ABSTRACT
The disaster management community, especially in developing countries, would possibly have managed floods and drought better, had space applications been put to use more effectively. Earth observation satellites, which have long been used to support forecasting of tropical cyclones, flash flooding and seasonal drought conditions, have made phenomenal advances in recent years. Among other improvements, mapping the Earth’s surface is now over 100 times more accurate than it was 10 years ago, early warning and prediction of El Niño has improved to more than 100 days, and risk warnings pertaining to storms and floods have advanced by more than 100 hours,. These advances, however, have yet to translate into large-scale operationalization in the region. Regarding increasing risks emanating from floods and drought in the region, the present study has examined the gaps that exist between the operational needs of disaster management, the existing institutional capabilities and space technology applications. Harmonizing these calls for a set of strategies in terms of national policies and capacity-building mechanisms, including the sharing of information and knowledge and building regional cooperative networks. While touching on these aspects, the study identifies certain priority applications, such as risk assessment, improvements in early warning systems and multitasking the emergency communication networks. The entry point, however, starts with the availability of suitable satellite data, value added products and other services, which are becoming increasingly commercial as well as knowledge- and procedure-intensive. The study, while dealing with such aspects, brings in the distinct role of ESCAP in support of developing and least developed countries with critical vulnerability and constrained institutional capabilities for harnessing the potentials of space technology.
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