PT Pamapersada Nusantara (PAMA) is a mining company in Indonesia. It owns a large open-pit coal mine with an area of 466.5 hectares. For a long time, the mining sector faced problems such as backward management, intensive labor, and low production efficiency.
To better promote its digital transformation, PAMA took the initiative to introduce GIS technology and created an intelligent mining industry solution, greatly improving PAMA’s information management level.
Open-pit coal mines often have large production capacity and large-scale equipment, resulting in high labor intensity and a low degree of informatization. In recent years, with the increasing demands of enterprises for safe production, high efficiency, and low cost, the introduction of advanced communication technology and intelligent control technology has gradually garnered attention.
PAMA’s management difficulties lie in the inability to monitor open-pit coal mines in real-time, the complexity of the management and approval process, and the ineffective use of spatial information. In response to these needs, the GeoMining solution was created and provided by SuperMap (hereinafter referred to as the “solution”).
It uses geographic intelligence to empower decision-making, monitoring, approval, information visualization, and other aspects of mining operations. The solution has significantly helped reduce the time taken for process approval, and guaranteed the safety of mining and production activities, thereby reducing labor costs and time costs, and increasing profits.
How on earth does the solution work? The following four measures, from management to operation, are what it provides to reduce costs and increase efficiency.
Digitization of traditional manual processes
In the solution, complex data, such as data from drilling sensors and excavator guidance sensors, can be unified and integrated into the cloud through the network, and displayed on the web map. Decision-makers can use this information to enhance the daily mining plan and quickly initiate the plan approval process on the web or mobile end, then synchronize the planned tasks to the corresponding personnel’s client.
“The geo-mining system with GIS software allows real-time tracking of equipment and vehicles, optimizes information on daily production activities and provides an overview of the size and area of the work location,” PAMA introduced in an interview.
Mining progress updated in real-time
The traditional way of mine management usually requires professional engineers. With digital twin technology, the solution provides map services, spatial data services, and 3D services based on SuperMap iServer to reproduce the real scene of open-pit coal mines.
At the beginning of the mining project, the terrain data can be imported, and geographical grids of different degrees of fineness can be constructed according to specific projects. Through real-time streaming data of location information, the grid data can be continuously updated.
The daily updated terrain data saves the labor of frequent manual measurement. The visualization of mining progress, updated at short intervals, along with the automatically formed electronic terrain log, can provide decision-making support for the subsequent mining work.
Digital management of mining equipment
Using smart sensors, the location of various equipment in the mine can be synchronized to the cloud. Referring to the mining process and plan, the solution adopts geo-fence technology to specify the operating area of the equipment. At the same time, the precise equipment entry time and departure time will be monitored. Through accurate management, the utilization efficiency of equipment can be effectively improved, the project cycle can be shortened, and costs saved. Geo-fence technology also provides an early warning function. “The system helps with daily operations by monitoring mining activity near mine areas and sensitive environments, ensuring compliance, and generating alerts for action and guidance,” PAMA said.
Daily updated terrain statistics using spatial sensors
Intelligent management of mining personnel
By uploading the information of mining personnel to the cloud in real-time, managers at the control center can view, in SuperMap iClient, the current position and movement track of mine workers. Abnormal situations and safety risks can be detected and dealt with in a timely manner.
The detailed personnel information can help achieve more refined management of the operation plan, optimize the operation process, and thus improve the quality of operations. Compared to taking action afterward, it is more effective to check in advance on the platform whether the planned task has exceeded the budget or the expected time.
Real-time monitoring of mining conditions in open-pit mines
Moving Towards Deep Intelligence
Currently, using SuperMap iObject, SuperMap iServer, and SuperMap iClient, PAMA has realized the integration of existing information resources in its coal mine. The next step is to combine BIM data to digitally model and simulate the production process of coal mines to help PAMA fully realize real-time monitoring and analysis during the production process.
PAMA expressed its willingness to continue optimizing the system in the interview. “We’re satisfied with the system, and we’d like to see improvements in data integration, predictive analytics, mobile accessibility, user interface, and scalability to meet our evolving needs and expectations.”
