UN-SPIDER's Technical Advisory Support

One of UN-SPIDER's main activities is to provide countries with technical advisory support. These efforts address a significant imbalance. On the one hand, space-based technologies are emerging fast and are quickly finding their way into everyday life - allowing us to observe changes on our planet, to communicate wherever we are or to tell us exactly where something or someone is located. On the other hand, disaster-risk management and emergency response communities, particularly in developing countries, are not yet fully taking advantage of the opportunities that space-based information offers to an improved risk assessment, early warning or mitigation of disasters. UN-SPIDER's technical advisory support therefore aims to bridge this gap by raising awareness and by building capacities.

This includes ad hoc technical support in disaster situations, training programmes and technical advisory missions.

Technical Advisory Missions

TAMs

On request of a Member States, UN-SPIDER conducts Technical Advisory Missions (TAMs). Typically, these TAMs take five days in which the expert team - comprised both of UN-SPIDER staff and external experts - meets with key disaster management authorities in governments, United Nations agencies, regional and international organizations or initiatives, academia and representatives of private entrepreneurs or the civil society. The objective is to explore the status quo of using space technologies for disaster risk reduction and emergency response in the country by discussing the topic in depth. Consequently, the team makes recommendations and develops guidelines to improve the use of space-based information in the country. TAMs are often followed up by capacity building activities.

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Capacity Building

Capacity-building

UN-SPIDER provides technical training programmes to governmental disaster-risk management authorities, emergency response agencies or other national or regional stakeholders. These training courses target selected representatives of relevant institutions. They are usually follow-up activities of UN-SPIDER's Technical Advisory Missions and convey technical expertise and know-how in processing, interpreting and using satellite-derived data for disaster risk reduction and emergency response. Additionally, UN-SPIDER provides targeted policy-relevant advice.

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Emergency Response

Emergency response

In the case of emergencies and disasters, UN-SPIDER provides technical support by taking the role of a bridge linking the disaster management and disaster risk management agencies with providers of space-based information. These include space agencies or international mechanisms that can be activated in the case of disasters, such as the International Charter: Space and Major Disasters. UNOOSA/UN-SPIDER as a cooperating body to the International Charter can trigger the mechanism and assist in implementing the Universal Access initiative of the Charter's secretariat. UN-SPIDER also promotes these mechanisms during its missions.

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