On 10 May 2022, the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), the University of Energy and Natural Resources of Ghana, and the Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water (PSIPW) inaugurated the 5th International Conference on the Use of Space Technology for Water Resources Management. The conference, held in Accra from 10 to 13 May 2022, aims to promote the use of space technology in water management in developing countries.
During the opening segment of the conference, high ranking authorities noted that there have been many success stories related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), but unfortunately some of these were eroded by the COVID 19 pandemic. They remarked that Ghana is hosting this conference to see how best to foster new partnerships to address the SDGs, and to facilitate a constructive discussion on two key issues essential to sustainable development: Space technologies and sustainable use of water resources.
UNOOSA noted that the partnership with PSIPW is allowing for the implementation of the Space for Water project, which includes an effort to develop a global community of practice that fosters the use of space technologies to contribute to a more sustained use of water resources. The Space for Water project also includes conferences like this one, and the Space for Water Portal. More information on the Space for Water project is available here.
The conference includes sessions on the use of space technologies to address floods and droughts; and on the use of such space technologies in health and agriculture; and to monitor water quality, groundwater, and water scarcity. UN-SPIDER used the opportunity to make a presentation on the use of space technologies to address the challenges posed by floods and droughts and contributed through the moderation of two sessions.
More information on the conference is available here.
