Displaying 101 - 110 of 125
8 June 2022, Geneva, Switzerland - On Saturday 15th January 2022, the ongoing volcanic eruption of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai triggered a tsunami across the Pacific. The scale of the explosion was so large, undersea communications lines were damaged, leaving the population of the Kingdom of Tonga out of reach. The dense ash clouds, added to the poor meteorological conditions, limited the flying capabilities and visual confirmation of the situation on the ground. Satellite imagery, therefore, became a key source of information to assess the extent and severity of the damages ...
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 ...
28 April 2011, Washington DC - Following the historic referendum in South Sudan, Google and the World Bank organized an event to harness the power of mapping to support the soon-to-be world’s newest independent nation. South Sudan is a very vast area that is still poorly mapped. The lack of basic geospatial information makes it difficult for authorities, civil society and development partners to evaluate needs and plan development actions. The day-long event was organized by Google and the World Bank with support from UNOSAT in the framework of the partnership linking the t...
Name: W.A. Kumudu Sanjeewa
Title: Head of Communications and Information Management (CIMU), United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Country: South Sudan
Partnership: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
South Sudan is ranked among the five countries in the world most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. In the past years, the country has seen wet seasons becoming wetter, and dry seasons getting even drier. As a result, devastating floods are mercilessly hitting its population with increasingly destructive pow...
23 December 2020, Geneva, Switzerland - UNOSAT delivered a 4-day training in Kathmandu, Nepal, on the Application of Geospatial Information Technology (GIT) for Disaster Risk Management (DRM) and Decision Support to different Nepalese ministries, police, and army officials. This training was prepared and delivered in collaboration with the United Nations Resident Coordinator’s Office (UNRCO) in Nepal and the Nepalese National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA). , Starting on Monday 7 December, participants from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry o...
27 May 2021, Geneva, Switzerland and Beijing, China - The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), the Geneva School of Economics and Management of the University of Geneva and the School of Economics and Management of Tsinghua University have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to set global standards for SDG Education and Open Innovation.
The three documents were virtually signed by United Nations Assistant Secretary-General and Executive Director of UNITAR, Mr. Nikhil Seth, the Dean of the Geneva School of Economics and Management of the Univ...
The Institute’s evaluation function is guided by an evaluation policy and serves accountability, decision-making, organizational learning and quality improvement purposes.The policy is operationalized at the centralized and decentralized levels. At the centralized level, the Planning, Performance Monitoring and Evaluation Unit acts as the custodian of the evaluation function and undertakes independent evaluations of projects and other undertakings e.g. on a cluster or thematic basis. At the decentralized level, Programme Units undertake self-evaluations of projects and...
04 December 2023, L'viv, Ukraine - Cultural heritage, a cornerstone of identity and a repository of memory and unity has persistently faced threats since the onset of the war in Ukraine. In conflict zones, satellite imagery often serves as the primary tool for accessing accurate, data-backed information regarding the extent of damage to cultural heritage.
In a groundbreaking initiative aimed at preserving Ukraine's cultural legacy, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) through the United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT) and the United Natio...
The IOMC Toolbox for decision making in chemicals management – Phase III: From design to action project aims to support the implementation of SAICM by enhancing the identification and implementation of guidance materials for chemicals management by developing countries and countries in transition using resources developed by IOMC partner organisations. It also continued to improve the functionalities and broadened the scope and application of the Toolbox as developed in the two previous phases. The project was implemented between December 2017 and October 2022.
The p...
28 May 2024, Geneva, Switzerland - In the vast expanse of the Pacific, where the azure waters meet lush islands, the threat of climate change is not distant, but a reality deeply anchored in the present. Rising sea levels, frequent flooding, and coastal erosion pose relentless threats to their rich ecosystems and communities. Despite contributing minimally to global carbon emissions, these island nations face staggering costs to bolster their infrastructure against climate-induced hazards. Estimates suggest that Pacific island countries need to inve...