether to maintain the current sprawl of stand-alone treaties and specialized bodies or to fold them all into a comprehensive World Environment Organization.

At the regional level, from the European Union to the African Union to ASEAN, neighboring countries are continually reviewing their governance structures in an effort to better address changing conditions.

Meanwhile, as fresh issues and opportunities for cooperation arise, governments often face proposals for new institutions to manage them. Concern over the large number of existing organizations and mandates, however, has convinced many governments to “go slow” on creating new institutions.

Strengthening Earth Observations

One global issue that has recently gained traction is the need for better information about environmental change. Improved Earth observations are essential for tackling global warming, biodiversity loss, resource depletion and other barriers to sustainable development.

Fortunately, new technologies and increased investments in both satellite and in-situ monitoring systems are generating vast quantities of high-quality data and analyses about the Earth system. Joining these national assets together to form an interconnected “system of systems” would enable governments to pool their data and resources, coordinate investments and fill information gaps.

Recognizing this, governments and international organizations have joined forces to proactively build a Global Earth Observation System of Systems, or GEOSS. By making diverse monitoring instruments and analytical tools “interoperable,” GEOSS will give decisions-makers greater access to cross-cutting environmental information and decision-support tools.

Collaborating on GEOSS is attractive to the scientific community because the Earth itself is a system of systems. Modelers increasingly seek to “couple” systems to see how, for example, the atmosphere and the oceans interact with one another. Because GEOSS cuts across disciplines, information on climate and water, or on biodiversity and agriculture, can be integrated for a more comprehensive understanding of the complex changes occurring in the global environment.

Collaborating on GEOSS is also attractive to governments. Simply stated, no single government can afford on its own to build and maintain an Earth observation system as comprehensive and ambitious as GEOSS. Collaborating with other governments reduces costs, advances scientific understanding and makes it easier to solve the very real problems that all governments face: a win-win-win proposition.

Forming a Group

The benefits of collaborating on GEOSS are clear, but what form should this collaboration take? The answer hit upon in 2005 was to rely on an extremely flexible form of governance embodied by the Group on Earth Observations, or GEO.

As suggested by the informal moniker “Group,” GEO has a limited legal identity based on a multilaterally agreed 10-Year Implementation Plan. While GEO has established a small secretariat to facilitate collaboration, its financial and contractual commitments are managed through one of GEO’s Participating Organizations (the World Meteorological Organization). Contributions to the secretariat’s budget are strictly voluntary. The staff consists largely of experts seconded from governments and organizations for two or three years. Overhead is reduced by working in English only and limiting the amount of documentation for meetings.

GEO is an intergovernmental body, but its 80 [75 in 2008 ] Members (consisting of national governments and the EC) are joined by 57 [51 in 2008] Participating Organizations. Although the conclusion of the 10-Year Plan in 2015 does not constitute a sunset clause, it does make it easier to phase out the Group should governments decide that it has completed its mission.

Collaboration on networking the world’s Earth observation systems takes place through specific “Tasks.” Tasks are informal arrangements led and implemented by all governments and organizations willing to participate.

Governments and organizations also “contribute” their national systems, instruments, services and tools – known as “components” – to GEOSS.

This flexible and completely voluntary approach is working: a Ministerial Summit held in Cape Town last November [2007] “note[d] with satisfaction the numerous contributions and early achievements made by Members and Participating Organizations towards the 10-Year GEOSS Implementation Plan …”

Free Riders And Competition

How widely applicable is the GEO model? For many issues, such a voluntary collaboration clearly would not work. In particular, organizations and treaties that confront the problems of free riders and non-compliance may require binding commitments. In the area of sustainable development and environmental change, this is particularly true when it comes to protecting the global commons.

For example, it is unlikely that global releases of CFCs would have been brought under control if the Montreal Protocol had been conceived as a voluntary agreement; some governments may have been tempted to reap the rewards of ozone protection without paying the costs of switching over to ozone-safe chemicals. Or take the public-health example of containing infectious diseases such as influenza; unless all countries firmly commit to collaborating, the disease could find a foothold in an uncooperative country before spreading around the world. The purely voluntary approach of GEO may not work for such issues.

