UNOOSA and University of Bonn Renew Partnership to Promote Space-Based Disaster Relief

PeopleDiplomats ♦ Published: August 29, 2024; 23:11 ♦ (Vindobona)

The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and the University of Bonn have extended their partnership to intensify the use of space technology to tackle growing threats from natural and man-made disasters. The five-year agreement signed in Vienna aims to continue and expand the “Spaceborne Earth Observation Applications for Emergency Response and Disaster Risk Reduction” (SPEAR) project with a focus on Africa.

UNOOSA Director Aarti Holla-Maini ( r.) receives Prof. Dr. Klaus Greve (l.) from the University of Bonn in Vienna. / Picture: © UNIS Vienna/Anna Proprentner

Disasters, whether caused by natural forces or human activity, continue to pose a significant threat to human lives, communities, and sustainable development worldwide. In this context, satellite-based Earth observation has proven to be an indispensable tool to provide timely and detailed data for disaster risk assessment, emergency response, and reconstruction. The continued SPEAR II…