In the context of the 58th session of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, held in Vienna from 10 to 19 June 2015, the Office for Outer Space Affairs wishes to inform that the Symposium will not be held as planned.
Section "PSA/Schedule of Activities" of the website of the Office will be updated with information on the activities for the year 2016.
Background
In recent years, climate change has been recognized as a process which may deter sustainable development throughout the world. As a global phenomenon, climate change poses a threat to the economic, social, and environmental dimensions of sustainable development. In the context of peaceful uses of outer space, governments reiterated the need to protect the Earth's environment, and to promote international cooperation on the use of satellite applications for such topics as climate change. Satellites offer a unique point of view to observe climate change-related variables and features at the global level such as sea-level rise, deforestation trends or carbon emissions; and to measure on a permanent basis other parameters which may be too difficult or costly to observe from the ground such as changes in polar ice-caps and glaciers, and social trends such as increasing exposition of vulnerable communities to phenomena related to Climate Change.
Symposium Objectives
The objectives of this Symposium are:
- To discuss ways in which countries affected by climate change can make better use of space applications to assess vulnerability to climate change;
- To identify potential alternatives in the context of mitigation and adaption to climate change;
- To improve synergies among space agencies and organizations targeting efforts on climate change;
- To strengthen international and regional cooperation in this area;
- To raise awareness on the recent advances in space-related technologies, services and information resources which can be use to assess the impacts of climate change and the effects of measures implemented to reduce such impacts.
Location and Date of the Symposium
The Symposium will be held from 7 to 10 September 2015 at the Space Research Institute of the Austrian Academy of Sciences. Invited participants will receive information with details on hotels and other local arrangements.
Programme of the Symposium
The programme of this Symposium will include keynote addresses, plenary presentations and discussions on the following topics:
- Integrated space technology applications in the context of:
- The water cycle - including permafrost and glacier melting;
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- Mitigation and adaptation: the use of integrated space technology applications in agriculture, forests and ecosystems exposed to climate change;
- Disaster-risk management, response and recovery - hydrometeorological hazards exacerbated by climate change.
- Political and legal aspects regarding the use of Integrated Space Technology Applications in the upcoming framework for climate change, to be launched in the COP in Paris at the end of 2015
The outcome of the symposium will be a series of observations, recommendations and proposals for future activities regarding the use of space technology applications for climate change.
Detailed Information Note
Application Form
Applicants are requested to use the online application form accessible through the link below.
Please note that all applications must be completed by the signature page with signatures and seals or stamps.
The application deadline is 20 June 2015.