Islamabad: An international conference on “Leveraging Space Technology for Early Warnings for All (EW4All), Climate Action and Disaster Risk Assessment” will kick off in Islamabad on October 27, bringing together experts, policymakers, researchers and practitioners from around the world to explore the role of space technology in strengthening disaster resilience and climate action.
The five-day conference, scheduled to continue until October 31, is being organised by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) in cooperation with the Government of Pakistan and hosted by the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO).
The event aims to strengthen the use of space-based and geospatial information for early warning systems, climate action and disaster risk assessment by promoting international cooperation, knowledge sharing and capacity building.
The conference programme will include technical sessions on space-enabled Early Warnings for All (EW4All), the use of space and geospatial technologies to support the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, Sustainable Development Goal 13 (Climate Action) and the Paris Agreement, as well as applications for flood, drought and heatwave risk assessment, including the use of Google Earth Engine.
Following the conference, a five-day hands-on training course titled “Space-Based Disaster Management – Shifting Focus from Reactive to Proactive Approaches” will be held from November 02-06.
The training is designed to equip participants with practical skills in applying space-based technologies and geospatial data to improve disaster preparedness and response.
According to the organisers, the conference and training programme will provide a unique platform for participants to exchange expertise, strengthen technical capabilities and foster collaboration in the use of space technologies for disaster risk reduction and climate resilience.
The registration for the conference is now open, and interested participants can apply until July 25.