For information only - not an official document
UNIS/OS/399
2 July 2010
The United Nations Highlights Geoinformation Solutions to Reduce the Number and Impact of Disasters
VIENNA, 2 July (UN Information Service) - The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and the Joint Board of Geospatial Information Societies (JBGIS) have launched a joint publication "Geoinformation for Disaster and Risk Management", which publicizes examples and best practices from around the world on managing risk and disaster situations, such as earthquakes, tsunami, floods, volcanic eruptions, dust storms and wildfires on the occasion of the Centenary Congress of the International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS).
Through the ground-breaking publication, UNOOSA aims to raise awareness among Governments, disaster management professionals and other decision-makers of the potential uses of geoinformation technologies to reduce the impact of natural disasters and support decision-making in all phases of disaster management, prevention and mitigation as well as immediate response and recovery.
According to UNOOSA's Takao Doi, UN Expert on Space Applications, the publication is a "must-read" for all decision-makers involved in risk and disaster management, as it clearly shows that "those technologies offer little-known and rarely-used solutions that could help us reduce disaster risks and losses and mitigate damages to livelihoods and property associated with disasters". Reflecting on the recent disasters in Guatemala, Pakistan and Kenya, he adds: "Thousands of lives could have been saved if we had better information about when such disasters may happen and what course they would take".
For further information, please contact:
Jamshid Gaziyev
Associate Programme Officer, UNOOSA
Telephone: (+43-1) 26060-4958
Email: jamshid.gaziyev [at] unoosa.org
David Stevens
UN-SPIDER Programme Coordinator
Telephone: (+43-1) 26060-5631
Email: david.stevens [at] unoosa.org
