ESA workshop examines role of satellites in natural disaster management
The first workshop on the International Charter on Space and Major Disasters took place at the European Space Agency's space research institute, ESRIN, in Frascati, Italy on 10 October. The meeting was attended by national space agencies which are members of the charter as well as space industry and civil protection authority representatives who use satellite data for disaster mapping and prevention. Delegates called on the European Union and the United Nations to provide a framework for additional services such as reference maps of disaster areas and rapid damage estimates. Other suggestions for future improvements included the need to combine satellite data with other information sources and improve emergency management responses. The charter's objectives, members and mechanisms were presented to the European space industry during the workshop. The charter, which came into operation in November 2000, has already been called into operation 11 times to provide up-to-date information needed to anticipate and manage natural or technological disasters such as the Saône river floods in France in March 2001. Under the charter, the space agencies of Europe, France, Canada, the USA and India have agreed to provide satellite data to enable emergency and rescue organisation to combat natural disasters. In this way, it aims to bring together major space and civil protection agencies in a long-term dialogue. The European Space Agency (ESA) has also announced that it has renewed the contracts of two of its directors - Jörg Feustel-Büechl and Claudio Mastracci. The decision was taken at the ESA Council in Paris on 10 and 11 October, on the recommendation of director-general Antonio Rodotà. Mr Feustel-Büechl, who is German, has been working with ESA since 1986. He is responsible for organising the Europe's contribution to the International Space Station and related programmes. Mr Mastracci, originally from Italy, remains in charge of the ARTES programme, which covers technology development, feasibility studies and system development for future space telecommunication programmes, and EGNOS, Europe's satellite navigation system.