United Nations/Islamic Republic of Iran Workshop on the Space Technology Applications for Drought, Flood and Water Resource Management

Introduction

Space-based applications related to Earth Observation and geospatial data play an important role in supporting disaster risk reduction, response, and recovery efforts through providing accurate and timely information for decision-makers. Monitoring floods, drought conditions and water resource environments using satellite remote sensing (RS) technologies have become more essential recently in particular for developing countries.

This workshop will address the use of space technologies (remote sensing, telecommunication and global navigation satellite systems) for various applications in natural disaster managements that can provide sustainable social and economic benefits. Current and planned projects/research that use space-based technologies for both practical applications and scientific explorations will be presented. Cooperative efforts and international partnerships for capacity-building, training and research will be discussed.

 

Background and Objectives

The workshop will be held in Tehran, Iran, from 9 to 11 August 2021, in a virtual format, hosted by the Iranian Space Agency (ISA). The workshop will explore how current space technologies help to identify and monitor the effects of a changing climate – including the onset of drought, flash floods and generally water resources conditions as a result of global climate change in particular on an international and regional scale. The discussions at the Workshop will also be linked to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its targets set out for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The main objectives of the Workshop are, therefore, to promote collaborative research, identification of challenges and provide recommendations to enhance regional efforts towards disaster management and emergency response.

 

Workshop Program and Expected Outcomes

The specific objectives of the workshop will be:

1. Introduce latest applications of space-based technologies to the management of natural resources, environment, as well as disaster management, in particular for drought, flood and water resources;
2. Promote the greater exchange of experiences on space-based applications projects related to water resources at national and/or regional scales;
3. Encourage greater cooperation among stakeholders of disaster management to promote partnerships within the region;
4. Define recommendations and findings to be forwarded as a contribution to the Office for Outer Space Affairs, in forging partnerships to strengthen and deliver capacity-building on satellite remote sensing and other technologies for disaster risk reduction and management.

The expected outcomes of the workshop are:

1. Recommendations and findings on the use of space technology for benefit of the Workshop participants;
2. Facilitate the partnerships between countries in the region and international networks;
3. Define road map to address issues and concerns identified during the workshop
4. Nurture the ideas of pilot projects and research to strengthen collaboration at a regional scale.

The provisional agenda can be found at the bottom of this page.

 

Participation Requirements

The workshop is being planned for disaster management professionals, technical experts, researchers and educators from international, regional, national and local institutions, academic institutions, multi-lateral and bilateral development agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) as well as from private industry. Experts and professionals will be invited, providing an opportunity to exchange views and strengthen networks and partnerships that will contribute to the increased use of space-based technology solutions for drought, flood and water resource management. Applicants must have a university degree and have a well-established professional working experience in a field related to the theme of the workshop. Applicants should be in managerial, decision-making, technical or academic positions within government agencies, international, regional and national institutions, universities, NGOs or private industry with responsibilities for carrying out programs or projects in the areas related to the themes of the workshop.

 

Language of the Workshop

The only working language of the workshop will be English.

 

Access to presentations and recordings of the sessions on YouTube:

Session 1: National, regional and international initiatives for Flood and Drought Monitoring (YouTube link)

Adam Fysh, United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), GAR Special Report on Drought

Dr. Giriraj Amarnath, International Water Management Institute and Coordinator of the UN-SPIDER Regional Support Office, Managing water varialbility, from floods to droughts

Session 2: Space technology for ecosystem health, drought and flood monitoring, early warning, preparedness and response (YouTube link part 1 / YouTube link part 2)

Dr.Saeid Hamzeh, Associate Professor of Remote Sensing and GIS, Faculty of Geography, University of Tehran, Drought monitoring in Iran using remote sensing data

Veena Shashikant et al, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Utilizing TVDI and NDWI to classify severity of agricultural drought in Chuping, Malaysia

Prof. Masahiro Tasumi, P.E.Jp. , Agricultural Engineer, University of Miyazaki, Application of Satellite Remote Sensing to Regional Agriculture and Water Resource Management

Prof. Nishakant Ojha, Broadcast Engineering Consultants India Limited, Space technologies for early warning, preparedness and response

Prof. Mohammadreza Mobasheri, KNToosi university of technology, Tehran, Heat island detection on 4meters spatial resolution

Efrem Ferrari, World Bank Group, The Afghanistan Drought Early Warning Decision Support Tool (AF-DEWS): an online platform combining satellite-based earth observation with weather forecasting

Session 3: Vulnerability mapping and risk analysis of sand & dust storm (YouTube link)

Dr. Ali Darvishi Boloorani, Department of Remote Sensing and GIS, Faculty of Geography, University of Tehran, Geoinformatics for Sand and Dust Storm Study - A vulnerability mapping and risk analysis procedure.

