The UN-SPIDER Mission was carried with 12 experts: Stefan Kienberger (University of Salzburg), Pedro Cabral (University of Lisbon), Artur Gil (University of the Azores), Jen Ziemke (Crisis Mappers Network), Oludoton Babeyemi (Crisis Mappers Network Nigeria), Ivan Barbosa (INPE), Isi Ikhuoria (RECTAS), Godstime James (RSO Nigeria / NASRDA), Agnieszka Lukaszczyk (Secure World Foundation), Frederic Bastide (Space Generation Advisory Council), David Stevens (UNOOSA), Markus Woltran (UNOOSA).
The mission started off with an institutional visit to the hosting National Civil Protection Service, including a lecture from the weather institute in Cape Verde. Further visits during the course of the mission were made to UNDP Cape Verde, the University of Cape Verde, the National Institute for Agricultural Development (INIDA) and other institutions involved in Cape Verde’s disaster and disaster risk management efforts. A national workshop was organized bringing together nearly 50 experts of the Cape Verdean disaster management community, communication institutes, cartography institution, and military. The mission was wrapped up with a debriefing with the UN Country Coordinator of Cape Verde and the director of SNPC representing the government of Cape Verde.
In general, the Mission team recommended that Cape Verde raise awareness of geospatial technologies and space-based information in the context of disaster and risk management and enhance capacity building efforts for the effective use of this information. Furthermore, data sharing among institutions should be enhanced. More specifically, the following recommendations were made:
- Strengthen the National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, specifically with regard to the incorporation of space-based technologies
- Enhance information sharing in the context of SIT (territorial information system)
- Ensure the use of space-based information in the development of a vulnerability map in a joint effort with UNDP
- Strengthen the link to the International Charter and GMES for Africa
- Establish a list of the user groups of space-based information in Cape Verde
