United Nations/ Indonesia international conference on integrated space technology applications to climate change

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.

Introduction

The United Nations is organizing the United Nations/Indonesia International Conference on Integrated Space Technology Applications to Climate Change under the framework of the United Nations Programme on Space Applications.

The Conference will take place in Jakarta, Indonesia, from 2 to 4 September in 2013, hosted by the National Institute of Aeronautics and Space (LAPAN). This International Conference will bring together experts from the space and the climate change community as well as decision makers to discuss methods to use space-based applications to support the identification and implementation of adaptation measures, as well as to share experiences and lessons learned on the use of such applications in the context of mitigation.

“Adaption” was centered as one of the cornerstones for a strengthened future response to climate change in the Bali Action Plan, adopted at the Conference of State Parties 13 (COP 13) in December 2007. In focus is the sustainable and continuing cooperation and achievements in order to effectively and entirely strengthen the implementation process of the Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) beyond 2012.

During COP 15 in Copenhagen the conference took note of the necessity to create a comprehensive adaption programme. The signatories, among them heads of State, heads of Government and ministers, agreed that urgent action and global cooperation on adaption is needed. Finally at the Cancun Climate Change Conference in December 2010 the parties agreed upon and created the Cancun Adapation Framework (CAF) with the focus of improving and emending actions on adaption. Important fundamentals of the CAF comprehend a work programme to address loss and damage from climate change, preparation of National Adaptation Plans by the least developed countries, and the formation of an adaptation committee within the UNFCCC.

Conference objectives

• 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.

Financial Support to Selected Participants

Within the limited financial resources available to the co-sponsors, a number of qualified applicants from developing countries, who have expressed the need for financial support will be offered financial support to attend the Conference. This may include the provision of a round-trip air ticket between Jakarta and the applicant’s international airport of departure and daily subsistence allowances to cover board and lodging for the duration of the Conference. En-route expenses or any changes made to the air ticket must be the responsibility of the participants. Due to a limited availability of financial resources, it is usually not possible to provide assistance to all qualified applicants who express the need for financial support. Applicants and their nominating organizations are therefore strongly encouraged to find additional sources of sponsorship to allow them to attend the Conference.