Mr Amin Shamseddini, Contributing to a broader understanding of climate-related disaster risk through information management, the case of sand and dust storms in Asia and the Pacific

Dr. Ali Abkar, Managing Director, AgriWatch BV, Enschede, Netherlands, Geospatial-based information for agricultural drought monitoring in the sandy soil of the Eastern Netherlands

Dr. (Ms) Saviz Sehat, Atmospheric Science and Meteorological Research Center (ASMERC), Sand and dust storm risk assessment over West Asia

Marwan Koudmani, Remote Sensing and Space Sciences Office (RSSSO), Space technology applications for drought, flood, water resources management and early warning systems in Syria

Session 4: Earth Observation and environmental modelling for flood and water resources management in the context of global climate change (YouTube link)

Ms Valerie Graw, Institute of Geography, Ruhr University Bochum, Data availability vs data demand - The challenges of space-based monitoring to support national disaster risk management

Liu Ming and Ms Liao Hanqi National Disaster Reduction Centre of China, Application of Chinese satellite in drought and flood disaster and The application of multi-model risk assessment in natural disaster risk trend analysis

Jiancheng Shi, Senior research scientist, Satellite constellation for water cycle and global change studies          

Jainta Chomtoranin et al, Department of Economics, University of Birmingham, Deepwater rice field detection: Re-evaluating the 2011 flood in Thailand

Dr.Talbot Brooks, Delta State University and Coordinator of the UN-SPIDER Regional Support Office, Use of thermal remote sensing to improve irrigation system efficiency

Taiwo Ogunwumi, United Nation University, Institute of Environmental Risk and Human Security, Multi‑criteria modelling of drought: a study of Brandenburg Federal State, Germany

Session 5: Geoinformatics applications in water resources management; challenges and opportunities (YouTube link)

David Stevens, Resilient Expert (Formerly with UNOOSA and UNDRR), Use of Space-based Information to Support Global Frameworks – Aiming at risk-centred climate sensitive development

Dr. Ms.Sara Attarchi, Department of Remote Sensing and GIS, Faculty of Geography, UT, Sentinel 1 time series for flood mapping; case study: North of Iran

Funmilola A. Oluwafemi, National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Nigeria, Improving the Water Sector through Space Technology for Water Resource Management

Hamed Sabzchi Dehkharghani, University of Tabriz, Faculty of agriculture, Department of water engineering, Recognition of Different Yield Potentials among Rain-fed Wheat Fields before Harvest Using Remotely Sensing

Suhail Ahmed and Dr. Arjumand Zaidi, USA-Pakistan Center for Advanced Studies in Water, Mehran University Jamshoro, Sindh Pakistan, Estimation of Water Consumption and Wheat's Crop Water Productivity in the Shikarpur District by Remote Sensing

Dr Mohammad Farooq, SUPARCO, Pakistan, Coordinator of the UN-SPIDER Regional Support Office, Probabilistic Flood Hazard Assessment using 2D Flood Modeling approaches

Session 6: Advocacy Session: Institutional strengthening and preparedness for improving disaster management risk assessment (Strategies to raise cooperation among public and private stakeholders of disasters management in an international, national and regional scale) (YouTube link)

And Dr.Abbas Ostadtaghizadeh, Assistant Professor and Head, Department of Health in Disasters and Emergencies, School of Public Health,UT, Disaster Management in Iran. A review on policies, strategies and plans

Dr. Arash Malekian, International Coordinator of Special Reporting Committee on Iran Floods 2019, University of Tehran, Iran, Special Reporting Committee on Iran Floods 2019

Sajjad Ghazanfarina, founder of fazadotir(startup on space education & outreach), Affordable Space Solution for Water Related Disaster Management

Mehdi Rahnama, Smart Water Management Tools Based on Integrated flood and Drought management

 

 

Points of Contact

United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs:                   Iranian Space Agency:

Ms Alice Bourdet                                                                  Ms. Fatemeh Fereydooni

aAlice.bourdet [at] un.org (lice[dot]bourdet[at]un[dot]org)                                                       Phone: +982188538916

            and                                                                           E-mail: uniranworkshop2021 [at] isa.ir (uniranworkshop2021[at]isa[dot]ir)

Dr. Shirish Ravan                                                                                          

Phone: +43 699 1459 5293                                                        

E-mail: shirish.ravan [at] un.org (shirish[dot]ravan[at]un[dot]org)