Dear readers,
We're glad to share with you the December 2018 UN-SPIDER Monthly Updates.
Our latest Data Application of the Month discusses how differential Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Interferometry (InSAR), referred to as DInSAR, is used to map land deformation, for instance in the case of earthquakes.
Below the updates, you'll also find an events calendar with upcoming conferences, workshops and seminars organized by the community. If you're interested in training opportunities, make sure to visit our external training opportunities overview page, where you'll find links to third-party onsite as well as online courses.
Enjoy the read!
UN-SPIDER at a glance
Following a tsunami that hit coastal areas around the Sunda strait between the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Java on 22 December, the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) has requested the activation of the International Charter Space and Major Disasters on behalf of the National Institute of Aeronautics and Space (LAPAN) of Indonesia. LAPAN is a UN-SPIDER Regional Support Office (RSO).
... Read more
The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) participated in two regional meetings organized by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok, Thailand. The meetings discussed the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030. The ISDR-Asia Partnership (IAP) Forum was convened on 11-12 December 2018 at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok with the key objectives of sharing and reviewing progress in disaster risk reduction and, in particular, implementation of the Asia... Read more
The United Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), through its UN-SPIDER progroamme, and the Disaster Management Centre of the South Asia Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC DMC) conducted a joint regional workshop and training on the “Utilization of Space-based and Geospatial Information for Achieving the Targets of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction” from 4 to 8 December in Ahmedabad, India. The one-day workshop and four-day training enhanced cooperation and sharing of best practices amongst disaster management agencies and experts in the South Asia region.
... Read more
The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs and the Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water (PSIPW) launched the space4water portal during the eighth edition of the PSIPW award ceremony hosted at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The new portal will serve as a platform to gather information and strengthen partnerships related to space-based information for water accessibility.
Water scarcity has become a major concern in several countries around the world. The... Read more
News from the community
A new tool developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (UN) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) aims to allow users to “systematically inspect” any location on Earth – from glaciers to rainforests - with satellite data. Collect Earth Online (CEO), announced on 12 December 2018, is also expected to be utilized in disaster management.
The web-based platform is free of charge, open to all and it does not require any download or installation. CEO will provide users with access to high-... Read more
The European Commission (EC), the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Network of European Regions Using Space Technologies (NEREUS) have launched a new report consisting of 99 stories from European public authorities that showcases how they benefit from Copernicus, the European Union’s Earth observation programme.
The report intends to serve as a practical handbook exemplifying the different types of Copernicus uses as well as the processes that lead a public administration to develop and use space-based information and data.
The report presents... Read more
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched the first Indian Hyperspectral Imaging Satellite (HySIS) from Sriharikota on 29 November. The satellite is expected to be used for Earth observation in applications related to agriculture, forestry, geology, assessment of coastal zones, and environmental studies. It was one out of 30 commercial satellites from eight different countries launched that day by the Indian PSLV C43 vehicle.
ISRO chairman K Sivas, in a statement released by the Times of India, said, “HysIS has a state of the art technology which will be used for... Read more
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