But many governments are clearly pleased to contribute their Earth observation resources to a common effort that supports the global public good. The wealthy nations of the G8, in particular, have repeatedly highlighted the importance of GEOSS in their annual declarations, most recently at their 2008 Summit in Hokkaido, Japan. Emerging economic powers such as Brazil, China, the Republic of Korea and South Africa have also become firm supporters. While potential competition over security issues or commerce cannot be completely ignored, the spirit of voluntary collaboration remains strong. Meanwhile, countries that do not join GEO can still reap many of the benefits, and their preference to free ride on GEOSS does not generate unacceptable costs or disincentives for GEO’s active Members.

GEO, then, is a governance structure that is well suited to its time and purpose. It demonstrates that a light touch and minimal formality may be all that governments need to collaborate on certain ambitious endeavors. As the world community itself moves increasingly towards “interoperability,” it is a model well worth considering.

By Michael Williams, posted on December 14th, 2009 “Earthzine“http://www.earthzine.org/2009/12/14/geo-an-experiment-in-governance/
MEA Bulletin – Guest Article No. 53 –Thursday, 11 September 2008. Reprinted with permission at earthzine

DigitalGlobe’s WorldView-2 Reaches Full Operational Capability on Schedule

Longmont, Colo., January 4, 2010 – DigitalGlobe (NYSE: DGI), a leading global provider of commercial high-resolution world imagery products and services for defense and intelligence, civil government, and commercial customers, announced today that its latest high-resolution satellite, WorldView-2, has achieved full operational capability. Imagery from the satellite is now available to global resellers, partners, and customers.

Launched on October 8, 2009, WorldView-2 joins DigitalGlobe’s existing sub-meter satellites, QuickBird and WorldView-1, on orbit. WorldView-2 significantly expands the constellation’s collection capacity, enabling an annual imaging capacity equivalent to three times the area of earth’s land mass, and allows for intraday revisit, providing customers with the most timely, relevant imagery available in the commercial market. WorldView-2 is also the industry’s first commercial high-resolution satellite to offer eight multispectral bands, which provide more spectral information and allow for greater analysis capabilities, including improved feature identification and change detection.

“Today’s achievement is an exciting milestone for both DigitalGlobe and the satellite imagery industry as a whole,” said Jill Smith, chairman and chief executive officer of DigitalGlobe. “Our three satellite constellation, together with our comprehensive ImageLibrary, will enable us to provide our customers with more comprehensive high-resolution imagery coverage of the world faster than ever before. The innovation offered by WorldView-2, including industry leading agility and the unique eight multispectral bands, will bring new value to the earth imaging industry and imagery’s every day users.”

To learn more about DigitalGlobe’s advanced constellation of sub-meter satellites, please visit www.digitalglobe.com.

About DigitalGlobe
DigitalGlobe (http://www.digitalglobe.com) is a leading global provider of commercial high-resolution earth imagery products and services. Sourced from our own advanced satellite constellation, our imagery solutions support a wide variety of uses within defense and intelligence, civil agencies, mapping and analysis, environmental monitoring, oil and gas exploration, infrastructure management, internet portals and navigation technology. With our collection sources and comprehensive ImageLibrary (containing more than 810 million square kilometers of earth imagery and imagery products) we offer a range of on- and off-line products and services designed to enable customers to easily access and integrate our imagery into their business operations and applications. For more information, please visit www.digitalglobe.com.

Mid Dec 2009


Successful launch of Yaogan 8

Dec 16: China launched again a remote-sensing satellite, “Yaogan VIII,” from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern Gansu Province.

The satellite was successfully launched into the space on a Long March 4C carrier rocket, the center reported.

It will be mainly used for scientific experiment, land resources survey, crop yield estimates and disaster prevention and reduction, according to the center.

The launch of the Yaogan series of remote sensing satellites started in 2006 with Yaogan 1. In 2007 no. 2 to no. 4, in 2008 no. 5 was launched and this year no.6, 7 and 8.

