The UN Office for Outer Space Affairs (OOSA), the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Government of Chile organised a workshop on space applications for disaster reduction in La Serena (Chile) from 13-17 November 2000.

The event, in which ISDR provided the keynote address, was a successful attempt to identify priority areas for the application of satellite-based solutions for disaster reduction and emergency management. Representatives from almost all countries in Latin America and the Caribbean as well as UN organisations and space agencies agreed to proceed to the design and implementation of demonstration projects in the priority areas identified during the meeting.

This initiative was part of a three year long programme of OOSA to improve the use of space applications for disaster reduction and marked a decisive progress towards the actual use of new technology for the reduction of the impact of natural and other related disasters.

For more information contact:
Sergio Camacho
sergio.camacho@oosa.un.or.at