Space: the final frontier of disaster risk reduction

Citation

Molin Valdes, H. and Holly Purcell, T. (2013), "Space: the final frontier of disaster risk reduction", International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment, Vol. 4 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijdrbe.2013.43504baa.004

Space: the final frontier of disaster risk reduction

Article Type: News articles From: International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment, Volume 4, Issue 2

Outer space is not a place organizations typically think of when looking for solutions to build resilience and reduce disaster risks to natural hazards on the ground. While it might sound like science fiction, the implications of space technologies, such as satellites for communication, earth observation, navigation, and telecommunication, have very real impacts to lives on a daily basis.

Typically used by the humanitarian community to respond to disasters, emergencies and crises, these technologies are increasingly being used to forecast weather, aid in urban planning and development, monitor the health of the environment, and provide communication channels critical to ensuring people’s safety.

Indeed, the classical applications of space technology tell only part of the story, according to Niklas Hedman, Chief of Section for the UN’s Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA). Speaking during a forum convened last month by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) and UNOOSA, Mr Hedman emphasized how these extraterrestrial tools cannot only help communications in times of emergency, but also address broad-based issues of resilience in the areas of urban planning, land-use planning and rural development.

The interactive forum, which brought together experts across a variety of fields and nations, aimed to better understand how the integrated and coordinated use of space-based and terrestrial technologies could support disaster risk management and reduction – for example, by providing accurate and timely information and communication support to improve risk assessments, early warning and monitoring of disasters.

UNISDR’s Deputy Director Helena Molin Valdes, who also coordinates the Making Cities Resilient Campaign, which has signed up over 1,400 cities to date, added:

We need to make these technologies more accessible and educate people on the benefits of new technologies to reduce disaster risks and support resilience building. The question now is how we link spaced-based technologies, and the information they capture, to the wider issue of disaster risk reduction and long-term sustainable development. There is also the question of how such technologies can be applied by urban planners, engineers, and development practitioners to innovate and improve resilience of the built environment.

Attendees also considered how improving access to geographical information and geospatial data, and building capacities to use scientific knowledge in areas such as climate monitoring, land use planning, water management, and health and food security, can improve the accuracy of environmental and social impact assessments and lead to more informed decision-making at all levels. To take just one example, several national space agencies are currently working with the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) to put in place a process for crop forecasting in an effort to help improve yield estimates and combat food insecurity.

The forum also explored how outer space technologies can reveal important clues lurking in “underground space” that can help scientists to head off a looming disaster. For example, Han Admiraal, Chairman of the International Tunneling and Underground Space Association’s Committee on Underground Space, cited the timely evacuation of residents living near the Usu Volcano, which erupted in 2000. Thanks to the ability of satellites in outer space to detect seismic shifts, scientists were able to forecast volcanic activity and consequently evacuated some 16,000 residents to safer ground. In addition to understanding the benefits of technologies in outer space, ITACUS is also promoting the use of underground space itself to make cities and communities more resilient. “When developed properly, underground space can be less susceptible to disaster” said Admiraal:

As cities continue to grow and house a majority of the world’s population, research and focus in this area will also need to increase. Yet, we only know 1% of what there is to know about underground space compared to how much resources we’ve put towards outer space research.

This interactive forum, which took place on 14 March in Geneva, was organized as part of the 33rd session of the United Nations Inter-Agency Meeting on Outer Space Activities, which was also hosted by UNISDR. Among the countries represented during the event were Barbados, China, Colombia, Ecuador, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, Philippines, Russia, South Africa, Switzerland, Thailand, and Turkey.

Helena Molin Valdes and Tricia Holly PurcellUNISDR