Et enkelt satellit, der passerer forbi ude i rummet, kan affotografere hele Mozambique-kanalen mellem Sydøstafrika og Madagascar og i Nordafrika har fotos fra rummet allerede opdaget skjulte farer, som kan true Tunesiens hovedstad.
WASHINGTON DC, 20 August 2013 (World Bank): A space-based partnership between the World Bank and the European Space Agency is opening up new frontiers in international development.
Using sophisticated Earth observation measurement systems from a constellation of orbiting satellites, eoworld provides scientific data and images to help communities in the developing world.
The aim is to protect forests, plan urban growth, harness water resources, manage coastal zones, and increase resilience (modstandskraft).
A new report highlights the success of eoworld’s demonstration projects and the surprising – and sometimes groundbreaking – impact on community development.
When the World Bank first teamed up with the European Space Agency to demonstrate how Earth observation can work for international development, a small climate change adaptation project on the coast of North Africa produced the first big results.
High above Tunis, three orbiting ESA satellites sent down data pinpointing parts of the Tunisian capital where land was sinking, undermining the city’s ability to withstand storms, earthquakes and extreme weather.
“The results from the satellite data were stunning,” said Sameh Wahba, manager of the Bank’s Urban Development and Resilience unit, which spearheaded the program.
“They were quick, cost-effective and technically sound. They gave us visually impressive products that easily communicated the magnitude of the problem to our counterparts in government. As a result, the government immediately incorporated smart risk mitigation policies into the city’s adaptation and resilience plans”,noted he.
In the five years since the eoworld collaboration began, the team has worked to demonstrate how this space-based technology can be applied throughout the Bank’s work in developing countries.
Offering highly specialized mapping and monitoring tools, the team has carried out demonstration projects in more than 20 countries across Latin America, Africa, and Asia.
The satellites deliver real-time data on a wide range of development issues, including climate change, sea levels, water quality, marine environment, coastal erosion, flooding, land movement, forest resource management, agricultural land use, and urban growth.
The technology is especially useful in areas where conflicts, strife, or wars make it difficult to gather data, and it can provide wide-scale observations that cross country borders.
A single satellite pass can take a high definition image of the entire Mozambique Channel in a matter of seconds.
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http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2013/08/20/earth-observation-for-development-success-stories
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