Remote Sensing
News & Events - 2008
UNESCO signs partnership with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
Paris, 02 December - Dr. Keiji Tachikawa, President of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Koïchiro Matsuura, Director-General of UNESCO, on 2 December signed a cooperation agreement through which JAXA will assist UNESCO by bringing the benefits of space technology to the monitoring of World Heritage sites.
With this agreement JAXA joins a group of more than 50 partners, including 25 space agencies, in the “Open Initiative on the use of space technologies for World Heritage sites,” initially set up by UNESCO and the European Space Agency (ESA) in 2001.
“Space technologies are a valuable tool to document and monitor the conservation of World Heritage sites, which are increasingly threatened not only by the traditional causes of decay, but also by human developments in their surroundings, changing social and economic conditions, natural disasters, climate change” said the Director-General of UNESCO.
By joining the initiative, JAXA brings cutting edge technology to UNESCO Member States, mainly in Asia, and mobilizes the Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS), also known as “Daichi,” for the study and safeguarding of World Heritage sites. ALOS is used for mapping, land observation, and the monitoring of disasters as well as resources.
Current activities carried out under the Open Initiative include monitoring the landslides in Machu Picchu (Peru), mapping the Great Wall of China, monitoring the natural and cultural heritage of Calakmul (Mexico) and more.
In 1972 the Member States of UNESCO adopted the World Heritage Convention, which recognizes the interest of the international community in preserving exceptional cultural and natural heritage sites for the benefit of the whole of humanity. It defines the criteria for the inscription of natural and cultural properties on the World Heritage List and sets out the duties of States Parties in safeguarding these sites. By signing the Convention, each country pledges to conserve not only the World Heritage sites situated on its territory, but also to protect its national heritage.
The World Heritage Convention has been ratified by 145 States to date; UNESCO’s World Heritage List numbers 878 properties of outstanding universal values, including 679 cultural, 174 natural and 25 mixed properties.
Special side event at UN CB: Space Supporting the Rio, World Heritage and Ramsar Conventions
26 May 2008, Bonn, Germany
The Open Initiative on the French/German TV channel ARTE.
EURONEWS made a documentary, featuring how UNESCO is working with ESA on the conservation of the Earth's biodiversity.
European Space Agency at the 9th Conference of the Parties of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, invites UNESCO.
A large amount of people gathered on Monday 26th May for the 9th Conference of the Parties of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity held in Bonn, Germany.
UNESCO took part of a special side event organized by its partner the European Space Agency (ESA)
3D modelling in archaeology and cultural heritage
© UNESCO
The UNESCO partner, Federal Polytechnical School of Zurich (ETH-Zurich) organized, jointly with UNESCOa summer school oriented to archaeologists and cultural heritage conservationists. The main objective is to illustrate the use of ‘space technologies (for experts: geomatics) for the 3D modelling of cultural heritage sites.
Twenty two different countries attended the school with a major representation from both western and Eastern Europe but including also students from Australia, Canada, China, Japan, Philippines and USA.
The Open Initiative at the CNES – Toulouse Space Show 2008
ESA-UNESCO joint session: space technologies as an educational tool
Toulouse was the host of the CNES Space Show 2008 where the ESA-UNESCO Open Initiative was presented.
Conservation of our natural and cultural heritage implies a good involvement of the young generation: it is in the mind of the youngsters that the idea of conservation and sustainable use must be developed. Therefore ESA and UNESCO are making use of all the results of the activities implemented under the ‘Open Initiative’ as educational tool to create awareness among the young generation. This paper illustrates how UNESCO is involving the schools in the surrounding of the World Heritage sites and using satellite images as a powerful educational tool. In addition UNESCO is closely collaborating with ESA’s educational programme Eduspace where particular modules on the use of remote sensing as applied for the preservation of cultural and natural heritage is illustrated.
The French Space agency (CNES) and UNESCO: space and archaeology
April 24th, Toulouse
A Workshop led by the CNES Technical Skills Centre (C.C.T.)
“Archaeology and Remote Sensing”
UNESCO had the great honor to be invited by CNES to co-organize the above- mentioned workshop. For further information about the programme:
http://www.toulousespaceshow.eu/download/programme_archeo_080414.pdf
UNESCO is thankful to the excellent work of Mr. Luc Lapierre who was able to put together an extremely interesting and successful session of space and archaeology.
The ESA-UNESCO “Open Initiative: From Space to Place” makes an important step forward
© UNESCO
Establishment of a dedicated Centre in Beijing, China
On Monday 14th of April, the UNESCO 179th Executive Board Meeting, approved the proposal from the Government of China to establish a UNESCO-Centre for the ‘Open Initiative’ in Beijing China.
The Chinese Academy of Sciences has been a partner of the ‘Open Initiative’. With this proposal, China makes a step forward not only continuing to be a partner of UNESCO but this time putting at the service of UNESCO financial and human resources to assist through space technologies the conservation of our natural and cultural heritage.
The process requires the endorsement of the UNESCO General Conference (October 2009). However we can start now setting up the main modalities for the Centre.
The Centre will be located inside the Centre for Earth Observation and Digital Earth (CEODE) from the Chinese Academy of Sciences. CEODE was created in 2007 by integrating under a single centre all Chinese activities related with satellite images reception (operating three antennas), satellite image processing, and the new activity of ‘digital China extended to digital earth’.
With this new offer we have now a partner in Beijing that offers strong support services for developing countries in the framework of the ESA-UNESCO ‘Open Initiative’. International cooperation is the best approach for the preservation of our heritage.