Source: Space Mart / RIA Novosti

Succerful Launch of Yaogan 7

Dec14: China launched Wednesday a remote-sensing satellite, “Yaogan VII,” from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern Gansu Province.

The satellite was successfully launched into the space on a Long March 2D carrier rocket at 4:42 p.m., the center reported.

It will be mainly used for scientific experiment, land resources survey, crop yield estimates and disaster prevention and reduction, according to the center.

The launch of the Yaogan series of remote sensing satellites started in 2006 with Yaogan 1. In 2007 no. 2 to no. 4, in 2008 no. 5 was launched and this year no.6 and 7.

Source: Space Mart / XNA

Successful launch of a new generation of spy satellites

Japan launched end Nov09 a next-generation spy satellite as part of efforts to beef up its surveillance system against the threat of North Korea’s missiles, officials said.

An H-2A rocket carrying the nation’s No. 3 Information Gathering Satellite was launched Saturday morning from Tanegashima Space Centre on Tanegashima island, southwestern Japan, the officials said.

The government-run satellite will replace the first model, with an advanced optical device to distinguish objects on the ground with a resolution of some 60 centimetres (24 inches), the officials and local media said.

Japan currently operates two optical satellites and a radar satellite, while planning to add another radar satellite by March 2013 to complete the system so that it will be able to monitor designated places on the Earth once a day.

Credits: SpaceWar

United Nations for Space-based Information for Disaster management and Emergency Response


1. UNOOSA staff bridge climate change mitigation and space-based technology at COP15

Amidst the recent global climate change talks, UNOOSA demonstrated its commitment to and involvement in climate change issues by participating in the Copenhagen United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP15), from 7 to 18 December 2009. During the first week of the conference, Mr. Sergei Chernikov attended the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) plenary meetings and participated as a panelist in the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) organized event on the role of land under the new climate change policy framework. Following suit, Mr. Lóránt Czárán and others participated in the second week of the conference, which witnessed a VIP surge, and intense high level negotiating sessions. UNOOSA set up an exhibition booth as well as a demonstration space at the central UNFCCC “iSeeT” Kiosk, showcasing the UN-SPIDER programme’s activities to various ministry representatives and organizations. Most importantly, UNOOSA was allotted time to give a presentation on “Space-based Information for Climate Change Mitigation and Disaster Management” in the central presentation space of the Kiosk. UNOOSA staff also participated in a number of side events and managed to establish tight links and future cooperation prospects with various United Nations agencies as well as ministries and governmental representatives.

2. UN-SPIDER 2010-2011 Workplan approved by Member States

On 10 December 2009, in its resolution A/RES/64/86, the United Nations General Assembly endorsed the UN-SPIDER programme workplan for the biennium 2010-2011 (as presented in document A/AC.105/937) and noted with satisfaction the progress made in the implementation of the platform programme for the period 2007-2009. Being a global programme with a growing network of Regional Support Offices, having a detailed workplan contributes to ensuring close coordination of activities and synergy-building, taking advantage of the many opportunities being implemented regionally. To download the 2010-2011 workplan >> UNOOSA”:http://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/unspider/about_us.html

3. COPUOS S&T to consider UN-SPIDER Progress and Planned Activities

During the upcoming forty-seventh session of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS), delegates will consider the progress of the implementation of the UN-SPIDER Programme under the agenda item on “Disaster Management Support”. UN-SPIDER has organised two side meetings: On February 9, 13:00 to 18:00, the UN-SPIDER Regional Support Offices Meeting will bring together representatives of the current and planned RSOs. The UN-SPIDER Stakeholders Meeting on February 10, 13:00 to 15:00, will be open to all delegates interested in learning about UN-SPIDER activities.
Contact person: Mr. Ahmed Osman (Ahmed.Osman@unoosa.org)

4. UN-SPIDER conducts Technical Advisory Mission to Jamaica

During the first week of December 2009, UN-SPIDER conducted a Technical Advisory Mission (TAM) to Jamaica together with one expert from the Panama-based institute CATHALAC and one expert from the University of the West Indies in Trinidad and Tobago. The main purpose was to assess the current capacities of institutions regarding access and use of space-based information for disaster-risk reduction and response in order to suggest a variety of measures to strengthen such institutional capacities. The mission included meetings with representatives of more than 20 institutions from the Government, international organizations including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and academia, in particular the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), the Office for Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), and the Spatial Data Management Division of the Office of the Prime Minister. For more information >> www.un-spider.org

