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22/06/2005 - Governments should do more to take advantage of space technology to improve environmental monitoring, address traffic congestion and respond more effectively to natural or man-made disasters, according to a new OECD report.
Space 2030: Tackling Society’s Challenges analyses the opportunities and challenges of space technology and gives recommendations to governments and policy makers on ways to ensure that the potential of space is more fully realised. It explores the role of space technology in addressing challenges in five major areas: environmental problems, the use of natural resources, the increasing mobility of goods and people, growing security threats, and the development of the information society.
François Biltgen, Luxembourg’s Minister for Culture, Education and Research, and Octavie Modert, Secretary of State for Culture, Education and Research, together with Michael Oborne, Director of the OECD’s International Futures Programme, and Romain Bausch, President and CEO of SES Global, will present the report at a news conference at the Chateau de Betzdorf, Betzdorf, Luxembourg, at 11.30 a.m. on Wednesday 6 July 2005.
Among other things, the report stresses the potential for more effective use of satellite technology. Earth observation satellites can help scientists track climate change at regional and global levels, thereby improving understanding of its long-term causes and effects. They can help monitor greenhouse gas emissions, and so be used to strengthen enforcement of treaties, and the state of forests, in order to improve their management and reduce deforestation. They can improve monitoring of areas prone to natural disasters and assist in estimating the scope of a disaster and the level of response needed from emergency teams.
The economic gains of applying satellite-based systems in industry could be huge: in the U.S., improving the accuracy of weather reports by just 1° Fahrenheit could potentially save the electricity sector $1 billion per year.
Satellite mapping instruments have potential uses as diverse as predicting destructive natural disasters, monitoring the loss of Arctic ice, and even re-routing traffic to avoid gridlock in cities.
In India, satellite communications links have been used to provide expert medical advice to patients and health workers in poor rural areas that otherwise lack the resources to provide adequate care.
Among the report’s recommendations are that governments should:
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Co-operate more closely to make better use of existing earth observation satellites;
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Encourage the deployment of satellite technology to provide services, such as telemedicine and distance learning, to rural and remote areas;
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Increase investment in basic R&D;
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Encourage private sector participation in the space sector and foster public procurement from the private sector.
To register for the news conference or to obtain a copy of Space 2030: Tackling Society’s Challenges, journalists are invited to contact the OECD’s Media Relations Division (tel. + 33 1 45 24 97 00). For further information, please contact Pierre-Alain Schieb of the OECD’s International Futures Programme (tel. + 33 1 45 24 82 70).
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