July 2008:
This Workshop will be held around the theme “Disaster Management and Space Technology
– Bridging the Gap,” and will be held in Bonn,
Germany, from 13-15 October 2008.

The event is organized by the UN Office for Outer
Space Affairs, through its UN-SPIDER Programme (UN Platform for Space-based
Information for Disaster Management and Emergency Response), and the German
Aerospace Center, with the support from the International Strategy for Disaster
Reduction – Platform for the Promotion of Early Warning and the UN University –
Institute for Environment and Human Security. This event will bring together 100
decision makers and experts from the space technology and disaster management
communities, international scientific organizations, knowledge transfer and
educational institutions, and private companies, to share best practices and
knowledge, products and technologies for risk and disaster management,
humanitarian aid and emergency response. Topics to be addressed during the
workshop include: relevant space-based solutions and information for risk and
disaster management support and emergency response; the contribution of
space-based technologies to existing Early Warning Systems and to the
development of Risk Modeling and Vulnerability Assessments; the UN-SPIDER
Knowledge Portal prototype; the contribution of space-based solutions in the field
of emergency and disaster medicine; knowledge sharing for improved disaster
management and emergency response; and harmonization of the existing
initiatives that help developing countries access and use space-based
technologies for disaster management and risk reduction. [Workshop’s First Announcement ]