May 2009

                                                           UN-SPIDER May 2009 Updates

In this issue:

UN-SPIDER News

• UN-SPIDER participates in disaster risk reduction regional platform in the Americas
• UN-SPIDER facilitates access to satellite imagery for disasters in Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan
• United Nations launches first Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction
• Pacific Disaster Risk Management Partnership Network holds fourth annual meeting
• Satellite data can suggest when and where epidemics will strike next
• Satellite imagery shows fragile Wilkins Ice Shelf destabilised
• Protecting rescue workers deployed In a catastrophe
• NOAA announces new cooperative institute for climate and satellites

Conferences and Workshops

• 3rd Central Asia GIS Conference - GISCA’09, “GIScience for Environmental and Emergency Management in Central Asia”, in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, 27-28 August 2009
• AfricaGIS 2009: “Geo-spatial Information and Sustainable Development in Africa” in Kampala, Uganda, 26-30 October 2009
• “3rd International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) African Regional Conference” in Abuja, Nigeria, 24-26 November 2009
• Pacific Islands GIS&RS User Conference 2009, in Suva, Fiji, 1-4 December 2009
• Upcoming UN-SPIDER Outreach Activities:
• UN-SPIDER Regional Workshop "Promoting the Use of Space-based Solutions for Disaster Management and Emergency Response in Latin America", Quito, Ecuador, 29 September – 2 October 2009
• Third United Nations International UN-SPIDER Bonn Workshop: "From Concepts to Application", in Bonn, Germany, 21-23 October 2009
• "6th UN-wide Meeting on the Use of Space Technologies for Emergency Response and Humanitarian Assistance", in New York, USA (October 2009)
• UN-SPIDER Regional Workshop "Building Upon Regional Space-based Solutions for Disaster Management and Emergency Response for Africa", Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 24-27 November 2009

Upcoming Events Supported by UN-SPIDER

• 3rd Central Asia GIS Conference - GISCA'09, "GIScience for Environmental and Emergency Management in Central Asia" in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, 27-28 August 2009
• II Escuela de Primavera sobre Soluciones Espaciales para el Manejo de Desastres Naturales y Respuestas de Emergencias (UN-SPIDER/GEOSS Spring School), Argentina (Organized by UN-SPIDER/GEOSS/CONAE/CRECTEALC (October 2009)
• AfricaGIS 2009: “Geo-spatial Information and Sustainable Development in Africa” in Kampala, Uganda, 26-30 October 2009
• Pacific Islands GIS&RS User Conference 2009, in Suva, Fiji, 1-4 December 2009