18-19 June 2019 (Vienna, Austria)
The Asian Disaster Reduction Center (ADRC) participated in the 9th Annual UNSPIDER Regional Support Offices Coordination Meeting in Vienna, Austria on 18-19 June 2019. The participants shared the latest initiatives and challenges in their regional activities including capacity building, sharing knowledge, and raising awareness. Koji Suzuki, Executive Director of ADRC, briefly introduced the ADRC's latest initiative in building an early warning system platform using space-based technologies. During the meeting, ADRC also noted that more DRR strategies are expected to be developed for implementing the Sendai Framework, and spacebased data and information could play an important role in that regard. A lot of countries have challenges in identifying disaster risks since the data and information necessary for identifying risks are not readily available. They can overcome those challenges by introducing remote sensing data and the use of information provided by satellites.
In June 2009, ADRC and the United Nations Office of Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) signed a cooperation agreement on the establishment of the ADRC UN-SPIDER Regional Support Office on the occasion of the 52nd session of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS). As for the application of space-based technologies and information in disaster risk reduction, ADRC has been playing a major role in Sentinel Asia, which facilitates spacebased information application and capacity development. ADRC believes it is necessary to harmonize the functions and activities of Sentinel Asia and UNSPIDER/RSO to achieve more effective emergency observations and improve the application of space-based information in disaster risk reduction. ADRC will continue to explore opportunities for collaboration with UNOOSA and ROSs.