Earth Observation and the Future of Climate Resilience

With numerous Essential Climate Variables now readily available from satellites - from sea level rise to soil moisture - EO has the potential to inform and facilitate climate resilient development around the globe, whether at a strategic level or during project design and implementation.

Initiatives such as the EO for Sustainable Development (EO4SD), driven by the European Space Agency, are helping to break down the barriers to accessing and using EO data in every day decision making, and helping to ensure that development practitioners can make the most robust decisions in the face of an uncertain future. Already, this latter initiative has led to space data being mainstreamed into the decision tools of major International Financial Institutions, including the World Bank’s Climate Change Knowledge Portal.

This panel brings together a diverse set of voices working at the cutting edge of EO-driven climate resilience. The panel will take stock of the advantages of EO in helping to build resilience in a development context, as well as set consider barriers and limitations yet to be overcome.