9 March 2020, Kampala - UNITAR-UNOSAT and the UN Technology Bank, in partnership with the Ugandan Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) have conducted a one-week training course from 2 to 6 March 2020 in Kampala on the use of Geospatial Information Technologies (GIT) to reduce the impact of disaster situations. Indeed, the increasing number and intensity of disasters in the past few years in Uganda have had severe consequences in terms of human lives, structural damage and economic losses. Uganda is regularly affected by multiple natural hazards, including droughts, earthquakes, floods, landslides, and volcanoes.
Climate change is likely to increase the average temperature in Uganda by up to 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2030. Rising temperatures and rainfall variability are expected to lead to higher incidences of extreme weather events, which will in turn increase the population’s exposure to hydro-meteorological disasters. (GFDRR 2017).To prepare for these challenges, GIT, including satellite imagery analysis and remote sensing, plays an essential role in understanding the geographic extent and severity of challenges at stake, thereby improving operational decision-making processes for emergency response and recovery. Equally important is the fact that these technologies empower actors to better prepare for disaster situations and develop fit for purpose emergency response plans.
