Indian Space Research Organisation chairman AS Kiran Kumar is optimistic about India’s capabilities has said at the International Conference on Climate Change and Disaster Management at Kovalam that, “The future of earth observation relies on three factors – continuity and improvement of the operational constellation of satellites, sustained observation of all climate variables and global co-operation for comparing observation data.”

Jean-Yves Le Gall, president of French space agency Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales, was also one of the speakers and dubbing climate change as an ‘unprecedented threat’ he urged for coordination of space missions and pooling of resources for stepping up space-based observation of climate change phenomena.

Tanja Masson-Zwaan, president, International Institute of Space Law (IISL), stressed the importance of space technology in solving issues connected to climate change. “Today climate change and disaster management are perhaps the most important issues being faced”.

Governor P. Sathasivam, inaugurated the three-day event and urged for, “Disaster management calls for convergence of technologies and institutions with a holistic approach covering a suitable mix of policy reforms, institutional changes and technology options.”

Former ISRO chairman G.Madhavan Nair was also present at the event and he also delivered a speech on the subject. The conference showcased the capability of India to become a reliable knowledge hub for earth observation.

By Premji