This Institutional Strengthening Mission included a training course aimed to raise awareness of decisionmakers and local staff of the benefits of space-based information for disaster management and further aimed to increase the capacities of the institutions' staff to use space-based technology for disaster management. It took place from 5 May to 9 May 2013.
The training course, which was part of the Institutional Strengthening Mission, was kicked off with a one-day awareness-raising workshop on 5 May 2013 and was followed by a four-day training course. Over 120 participants from the government, NGOs, academia, United Nations organizations and private companies in Sudan participated in the first day’s workshop. About 20 participants from the Remote Sensing Authority, the Meteorological Service, the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation of Sudan and the national UNDP and WFP Offices attended the subsequent training course.
On 5 August 2014 the International Charter: Space and Major Disasters was activated for floods in Sudan at the request of the UNITAR/UNOSAT on behalf of UNOCHA. The mechanism will provide space-based maps of the affected area.
Flood, caused by several weeks of heavy rain, has caused 20 casualties and made 6,000 individuals homeless, as 3,000 houses were destroyed and more than 2,000 affected.
In 2003, 2007 and 2013, Sudan was particularly harshly affected by flash floods that displaced hundreds of thousands of people. In order to better prepare and warn farmers of flood events, they need access to real-time information and they need to be able to exchange and apply the information.
Due to heavy rain and floods in Sudan, the International Charter was activated on 6 August 2013 in order to aid and support emergency responders in the country with space-based information. Many areas of Sudan have suffered the effects of the floods but the most affected has been Khartoum State, where 38 people have been killed, dozens more are left injured and 7,259 homes have been destroyed.
A workshop and training course on space-based technologies for disaster risk management are being held from 5 to 9 May 2013 in Khartoum, Sudan. Both events are organized jointly by UN-SPIDER and their partners the Remote Sensing Authority (RSA), the National Center for Research (NCR) of Sudan and the Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD).
Its mission is to provide weather and climate information and services of quality to help decision-makers to plan and take action to ensure food security, poverty reduction and a sustainable development. The Meteorological Authority furthermore works on the development early warning systems for disaster prevention, environmental conservation, adaptation to climate change and to stop the degradation of forests and land.
It is the apex body in the Sudanese Government to coordinate disaster management in the country. The Council is composed of 16 Ministries, the Governor of Khartoum State and the Civil Defense Administration. It is the main decision maker in case of disasters.
The Remote Sensing Authority (RSA) in Sudan was established in 1977, as a National Remote sensing Center (NRSC) within the National Council for Research, Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. In 1996 the Remote Sensing Center was renamed to Remote Sensing Authority and affiliated to the National Center for Research, Ministry of Science and Technology.
The development of the agriculture is very important for the success of the Sudan’s aims to reduce poverty, increase the economic growth and achieve a sustainable development in the country. Therefore, the Ministry of Agriculture is responsible for implementing policies that allow a sustainable development, ensure food and fight against poverty.
The Ministry of Health is focusing on the provision of equitable and quality health services that meet the Sudanese people’s expectations and needs, promote their health, improve their quality of life, and permit them to lead a dignified and prosperous life. Health is at the centre of the country’s development policy using best available evidence and efficient utilization of resources.