3rd International UN-SPIDER Bonn Workshop

30 October 2009, 7:14pm

This year’s UN-SPIDER Workshop took place from 21 to 23 October and focused on the ways in which concepts could be implemented as projects and actual applications. Climate change and desertification received particular attention during the workshop seeing that they pose special challenges to the disaster management community. Some considerable weight was also placed on the use of space applications in the health sector. The Workshop was inaugurated with speeches by the Ambassador of Germany to the United Nations in Vienna, His Excellency Rüdiger Lüdeking, by the Ambassador of Namibia to Germany, His Excellency Neville Gertze, by Ms. Margitta Wülker-Mirbach of the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology, and by Mr. David Stevens Programme Coordinator of the UN-SPIDER Programme. The role of UN-SPIDER as a bridge between the satellite technology and the disaster management communities was acknowledged by all keynote speakers. Ambassador Lüdeking highlighted the importance of the exploration and use of outer space to the benefit of all countries and populations worldwide. He further confirmed the commitment of the German government to space-based approaches, including the work of UN-SPIDER and its continuity. Ambassador Gertze acknowledged the support of UN-SPIDER to his country, which has been repeatedly affected by floods in recent years and which has established a close cooperation with the UN-SPIDER programme. Ms. Margitta Wülker-Mirbach expressed the appreciation of the German government for the progress made by UN-SPIDER since its inception and emphasized Germany’s commitment to

UN-SPIDER News letters

Geo: International