The European Space Agency (ESA) will host an Earth observation conference during the ILA 2010 Berlin Air and Space Show to present how the space community and other major players, among which the United Nations, are responding to the increasing demand for remote-sensing applications. Modern challenges needs modern decision making support tool as decision-makers worldwide become often faced with environmental change, natural disasters and human security issues.

ESA and European agencies have responded to these needs by developing the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) and the International Charter on Space and Major Disasters initiatives and launching a series of Earth Explorer satellites.  UNITAR/UNOSAT participates in both initiatives as a strategic UN partner and has been actively involved in GMES since 2004.

The conference is organised in collaboration with the German Aerospace Centre and the German Aerospace Industry Association. It will take place in the Space Conference pavilion (Hall 9) at the ILA Show in Berlin on 9 June 2010. During the conference, top experts from around the world will be on hand to discuss how satellite observations can help respond to major international disasters and monitor climate change and exploit the newest technologies. Among them, Francesco Pisano, Manager of the UNOSAT Programme at UNITAR, active since 2000 in several areas of application of remote sensing and satellite derived solutions.

From right to left: Mr. Surendra  Parashar of the Canadian Space Agency representing the International Space Charter, Simonetta Cheli of ESA, Coordinator of the event, and Francesco Pisano, Manager of UNOSAT.

UNOSAT has been invited to contribute views on the benefit of the Space Charter. The Charter is an international collaboration between several space agencies to put satellite remote sensing at the service of civil protection agencies and others in response to natural and man-made disasters. Since 2003 the United Nations humanitarian community has been granted access to the mechanism, while UNOSAT has earned the status of “User Intermediary” with the Charter Board, which entitles UNOSAT to activate this mechanism when it is deemed necessary to better support humanitarian users during response operations.

The full programme and application form can be found here.