International Charter: Space and Major Disasters Training Program
Prof. Qassim Nasir, Director of the Sharjah Smart Center for Climate Resilience at the University of Sharjah’s College of Computing and Informatics, and Prof. Nezar Atalla Hammouri from the College of Sciences attended a specialized training workshop on the International Charter: Space and Major Disasters, organized by the UAE Space Agency at Zayed University in Abu Dhabi. The International Charter: Space and Major Disasters is an international agreement among 17 space agencies aimed at supporting the immediate response efforts of national disaster management authorities and the international humanitarian community, including organizations such as the United Nations. In 2018, the UAE was the first Arab country to obtain membership to the organization.
The participation reflects the University of Sharjah’s (UoS) ongoing commitment to advancing research and collaboration with UAE Space Agency in this important initiative. The program brought together leading partners and experts from across the UAE to strengthen coordination, enhance operational readiness, and enhance the use of satellite data in disaster response efforts. The UoS was appointed as a Value Adder (VA) under this charter and is responsible, in coordination with the Project Manager (PM), for information analysis and any additional data requests required to complement the information already submitted through the Charter Operational System-2 (COS-2). Remote sensing is considered a vital tool in emergency and crisis management, as it provides accurate and real-time data that helps assess damage and quickly identify affected areas. It also supports effective decision-making and enhances coordination among relevant authorities. In addition, it plays a role in predicting crises and preparing for them in advance, contributing to saving lives and reducing losses.
The training program was delivered by the UAE Space Agency (UAESA) in collaboration with the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA), the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), and Space42.
