UAE has role to play in space technology and fight against climate change, says expert

Prof. Dr. Orhan Altan, President of the International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, said on the second day of the event that science was winning the battle to persuade the global community of the need for positive action in the fight against climate change.

He said this was borne out of the decision by environment ministers from the G8 rich nations earlier this year to urge their leaders to set a global target to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Dr. Altan, who addressed an audience of industry leaders on "the Value of Space in Environmental Monitoring" said the use of satellite remote sensing helps scientists learn how the global Earth system is changing, how system responds to natural and human-induced changes, what are the consequences of changes in the system for human civilization and how to predict future changes in the Earth system.

"The Global Space Technology Forum is a very important event for because it is bringing together all the active players from the US, Europe and the Far East to discuss emerging space technology and take the industry forward," said Altan.

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While he welcomed the "New Energy for America" programme put forward by us President-Elect, Barack Obama, Dr Altan said this was "only the first step, and the next important thing to look at is the implementation of the plan."

Organised by Streamline Marketing Group and taking place at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, the three-day Global Space Technology Forum is providing a first class platform to examine the latest space technology and emerging commercial and investment opportunities.

The conference and exhibition comes at a time when Abu Dhabi, and the Middle East region, is increasing efforts to become a serious aviation and aerospace commercial, technical and services hub.

Dr. Altan added that knowledge gained by using remote sensing to map the Earth's surface in 3D with unprecedented accuracy and resolution, is improving understanding of floods, landslides, earthquakes and volcanoes. It also allows scientists to map the Earth's radiation budget to assess its impacts on climate and weather, and to assess Earth's gravity field to evaluate its role in ocean circulation and climate.

Remote sensing effectively measures and monitors continental drift and plate tectonics, and understands their impact on natural hazards, earthquakes and volcanoes; captures and documents dynamics of Earth's ozone layer and understands the effects of its depletion on exposure to UV radiation at the Earth's surface

It captures and documents global ocean circulation and its role in Earth's weather
and climate; documents land cover change at global and regional scales in response to natural and human influences; and maps the 3D structure of storms and hurricanes and their impacts on human safety, property, and infrastructure

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Other key speakers on the second day of the Global Space Technology Forum included Prof. Dr. Eng. Anwar Sulaiman Dawood, Senior Advisor, Strategic Planning & Performance Management, Abu Dhabi Government, Ms. Entesar Al Hosani, Manager, Environment Information Management, Environment Agency, Abu Dhabi, Prof. Scott Madry, Geospatial Scientist, The University of North Carolina, Dr. Michael Simpson, President, International Space University, and Prof. Abdelhaq Hamza, Professor of Astrophysics American University of Sharjah.