5. UN-SPIDER participates in the 4th Caribbean Conference on Comprehensive Disaster Management

The 4th Caribbean Conference on Comprehensive Disaster Management took place in Montego Bay, from 7 to 11 December, 2009. Bringing together more than 250 experts and practitioners from the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe, and the Pacific Islands, the conference served as a setting to celebrate the first Caribbean conference which was conducted in Jamaica in 1984. Recognizing the relevance of this regional conference, UN-SPIDER was represented by two staff members, and facilitated the participation of Carlene Boodoo, a Masters student at the University of the West Indies in Trinidad and Tobago. For more information >> www.un-spider.org

6. Technical Advisory Mission conducted in Fiji

Upon request from the Government of Fiji, UN-SPIDER conducted a TAM in parallel with the Pacific Islands GIS and Remote Sensing conference in Suva, Fiji, from 1 to 4 December. Meetings were conducted with the Permanent Secretary for Provincial Development and Multi-Ethnic Affairs, officials of the National Disaster Management Office and experts from the Land Department, Mineral Resources Department (Seismology Section), Hydrology Department, SOPAC (Secretariat of Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission), UNDP, UN-OCHA and PDC. These meetings provided insight into the availability of capacity within the Government of Fiji to use space-based information for disaster management and understanding of the gaps that need to be strengthened. Fiji was hit by tropical cyclone “Mick” (TC Mick) on 13 December. The links developed by UN-SPIDER during this mission helped Fiji to activate opportunities to access satellite images and cover areas affected by TC Mick.

7. Technical Advisory Mission conducted in Samoa

Back-to-back with the mission in Fiji, a TAM was also organized in Samoa from 7 to 11 December. The mission team, which was joined by an expert from SOPAC (Secretariat of Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission), evaluated the availability of space-based information and international support during tsunami response. Necessary information was gathered during discussions with officials from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (National Disaster Management Office, Mapping Section, Global Environment Facility (GEF) and World Bank consultants etc.), the Meteorology Department, United Nations Offices [United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), World Health Organization (WHO), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)] and regional organizations such as Conservation International, Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP). Reports emerging from this mission, containing an evaluation of international support to provide space-based information during tsunami response and recommendations about spatial data infrastructure, capacity building and opportunities to access space based information, will
be made available to relevant organizations in Samoa. Contact person: Mr. Shirish Ravan (shirish.ravan@unoosa.org)

8. Fifth UN-SPIDER Regional Support Office established in Algeria

The third African Leadership Conference on Space Science and Technology for Sustainable Development opened on 7 December 2009 in Algiers with a signing ceremony between the Algerian Space Agency and the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs to establish a UN-SPIDER Regional Support Office (RSO). The head of UNOOSA’s delegation, Niklas Hedman, told conference participants that “today a large number of global and regional mechanisms and initiatives exist to support Member States in implementing the use of space tools and solutions.” With regard to UN-SPIDER’s work in forming a network of RSOs in Africa, he noted that “UN-SPIDER already has a productive working relationship with the Algerian Space Agency”, the most recent example of which was the provision of expert services by the Agency for a UN-SPIDER Technical Advisory Mission to Burkina Faso. UN-SPIDER is looking forward to deepening its relationships with the Algerian Space Agency based on this new agreement.
For further information >> www.unis.unvienna.org and >> http://www.asal-dz.org

9. UN OCHA Sri Lanka office launched new Map Atlas

OCHA is the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and one of its multiple mandates is the coordination of humanitarian response, policy development and humanitarian advocacy. To accomplish this mission OCHA produces, prints and distributes a wide range of geographic and thematic maps. OCHA works in cooperation with the Urban Development Authority and the Survey Department of Sri Lanka to provide accurate maps of the country. An important achievement of this cooperation is the OCHA Sri Lanka Map Atlas, which is a collection of all the main public map products created by OCHA Sri Lanka since 2005. The Map Atlas offers users both interactive and static maps with the possibility to browse through a full catalogue of all available products. Additional links to web-based resources are also provided.
For full article and access to Map Atlas go to >> www.hpsl.lk