Note: If you really want to know about the UNESCO’s ‘jargon’ and would like to consult the associated document, please visit:
ENGLISH: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0015/001586/158644e.pdf
FRENCH: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0015/001586/158644f.pdf
SPANISH: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0015/001586/158644s.pdf
CHINESE: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0015/001586/158644c.pdf
ARABIC: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0015/001586/158644a.pdf
RUSSIAN: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0015/001586/158644r.pdf
Spot Image joins the ‘Open Initiative: From space to Place’
The Deputy Director General of UNESCO, Mr. Marcio Barbosa concluded today an agreement with the President of Spot Image Mr. Herve Buchwalter.
Spotimage’s new initiative Planet Action http://www.planet-action.org/ joins the UNESCO ‘Open Initiative: From Space To Place’ to offer to UNESCO and partners collaboration in the use of Earth Observation for assessing climate change.
In partnership, UNESCO and Spot Image, a subsidiary of the French Space Agency CNES (Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales) are working jointly to use Earth Observation from space to ‘spot’ UNESCO sites with cutting-edge satellite imagery and assist conservation authorities in monitoring climate change issues. The main goal is to support decision makers in engaging in action.
UNESCO looks forward to strengthen the cooperation with Spot Image.
The German Aerospace Center joins the ‘Open Initiative’
14th November 2007
An important moment for the ESA-UNESCO ‘Open Initiative’ when the German Aerospace Center Centre (DLR) and UNESCO formally signed the mutual agreement for a partnership.
DLR and UNESCO had already been working jointly on the use of space technologies for archaeological applications.
DLR brings a tremendous expertise in space technologies. In particular, the most recent DLR satellite TerraSAR- X.
TerraSAR-X is the first German Public-Private Partnership (PPP) satellite - jointly realised by DLR and EADS Astrium. EADS Astrium has taken on the costs of development, building and employment of the satellite. Infoterra GmbH, a subsidiary of the EADS Astrium, is responsible for the commercial marketing.
Operating the mission involves four institutes alongside the space agency of DLR. DLR covers the entire range of necessary technologies from the setting up of TerraSAR-X's mission control to the processing and the use of the data for scientific purposes:
http://www.dlr.de/en/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-4219/6774_read-9519/
TerraSAR-X will significantly assist UNESCO World Heritage sites.
The UNESCO Open Initiative being shown to the General Conference
© UNESCO
16th October 2007
The exhibition highlights UNESCO’s activities in connection with sustainable development and climate change. It shows how the natural, social and human sciences, culture, education, communication and information work together towards a common goal. It is structured around five themes: the Earth System, the Dynamic Earth, the Diverse Earth, the Changing Earth and Sustaining the Earth.
The European Space Agency is part of the exhibition showing at the ‘Foyer des Conferences’ satellite images of earth, atmosphere, ice and oceans. In addition ESA will be showing the ESA-UNESCO ‘Open Initiative: from Space to Place’ activities done for UNESCO to assist World Heritage sites.
For further information:
http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=40116&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
Ms. Anne Candau (for the overall coordination of the exhibition)
Mr. Mario Hernandez for the ‘Open Initiative’ section
The ‘Open Initiative: From space to Place’ at the International Astronautical Congress at Hyderabad
© IAC
24th September 2007, India
The 58th International Astronautical Congress (IAC 2007) opens today in Hyderabad, India. This annual congress, one of the major space events of the year, brings together some 2000 international specialists, industry representatives and world leaders in the field.
It provides a crossroad uniting the world’s space agencies, astronautics institutes, aerospace scientific associations and firms involved in space activities.
UNESCO will be present to have a special session with the heads of space agencies, to meet with the UN World Meteorological Organization and to be present on a highlight event about “Space in the UN the last 50 years and the next 50 years ahead”.
The ‘Open Initiative: From space to Place’ at EARSeL
4th June 2007, International Symposium of the European Association of Remote Sensing laboratories
Following the strong collaboration between UNESCO and the International Symposium of the European Association of Remote Sensing laboratories (EARSel) on the use of remote sensing for natural and cultural heritage conservation, UNESCO will have its yearly session at the prestigious EARSeL congress. In addition UNESCO will present the associated educational activities of the ‘Open Initiative’. This time is of particular interest for the ‘Open Initiative’ since EARSeL might approve the establishment of a ‘Special Interest Group on remote sensing and archaeology’.
The French Space Agency (CNES) joins the ‘Open Initiative: From space to Place’
The Deputy Director General of UNESCO, Mr. Marcio Barbosa concluded today an agreement with the President of the French Space Agency (CNES), Mr. Yannick d'Escath.
The signature of the agreement formalizes the joint cooperation between CNES and UNESCO. Both institutions have been working jointly through the generous cooperation of CNES to offer all the activities of their ISIS programme. ISIS (in French: encouraging the scientific utilization of SPOT images) is a call to research organizations to propose studies using earth observation from space, in particular SPOT data. Within the large amount of projects proposed many deal with the mapping, documentation or monitoring of UNESCO World Heritage sites. This valuable information has been generously offered by CNES to UNESCO.
The signature now implies a stronger collaboration by CNES making call for offers based on UNESCO needs, using the results in educational activities and organizing joint capacity building workshops.
UNESCO looks forward to strengthen the cooperation with CNES.
International Astronautical Federation reinforces UNESCO-ESA ‘Open Initiative’
The ceremony also marked the first celebrations of the 50 years of space age, bringing together more than 400 space specialists and high-level managers of national and international space agencies.
© UNESCO
© UNESCO
"The extraordinary cultural and natural diversity of the world is an important source of life and inspiration for humanity. Its preservation should be a responsibility shared by the whole international community," he added. The International Astronautical Federation will help UNESCO in expanding its growing network of space entities to assist developing countries in the monitoring and conservation of heritage with space technologies.
UNESCO & ESA Using Space Technologies to Assist Mesoamerica with the Biological Corridor
© NASA
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