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UNOSAT has released on the internet the Atlas of Tsunami Damages on Saval´i & Upolu Islands, Samoa. UNOSAT Humanitarian Rapid Mapping service was activated at the request of UN humanitarian agencies involved in the response to the disaster.
This atlas map product illustrates satellite-detected areas of likely building and vegetation damages caused by the magnitude 8.0 earthquake and resulting tsunami on 29 September 2009. A total of 9 separate focus maps are included, highlighting damage sites identified from post-disaster satellite imagery collected from 30 September...
Heavy rains in 2018 have triggered both flash floods and river floods in several parts of the country resulting in serious loss of life and widespread displacement of populations, In some provinces these floods are the worst since the early 20th century.
According to UN sources in the field, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), Baluchistan, and Punjab have been the worst affected areas. Thousands of people have lost their homes and livelihoods. Crops have been destroyed, and roads and bridges damaged.
The UNOSAT Team, already activated on other current emergencies including floods i...
16 November 2023
I am delighted to congratulate the United Nations Institute for Training and Research on its 60th anniversary.
UNITAR’s work across capacity building, training, and research has equipped hundreds of thousands of women and men from developing countries with knowledge and skills to advance our shared vision of a more peaceful, just, and sustainable world.
Established in the post-colonial era with a focus on diplomatic training in newly independent countries, UNITAR continues to innovate and adapt to changing times and demands.
This includes everythi...
During the ongoing conflict in Syria, UNITAR’s UNOSAT programme has been supporting the humanitarian community with satellite imagery derived analysis. While conducting damage assessments to civilian infrastructure in Syria, it became evident that there was also wide-spread destruction and damage to cultural heritage locations. This report is the result of a dedicated effort to assess the current status of 18 larger cultural heritage areas, in which 290 locations were found to have been affected during the last three years, of which 24 destroyed and 104 severely damaged.
A...
When Mr.Jully Odhiambo Ouma was recommended by his director to attend the UNITAR training on Geographic Information Systems (GIS), he was a Master Degree student in Meteorology at the University of Nairobi, Kenya and a research assistant at Climate Prediction & Applications Centre (ICPAC) within the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). At that time, he was making meteorological prediction maps about the probability amounts of rain, using a basic graphic software. The probabilities were presented in a way that was often difficult for local farmers and…
Thanks to the Memorandum of Understanding signed between UNESCO and UNITAR in 2015, and building on our previous report on damage to archeological sites in Syria (2014), satellite imagery analysis is now a routine tool for assessing potential damage to cultural heritage sites.
UNITAR’s UNOSAT programme ensures timely access to imagery derived information over areas of conflict inaccessible to the international community and provides supplemental information to field data when access is possible. This applies to the protection of cultural heritage both in conflict situat...
82 per cent of respondents confirmed application of knowledge and skills acquired through UNITAR’s learning events. The rate of application does not vary significantly across gender.
Opportunity to apply knowledge/skills and the importance for job success are the most cited factors influencing on application.
Governments and international organization (non-UN) sector respondents reported the highest rate of application among sectors.
Higher rates of application were reported for blended and face-to-face training, as opposed to e-Learning, at 92 per cent, 90 per cent an...
The increase in disaster occurrences and the high numbers of victims resulting from conflicts are urgent issues that require effective and rapid action. Satellite imagery analysis is a vital tool essential in this response, as it can cover large areas and provide accurate information in near real-time. UNOSAT’s Emergency Mapping Service (EMS), funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (NMFA), provides satellite image analysis during humanitarian emergencies related to disasters, complex emergencies and conflict situations. With a 24/7 year-round availability ...
3 December 2021, Geneva, Switzerland - The ambitious agenda of COP 26 to accelerate action towards and beyond the goals of the Paris agreement may have been a let-down for most people. For the United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT), it was also an opportunity to promote once more the added value of satellite-derived information for improving climate resilience.
The conference was “an important step but not enough” in the words of António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations. Despite the negotiations underdelivering, many insightful events took place, where d...
UNOSAT organizes and participates in conferences with the aim to raise awareness about the benefits of Geospatial Information Technology. The focus topics include Disaster Risk Reduction, Emergency Response and Sustainable Development Goals.
Our events target a wide range of stakeholders including governments, regional actors, international organisations, NGOs and the private sector.
Examples of past conferences and technical workshops we have held include:
Global challenges
Flood and drought management
Disaster risk re...