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5 June, Geneva, Switzerland - UNOSAT has been investing in the development of live web-based maps capable of providing rapid and essential information for disaster prevention and emergency response and able to integrate crowd sourced data, photos and videos. UNOSAT experts believe that this type of integrated, near-real time products will constitute the backbone of future geospatial decision support systems.
This assumption seems corroborated by a recent exercise conducted in the European Union. The UNOSAT LIVE map integrating the ASIGN geo-tagging solution was…
10 November 2013, Geneva, Switzerland - International experts agree that Cyclone Haiyan that hit the Philippines on 9 November was "probably the most intense and strongest storm of this type to make landfall". While cyclones of this intensity have occurred before, they usually lose part of their strength by the time they reach shore. Not Haiyan, which swept through six central Philippine islands packing winds of up to 270 Km/h and causing immense damage and probably unprecedented loss of life.
Official estimates by the Philippines government speak of over 600,000 people…
6 December 2012 - Tropical storm Bopha (Pablo locally) cut through the Philippines on 5 December causing death and destruction so intense that it is difficult to assess them with traditional methods. During the passage of the storm, thousands of people in the affected region have exchanged images, footage and comments regarding its impact. However the data is not always geo-tagged and the sheer amount of messages makes it impossible for one entity to sort information.
The digital volunteer community worldwide has been mobilised in an attempt to help. In one example,…
On the occasion of the Third session of the Advisory Board of the UNITAR Peacekeeping Training Programme a well-attended high-level Round Table discussion entitled: “They Fight Like Soldiers, They Die Like Children. Why Child Soldiers need to be on the Security Agenda” based on Lieutenant-General (Ret’d) Roméo Dallaire’s book on Child Soldiers was co-hosted and jointly organised by UNITAR and the University of Geneva in the afternoon of Wednesday 12 October 2011.
Ms. Elisabeth Decrey Warner, President and Co-Founder of Geneva Call and Dr. Simon Hug Director, Department of…
Leveraging the use of Geospatial Information Technology for DRR in Southeast Asia
19 December, 2016, Nay Pi Taw, Myanmar - UNOSAT in partnership with the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) successfully delivered two weeks of in-country training in Nay Pi Taw, Myanmar benefiting 40 technical professionals drawn from various line ministries of Myanmar including the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology, the Remote Sensing Department Relief and, the Resettlement Department. The two trainings: “Introduction to Geospatial Information technology for Disaster Risk…
Green Legacy Hiroshima Registered as a Future Heritage Project (Mirai-Isan) by the National Federation of UNESCO Associations in Japan
In December 2014, Green Legacy Hiroshima was registered as a Future Heritage Project (Mirai-Isan) by the National Federation of UNESCO Associations in Japan. The award is given each year to selected projects, that meet the Future Heritage requirements. The 2015 UNITAR Public Session for Green Legacy Hiroshima was therefore dedicated to a special ceremony marking this nomination. The Secretary-General of the Japan…
23 August 2023, Geneva, Switzerland - Asia-Pacific stands at the forefront of the climate crisis. It’s the world’s most carbon-intensive region – accounting for over half of all global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, it is also one of the most vulnerable – home to many of the developing countries most at risk of climate change.These climate impacts are diverse – from melting glaciers in the Himalayas to flooding and extreme heatwaves in South Asia. And they are already impacting people’s lives – affecting agriculture, destroying homes, and threatening the liv...
It’s been 20 years since the Taliban government fell in Afghanistan. Many young women are now growing up knowing they have the right to opportunities and hoping to shape their own lives. But conservative attitudes persist. Madina Walizada, a UNITAR alumna from Afghanistan, says:
I thought ‘I’m a girl, I don’t have equal rights that my brothers have.’
“People don’t believe women can take over tough work”, says Mariam Ghaznavi, another UNITAR Afghan alumna.
Some [colleagues] believe that my good manners and soft behaviour make me incapable of dealing with the harsh re...
At a time when natural disasters are becoming more numerous and frequent, UNOSAT aims to equip all countries with geographical information systems (GIS) to make informed decisions and reduce the risks associated with these natural disasters. To this end, UNOSAT has set up the project ‘Strengthening Capacities in the Use of Geospatial Information for Improved Resilience in Asia-Pacific and Africa’. The project focuses on developing the capacity to use GIS in government agencies across eight partner countries: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Fiji, Lao PDR, Nigeria, Solomon Islands, Ugand...
Professor Akiko Yuge, a member of the UNITAR Board of Trustees, visited Hiroshima Office for the first time.
Professor Yuge believes UNITAR has the agility to stay relevant in the long term.
In an increasingly complex world, UNITAR can offer capacity-building to empower people to make better decisions.
, 27 February 2023, Hiroshima, Japan – Professor Akiko Yuge, a member of the UNITAR Board of Trustees, visited the UNITAR Division for Prosperity, Hiroshima Office to observe the in-person nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation training of 18 government officials from ...