Analysis Of The Use Of Space Technologies In Disaster Response And Management In Relation To The Available Disaster Response Space Platforms And The Economic Status Of The Country Patricia Helen Khwambala – Cape Peninsula University Of Tec

Paper number

IAC-17,D5,2,9,x37215

Author

Ms. PATRICIA KHWAMBALA, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, South Africa

Coauthor

Prof. Peter Martinez, South Africa

Year

2017

Abstract

Natural and manmade disasters, which are sudden accidents that may cause great loss of life and damage, seriously disrupting the proper functioning of the community while exceeding the ability of the community to cope with its impact with the available resources. Disasters have always been part of people’s lives and is as old as history itself. An occurrence is classified as a national disaster if the nation affected cannot contain the impact of the disaster with the available resources and need international help to contain and recover from the disaster.
The importance of space technologies, space applications, earth observation, meteorsat and comsats are some of the powerful tools that can be used or are used to respond and manage a disaster affecting a particular nation. The platforms set by the United Nations to help in the process of getting an international response to a disaster are operational, like the UN SPIDER and the International Disaster Charter. There are a number of issues that are affecting the use these platforms to access the available space technologies for free for all nations. Socioeconomic status of the affected nation being one of them amongst other things. This still results in the adverse loss of lives and property of a nation and negatively impacting more on the economic status of the poor and developing countries.
In this paper the analysis of the use of space technologies in the disaster prone developed and developing countries is done by looking at the relationship between the HDI and the activation of the International Disaster Charter of the affected country. The effect of the procedure of activating the charter by the registered user to the speed of response in relation to the socio economic status of the country and the disaster management policies of the country. Suggested recommendations for improving the access to these platforms to save more lives during and after disaster, learning from the over 15 years’ experience of using the space technologies in disaster response and management
KEY WORDS – UNSPIDER. International Disaster Charter, Registered Authorised User, Disaster, Socioeconomic Status,HDI, Space Technologies

Abstract document

IAC-17,D5,2,9,x37215.brief.pdf

Manuscript document

IAC-17,D5,2,9,x37215.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

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