Conferences and Workshops:

Calendar of Events with upcoming Conferences, Meetings and Events relevant to the area of space-based solutions for disaster management and emergency response. The Calendar can be viewed at:
http://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=h1a93vb3rk6ud1tvrequjsfk8s%40group.calendar.google.com

NIDMUNOOSA Workshop: Use of Space Technology for Disaster Risk Reduction, New Delhi, India, 11-13 January 2010

The aim of this programme is to sensitize the faculty members of state ATIs/SIRDs and other stakeholders involved in capacity building activities at national and state level for use of space technologies in disaster risk reduction activities. The workshop also aims at defining long-term needs of capacity building to ensure that use of space-based information is promoted at all levels.
For further information >> NIDM

Asian Conference on Disaster Reduction 2010, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan, 17-19 January 2010

The Asian Conference on Disaster Reduction 2010 (ACDR 2010) to be held in January 2010 will provide a good opportunity to review the progress made and achievements of the implementation of the priority actions of the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015 (HFA) and clarify specific issues
and challenges in achieving its goals in the remaining 5 years in Asia. Accordingly, the ACDR 2010 is expected to contribute to encouraging the strengthening of efforts and commitment for disaster risk reduction by each country in Asia. Furthermore, it aims at sharing good practices and common challenges for disaster risk reduction and building a more solid foundation of regional cooperation in Asia which will facilitate the realization of the societies which convey the experiences and lessons learned from past disasters, strengthen systems to be prepared for future disasters, and foster a “Culture of Disaster Prevention”.
For more information and registration >> ADRC

The 16th Session of the Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF-16), Phuket, Thailand, 26-29 January 2010

The APRSAF is designed to serve as an active forum to promote concrete cooperative activities to address common issues at the regional level with the aim to contribute toward solving problems not only of the Asia-Pacific region but also of the entire world, as well as to exploit space technology development and utilization for sustainable development of countries in the Asia-Pacific region. As usual, the APRSAF-16 is going to have the plenary session and sessions of the four working groups (WGs): Earth Observation (EO) WG, Communication Satellite Applications (CSA) WG, Space Education and Awareness (SEA) WG and Space Environment Utilization (SEU) WG. For more information and registration >> APRSAF

GI4DM 2010 Conference, February 2-4, 2010, Torino, Italy. Conference Theme: Remote Sensing And Geo-Information For Environmental Emergencies

Geomatics technologies are able to support management and recovery in the aftermath of manmade and natural disasters. However, disaster management also poses big challenges in all aspects of the geo-information cycle, from data acquisition, processing, management and delivery. For the sixth time, the International Symposium on Geo-information for Disaster Management (Gi4DM) brings together researchers, developers, data providers and users from all over the world to discuss these challenges. Papers that deal with any aspect of geomatics technologies suitable for crisis management are invited. Authors should focus on the methodologies, tools, functionality, and/or interfaces that are being or should be provided to National and/or International Organizations involved with crisis response and management. Invitation is also open for contributions that cover crisis management in any phase, intersection of phases, and/or integration of phases of Planning, Training, Mitigation, Detection, Alerting, Response, Recovery, and Assessment. (Source: GI4DM)
For more information >> www.gi4dm-2010.org

International Training Course on Application of Space Technology for Disaster Management Support with Emphasis on Geological Risk Management

The course will take place from 12 April until 7 May; the venue is the Indian Institute for Remote Sensing, Dehradun, India. It is being organized by the UN-affiliated CSSTEAP, the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, and ITC.
For more information >> CSSTEAP

Fourth Central Asia GIS Conference – GISCA 2010: Water: Life, Risk, Energy and Landuse – May 27-28, 2010, Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic

