›UN/IAF Workshop on Space Technology for Socio-Economic Benefits

Background

The United Nations through its Programme on Space Applications implemented by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and the International Astronautical Federation (IAF) are jointly organizing a Workshop on Space Technology for Socio-Economic Benefits on the theme "Water Resources Management" to promote the use of space technology for the benefit of Member States. The Workshop will be held in Israel, from 9 to 11 October 2015 in conjunction with the 66th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) A limited number of Workshop participants from developing countries, selected by the United Nations and the IAF, will also be invited to attend the IAC to be held from 12 to 16 October 2015.

Only 2.5 percent of our Planet's water resources are fresh water, two-thirds of which are confined to the planets Earth's polar caps. Consequently only one-third of Earth's fresh water is readily available to us as usable ground- and surface water. It is a severely limited resource with more than 700 million people still having no access to clean fresh water. The Workshop will focus on the contributions of space science, technology and its applications to manage our limited water resources.

The Workshop will be the 25 th in a series of Workshops jointly organised by the Office for Outer Space Affairs and by the International Astronautical Federation and has been endorsed by the United Nations General Assembly as part of the 2015 activities of the United Nations Programme on Space Applications. It will be co-sponsored by the European Space Agency (ESA), with contributions from the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA), the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) and the International Institute of Space Law (IISL).

The presentations made at the Workshop will be published online on the website of the Office for Outer Space Affairs to increase the awareness of the capabilities and benefits of space technology applications. A report of the Workshop, including observations and recommendations made by the participants, will be published as an official United Nations document.