ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)
The UAE Space Agency has completed a regional training programme in Ghana aimed at strengthening the use of satellite data and space-based technology in disaster preparedness and emergency response across West Africa.
The programme, held in Accra in late August, brought together participants from Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Benin and The Gambia, according to a statement issued by the agency.
Supported by the UAE Aid Agency, the programme was delivered in cooperation with Ghana’s National Disaster Management Organisation and the United Nations Platform for Space-based Information for Disaster Management and Emergency Response.
The training focused on activating and using the International Charter: Space and Major Disasters, as well as applying Earth-observation data and geospatial information to early-warning systems, disaster preparedness, emergency response and damage assessments, the statement said.
Participants received practical training in COS-2 and Charter Mapper, systems used to manage Charter activations and analyse satellite images. They applied the tools to scenarios involving floods, storms, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
The programme concluded with an end-to-end simulation covering the submission of an activation request, processing of satellite data, development of outputs and assessment of the results.
Participants were also trained to access, process and analyse satellite imagery and produce information to support impact assessments, field operations and emergency-related decisions, the statement said.
Eng. Salem Butti Al Qubaisi, Director General of the UAE Space Agency, said the programme reflected the UAE’s commitment to using space capabilities to strengthen disaster preparedness and protect communities.
“Through our chairmanship of the International Charter: Space and Major Disasters, we are working with international partners to make satellite data, advanced technologies and specialist expertise more accessible to authorities when they need them most,” Al Qubaisi said.
He said the programme was designed to convert technical knowledge into operational capabilities by allowing participants to use the Charter’s tools and procedures in scenarios based on real emergencies.
“Participants developed practical skills that can support faster, better-informed decisions and responses during emergencies,” Al Qubaisi added.
Major (Ret.) Dr Joseph Bikanyi Kuyon, Director General of Ghana’s National Disaster Management Organisation, said satellite data and geospatial information could strengthen disaster management by providing authorities with accurate information quickly.
“The practical exercises enabled participants to apply the Charter’s tools in realistic response scenarios and exchange experience with counterparts from across the region,” he said.
Technical support for the programme was provided by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre and the European Space Agency. UN-SPIDER, part of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies also supported the initiative, the statement said.
The programme forms part of the UAE’s chairmanship of the International Charter and its efforts to develop practical disaster-response capabilities through international cooperation and technical training.