Call for Papers: The conference committee is inviting all those interested to submit scientific papers on the stated conference themes with a focus on the Central Asian Region by 1 March 2010. UNOOSA supported the previous GIS Conference in 2009 and will again provide support in 2010 recognising this event as the major Geospatial Conference in Central Asia. It will be an opportunity to meet with experts interested in working together in Central Asia.
For more information and registration >> GISCA10

Upcoming UN-SPIDER Outreach Activities:

Information on upcoming events planned or supported by UN-SPIDER can be obtained from the outreach activities section of the UN-SPIDER webpage:
http://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/unspider/workshops.html

Upcoming UN-SPIDER Events

UN-SPIDER Regional Workshop “Building Upon Regional Space-based Solutions for Disaster Management and Emergency Response for Africa”, 18-21 May 2010, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Upcoming Events Supported by UN-SPIDER

NIDMUNOOSA Workshop: Use of Space Technology for Disaster Risk Reduction, 11-13 January 2010, New Delhi, India

Asian Conference on Disaster Reduction 2010, 17-19 January 2010, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan

GI4DM 2010 Conference, 2-4 February 2010, Torino, Italy

Fourth Central Asia GIS Conference – GISCA 2010: Water: Life, Risk, Energy and Landuse, 27-28 May, 2010, Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic

The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) implements the decisions of the General Assembly and of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space and its two Subcommittees, the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee and the Legal Subcommittee. The Office is responsible for promoting international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space, and assisting developing countries in using space science and technology. Headquartered in Vienna, Austria, UNOOSA maintains a website at http://www.unoosa.org

In its resolution 61/110 of 14 December 2006 the United Nations General Assembly agreed to establish the “United Nations Platform for Space-based Information for Disaster Management and Emergency Response – UN-SPIDER” as a programme within UNOOSA. UN-SPIDER focuses on the need to ensure access to and use of space-based solutions during all phases of the disaster management cycle.

http://www.ungiwg.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/unspider

ESPI and Eurisy have launched a joint two-year project on how to foster European-African partnership on satellite applications for sustainable development in Africa. Numerous activities will be conducted by the two organisations in 2010 and 2011 with the goal of optimising the exploitation of space applications on the African continent.

Africa is in need for effective instruments supporting its efforts to achieve sustainable development. Satellite applications can be of tremendous benefit for achieving this goal. Europe is already providing assistance to Africa in this field but the efforts – through Eumetsat, ESA, national institutions or via the UN Space Applications Programme – have so far lacked a comprehensive strategy, a coherent coordination and a thorough consultation between the European and the African stakeholders. Especially on an operational level exchanges among user communities have to be encouraged. Calibration between user needs and service provider capabilities has to be improved and service provider requirements have to be met by space infrastructure.

The two-year project “Fostering a European-African Partnership for Sustainable Development in Africa through Satellite Applications” (European-African Partnership) is a joint initiative by ESPI and Eurisy, the European think tank on space policy and the European association facilitating the use of satellite services. Numerous activities will tackle the issues of strategy, coordination, cooperation and consultation in order to create a new impetus for European-African partnership in this field. The process will involve all relevant stakeholders and address in clear and precise ways the various levels: from the policy-makers to the final users. The first phase will investigate the policy aspects, the second phase will feature user consultations and stimulate cooperation among actors on the operational level.

For more information see the project leaflet (download here). The project will be led on ESPI’s side by Resident Fellow Christina Giannopapa.

The following activities are already foreseen:
10 February 2010: European-African Roundtable (at the occasion of the UNCOPUOS Scientific-Technical Subcommittee meeting) at ESPI in Vienna
26 May 2010: Workshop on drafting policy perspectives (strategy and coordination) at ESPI in Vienna
July 2010: Presentation of the policy perspectives to the EU Council Presidency in Brussels
14-15 October 2010: Conference “Development and cooperation in the Mediterranean region using satellite services”, Rabat (Morocco), led by Eurisy
April 2011, Conference, Central Africa led by Eurisy
October 2011, Conference, during the International Astronautical Congress 2011 taking place in Cape Town (South Africa), Eurisy, ESPI, IAF

Download:
20100114 EurisyESPI_for_Africa.pdf