Global system could cut disaster toll by 2018


Posted on November 28, 2007  /  0 Comments

Will authorities be able to use this satellite system to ensure that hazard information gets to the vulnerable in a timely and accurate manner? Detection technology is available but it is up to governments to not only use it but find the means to convey the message to vulnerable communities.

“A global satellite system should come on line next decade, potentially saving billions of dollars and thousands of lives by boosting preparedness for natural disasters, a top scientist said on Wednesday.

Monitoring changes in climate, the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) should also help health officials prevent epidemics and guard against man-made environmental damage, said Jose Achache, head of the group behind the project. “I’m an optimistic guy. So, I think in ten years from now we’ll have a fully operational and fairly complete GEOSS,” Achache, director of the Geneva-based intergovernmental Group on Earth Observations, told Reuters.”

Continue reading Reuters Alertnet | Global system could cut disaster toll by 2018

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