National Workshop to Kick-off the CubeSat Technology Project: “Toward Developing the First Lebanese NanoSatellite”

National Workshop to Kick-off the CubeSat Technology Project

“Toward Developing the First Lebanese NanoSatellite”

16.15 - 18.00, 9 April 2019

Beirut

Remarks

Ms. Mami Mizutori

Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk

Reduction

Your Excellency Ms. May Choudiac – State Minister of Administrative

Development

Dr. Moein Hamza Secretary General of the National Council for

Scientific Research

Distinguished fellow speakers,

Ladies and gentlemen,

It is very exciting to be here at the beginning of what promises to be an important scientific journey for Lebanon and its people.

The development of Lebanon’s first Nano Satellite will give a major boost to space-based programmes in your Universities and will have many applications of benefit to the country’s commercial activity especially in the area of telecommunications.

This in turn can be of great use in strengthening early warning systems through mobile phone networks and other channels.

That is just one way I can imagine that this development could contribute to implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the global plan to reduce disaster losses which was adopted four years ago.

Speedy delivery of warnings about sudden on-set disaster events such as floods, storms and earthquakes are vital in a country as heavily urbanised as Lebanon and a key part of reducing loss of life and the numbers of people affected in disasters.

Perhaps a more obvious application of this new technology is in the area of improved risk profiling thanks to the quality of satellite earth observation data which will be available to urban planners and those monitoring climate conditions across the country.

It is clear that this project has the potential to strengthen the evidence base in support of disaster risk reduction efforts through the use of geospatial information technology and improved data for disaster risk modelling.

I am sure the development will be watched with great interest by the Disaster Risk Management Unit which is housed in the office of Prime Minister, Saad El Hariri, and which I had the pleasure of visiting yesterday.

Lebanon is at the forefront of efforts across the region to promote the availability and application of science and technology to decision-making.

I would like here to acknowledge the support of Lebanon’s National Council for Scientific Research and its Secretary-General, Professor Mouin Hamze, for hosting the recently formed Arab Science and Technology Advisory Group for Disaster Risk Reduction.

This is a very clear sign that we are making real progress on engaging with academia, scientific and research entities in order to focus on disaster risk, including emerging disaster risks, in the medium and long-term.

The creation of the Science and Technology Groups at the regional level is essential to increasing research for regional, national and local application as specified under that section of the Sendai Framework which spells out the role of stakeholders.

It is also key to supporting the interface between policy and science for decision making.

I would like to close with a few observations on areas that need to be monitored if the world of science is to have the impact we expect it to have on ensuring that disaster risk reduction becomes a cross-cutting issue for society as a whole.

The first thing I would say is that natural hazards should not be observed or managed in isolation from other risk drivers such as poverty, climate change, rapid urbanisation, weak institutions and failure to preserve the environment and protective eco-systems.

We need to work across academic disciplines to have a full view of these phenomena and how they interact with each other in different settings.

As I mentioned earlier, great progress is being made in the technology for delivering early warnings but alongside the technology, we have had also to take account of human behaviour and find creative ways of communicating a deeper understanding of disaster risk.

Ultimately, this is what has helped to save many lives in scenarios where previously large scale loss of life could be expected, notably in areas exposed to cyclones.

Risk communication by the global scientific community is a perennial topic of interest especially in light of the failure so far in efforts to make serious progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions despite the wealth of scientific evidence and commentary on the subject.

Scientists must be able to speak in a compelling way to politicians and policymakers if an evidence based approach is to inform national and local strategies for disaster risk reduction.

Scientists must also be representative of society as a whole and extend a welcome to women and youth in particular, and thereby encourage diversity and innovation in future generations of scientists.

I would like to close by drawing your attention to the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction which takes place in Geneva, from May 15 to 17. It will be preceded by a two-day Science and Policy Forum which will be of particular interest to many of you.

The Forum will look at several areas including developing a technical Sendai hazard definition list and examine how big data can support enhanced action for resilience. It will also focus on the Science and Technology Roadmap for Sendai and ensuring greater coherence between how we implement the Sendai Framework, the Paris Agreement on climate and the Sustainable Development Goals.

It promises to be an action-packed week and I hope to see many of you there.

Thank you for your attention.