Training Activities of ESCAP in Earth Observation
Claire Gosselin, Randy John Vinluan and Virgilio Santos
Space Technology Applications Section,
Environment and natural Resources Management
Division,
United Nations Economic and Social commission
for Asia and the pacific
Bangkok,
Thailand,
Fax : (66 2) 288 - 3012
Introduction
The Ministerial conference on Space applications for Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific was held at Beijing in September 1994 and attended by 186 high-level representatives from 31 members and associate members of ESCAP. At that Conference, the Regional space Application Programme (RESAP) was launched to promote and strengthen regional cooperation and collaboration in space technology application including sustainable natural resources and environmental management, natural hazards monitoring, distance education and satellite communications.
On of the most important components of RESAP is human resource development. Among other things, RESAP is mandated to contributed to human resources development through developing space applications-related education facilities in the countries of the region, arranging fellowships for advanced studies and organizing workshops and seminars. As detailed in the strategy for Regional Cooperation in Space Application for Sustainable Development, which provides policy guidelines for the implementation of RESAP, human resource development in space technology applications serves the dual purpose of stimulating economic growth and social development and is closely linked with technological change. It has been estimated that the Asia-Pacific region needs to produce at least 10,000 expert in the field annually.
This paper provides a regional perspective on training activities in the field of Earth observation. It describes the training activities as well as various workshops and seminars conducted by ESCAP in collaboration with other organizations and host countries in order to address specific themes in Earth observation such as meteorological satellite applications, poverty alleviation and sustainable rural development. The paper also presents a profile of country participation in these activitied and assesses the impact of these training activities on the capacity-building efforts of the participating countries to integrate Earth observation techniques into their development planning process. The paper also identifies the themes of future training activities in Earth observation, under the framework of the Minimum Common Programme which is expected to be launched at the second Ministerial Conference on space Applications for Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific to be held in New Delhi in December next year.
Resource requirement
To support its training mandate, ESCAP devotes a significant portion of its resources to training in Earth observation as well actively seeks financial support from donor countries and interested organizations. The countries and organizations who have contributed to ESCAP'S training activities in Earth observation are Australia, China, France, Earth Science and Technology organization (ESTO) of Japan, National Space Development Agency (NASDA) of Japan, Remote Sensing Technology Centre (RESTEC) of Japan and UNDP.
However, to augment its training resources and expand its training activities, ESCAP has devised a unique scheme called technical cooperation among developing countries (TCDS). Under this arrangement host countries provide local expenses such as training sometimes, daily subsistence allowances, to participants.
ESCAP realized the usefulness of the TCDC arranagement and welcomes the significant efforts made by the United Nations system to increase the application of TCDC in development cooperation through, inter alia, the use of capacity and needs matching exercises as well as activities related to training and the transfer of technology. In April 1997, the commission, at its fifty-third session, has urged that TCDC be further strengthened through the ESCAP programme of work in order to utilize the tremendous potential of TCDC in promoting the socio-economic development of the countries in the Asian and pacific region.
Regular training activities
Regional Seminar on Earth Observation of Tropical Ecosystem Management
Since 1992, ESCAP, in cooperation with ESTO, NASDA and RESTEC, has been conducting the Regional Seminar on Earth Observation for Tropical Ecosystem Management . The objectives of the seminar are: (1) to impart knowledge of integrated application of GIS and remote sensing for sustainable ecosystem management through organizing a Seminar-cum-hands-on-training on remote sensing and GIS applications for tropical exosystem management (immediate); and (2) to create indigenous capability in the member countries in Asia and the Pacific region in the applications of remote sensing and GIS techniques in developmental planning for sustainable development of natural resources and environment management (long-term).
This seminar targets two levels of participants, decision-markers and planners and technical users. Since 1992, the seminar has trained around 160 decision-makers and seminar on the application of remote sensing and GIS to tropical ecosystem management, including a panel discussion tropical ecosystem dynamics; and a two-day computer hands-on training on digital image processing and GIS techniques.
