UNITED NATIONS WORKSHOP IN RABAT TO FOCUS ON HOW SPACE TECHNOLOGY CAN PREDICT DISASTERS, BOOST EDUCATION
Press Release
OS/1742
UNITED NATIONS WORKSHOP IN RABAT TO FOCUS ON HOW SPACE TECHNOLOGY CAN PREDICT DISASTERS, BOOST EDUCATION
19981019 (Reissued as received.)VIENNA, 19 October (UN Information Service) -- Delegates from about 56 countries throughout Africa and the Middle East will gather in Rabat from 26 to 30 October to discuss how space technology can predict hazards ranging from earthquakes to locusts.
The United Nations-sponsored forum, organized with the Government of Morocco and co-sponsored by the European Space Agency (ESA), will focus on how space technology can help African and Middle Eastern nations as well as any hindrances they may face in using it, such as lack of funding, training centres and know-how links with more advanced countries.
Satellite technology can give early warning of devastating, natural hazards such as floods, hurricanes, volcanic eruptions and earthquakes, says the Vienna-based Office for Outer Space Affairs. Satellites, for example, can detect minute differences in the earth's surface that could be the telltale signs of a life-threatening earthquake.
They can also predict rainfall, with its boomerang effect on crop growth, livestock fodder and menacing pests such as locusts. Emerging countries could use satellites to monitor and better-manage natural resources, including forests, fish and other food supplies, so that productivity could be increased.
Educational programmes can be broadcast via satellites to remote regions lacking schools and other learning centres. Teleconferencing within and between regions could greatly increase cultural awareness by linking tribal and other societal groups.
The Rabat conference hopes to boost public awareness about space technology and foster international cooperation in the field. Up to 150 delegates are expected from United Nations Member States in Africa and the Middle East, including about 20 space experts. The delegates will draw up recommendations for further action to promote space technology in the region,
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which will be presented at the third United Nations Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNISPACE III) to be held at United Nations Office at Vienna in July 1999.
The regional conference is part of the United Nations Programme on Space Applications, which conducts an annual series of training courses, seminars and workshops. It also runs a long term fellowship programme for in-depth training of specialists in space science and technology, gives technical advisory services and sets up programmes to develop local skills.
International organizations attending the conference include the European Space Agency, the Committee on Earth Observations Systems, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the Regional African Satellite Organization and the International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. The United Nations will be represented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the secretariat for the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Office for Outer Space Affairs.
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