A View from Space: Remote Sensing Tools for Water, Food and Floods
Source: The World Bank
The availability of accurate hydrological data plays a key-role to developing solutions to food supply concerns and the impacts of extreme weather and rising water levels. Formulating and enforcing water management and climate adaptation policies depends on accurate information. Around the world, and particular in developing countries, such data infrastructure does not exist, hampering the ability to cope with climatic variability and change and leading to unnecessary economic and human losses.
A new Dutch initiative, the Water and Climate Services Declaration aims to improve information chains on integrated Water and Climate Services. It is signed by more than 30 organizations specialized in space, Earth Observation, hydrology, food security, geomatics and climate. These organizations share knowledge and experiences in different regions and discuss solutions to effectively address climate change challenges by developing the information chain using remote sensing techniques.
On April 28, a Dutch Mission Delegation on Water & Climate Services visited the World Bank and shared their experiences in using remote sensing techniques during two workshops focusing on water management, agriculture and food security as well as flood protection and risk management. The morning workshop was well attended by Bank staff working on relevant issues and connected to Yerevan and Lusaka. Her Excellency Renée Jones-Bos -Ambassador of the Netherlands to the USA, Mr. Jose Luis Irigoyen, Director of TWI, SDN, World Bank, and Mr. Mark Noort, Dutch Delegation Leader, made opening remarks. The evening workshop connected 30 participants in Bejing, Hanoi, and Jakarta, including Bank staff, government officials, and researchers. Both sessions resulted in a rich exchange of information and a lively discussion.
Members of the Dutch Delegation, accompanied by colleagues from the Dutch EDs office and the Dutch Embassy, had the opportunity to meet bilaterally with Bank managers and staff to discuss potential opportunities for strengthening their collaboration. Remote Sensing tools (commonly known as Earth Observation Tools) are increasingly receiving more and more attention in the Bank as approaches to sustainable solutions in development work (download article 'Earth Observation for Everyone', featured on the Bank's main internal page on April 29, 2011). The Dutch remote sensing experts are global leaders in this area and Bank operations in different regions could benefit immensely from their expertise.
Agenda and detailed description (pdf 326kb)
For more information visit The World Bank's website or contact Mark Noort at ITC.