ABU DHABI, 15th September, 2023 (WAM) — The Geo-Spatial Analytics Platform project team within the UAE Space Agency's “Space Data Centre”, and in cooperation with Bayanat, contributed to submitting several analysis reports published on the International Charter Space and Major Disasters website, as part of the international efforts aimed at mitigating the repercussions of the earthquake that struck Morocco recently.
This stems from the UAE Space Agency's belief in the importance of international cooperation and human solidarity in facing natural disasters.
The reports of the Geo-Spatial Analytics Platform project team, available among other reports from a number of national and international space agencies and entities, contributed to assessing the extent of the damage resulting from the devastating Morocco earthquake, developing effective relief and rescue plans, in addition to constantly monitoring the situation.
These efforts reflect the achievements that can be made through the use of space technologies, as well as the role of the International Charter on Space and Major Disasters as a vital tool for using space technologies in times of disasters for the extended benefit of humanity.
The UAE Space Agency's partnership with Bayanat comes within the framework of developing and operating the Geo-Spatial Analytics Platform, one of the transformational projects announced by the UAE government, with the aim of facilitating access to satellite data to employ space technologies in developing solutions that support national and global challenges in the form of satellite data and value-added services (VAS) applications.
Salem Butti Salem Al Qubaisi, Director-General of the UAE Space Agency, said that international cooperation in the field of responding to natural disasters constitutes an urgent necessity and requires immediate and coordinated responses among the concerned authorities at the regional and international levels.
He stressed that the reports of the Geo-Spatial Analytics Platform assisted international relief efforts in Morocco, as they contributed in helping Moroccan authorities and rescue teams to assess the extent of the damage and plan relief operations efficiently and effectively.
The UAE, represented by the UAE Space Agency, officially signed the “International Charter on Space and Major Disasters”, becoming the 17th member globally and the first Arab country to obtain this prestigious membership, which supports global efforts to provide a unified system for obtaining space data and presenting it to countries affected by various disasters.