10 December 2008: The UN Development Programme (UNDP), in partnership with the Government of France and the regional government of Brittany, has created the ClimSat partnership. This new regional initiative – a network of public and private satellite providers – aims to offer satellite images free of charge to communities in 50 regions across the world to improve the monitoring of deforestation, desertification, changing rainfall patterns and other phenomena.

ClimSat images will allow the mapping of areas vulnerable to
climate change impacts, in particular flooding from sea-level rise, and
in most need of assistance to adaptation efforts. UNDP will complement
this service by providing carbon footprint calculating software to
decision makers, to allow planning for effective emissions reduction
and access to renewable energy. Countries benefiting from the first
phase of this facility include: Albania, Colombia, Indonesia, Morocco,
Mozambique, Peru, Senegal, Uganda, Uruguay, and the Former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia. The initiative also draws support from the UN
Environment Programme and is expected attract other UN agency
involvement. [UNDP Press Release]