Hexagon’s Safety, Infrastructure & Geospatial division announced Pitkin County Regional Emergency Dispatch Center selected HxGN Connect to upgrade digital mapping and response for 911 calls in Colorado’s premier mountain tourist destination, making the county safer for residents and visitors.
HxGN Connect will allow Pitkin County to bring modern mapping capabilities to its computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system, as well as incorporate Smart Advisor, Hexagon’s assistive artificial intelligence solution.
Pitkin County, home of Aspen and its four major ski areas, hosts 1.5 million tourists per year. The upgrades will improve emergency response capabilities for major events such as the X Games and JAS Aspen music festival.
The cloud-based solution, hosted in Microsoft Azure, will provide the ability to map 911 calls and incidents and conduct long-term resource planning. Smart Advisor will work in the background to help dispatchers and first responders connect related incidents and provide geofencing to concentrate resources on large events.
Officials plan to expand the system in the future to take advantage of its cross-organization collaboration capabilities by potentially linking the county’s CAD system with the fire department’s network of mountaintop smoke detectors and the Department of Public Works’ snowplows.
Pitkin County dispatchers will use HxGN Connect for digital mapping within its CAD system in the mountainous tourist destination.
“HxGN Connect immediately modernizes Pitkin County Regional Emergency Dispatch Center’s dispatching and emergency communications operations, as well as provides us the ability to continue to optimize our systems to better serve residents and visitors,” said Brett Loeb, 911 Division Chief for the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Department. “With where we want to go with technology, Hexagon can take us there.”
“Hexagon is proud to support Pitkin County, one of America’s most scenic mountain destinations,” said Bill Campbell, senior vice president of Global Public Safety for Hexagon’s Safety, Infrastructure & Geospatial division. “Residents and tourists alike can be assured that those looking out for their safety will have the most cutting-edge technology available.”
Teledyne e2v Space Imaging, part of Teledyne Technologies announced that it has signed an agreement to be part of the UK-led climate change TRUTHS mission.
The agreement was signed yesterday at the United Nations Climate Change Conference – COP 28 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates with The UK Space Agency, The European Space Agency (ESA), and Airbus.
Part of The European Space Agency’s Earth Watch program, The TRUTHS consortium will create a space-based climate and calibration observatory that will improve confidence in climate change forecasts and support net zero mitigation strategies and their impact.
The mission will collect the most accurate measurements of energy coming into the Earth from the Sun, and light reflected off the Earth’s surface, to help understand global warming and humanity’s impact on the planet.
Following on from the initial study phase, Teledyne e2v Space Imaging has been contracted to supply the TRUTHS hyperspectral sensor, and for the full design, manufacture, and Technology Readiness Level (TRL) raising activities of the associated front-end electronics.
These are the critical technologies of the Hyperspectral Imaging Spectrometer (HIS) which will acquire Earth, Sun, and Moon radiation measurements across the whole spectral range, from ultraviolet to infrared.
Teledyne’s capabilities in hyperspectral and infrared materials and detectors are considered world-class and the only solution available to meet the demanding performance requirements.
Furthermore, Teledyne e2v designs and produces a range of hyperspectral detectors at its Space Imaging facility in Chelmsford, Essex, UK, where it has delivered on more than 250 space missions over the past 30+ years.
Antonino Spatola, Business Development, Sales and Marketing Director at Teledyne e2v Space Imaging said, “We are proud to work with The European Space Agency (ESA), The UK Space Agency, and Airbus on the important climate change TRUTHS mission. Our sensor and electronics onboard TRUTHS will be the enabling technology of this space-based metrology laboratory for climate change forecasting and play a key role in giving climate decision-makers confidence in climate data gathered from space. This is also a testament to the capabilities and skills in the UK Space sector and it is important that together our work at Teledyne e2v makes the world a better place for future generations.”
Dr Paul Bate, Chief Executive of the UK Space Agency, who was at COP28 said, “This a major milestone for the TRUTHS mission and fantastic news for our world-leading Earth observation sector. The mission will play a vital role in improving how we monitor climate change using satellite data and supporting the decisive climate action which global nations are negotiating at COP28. But TRUTHS is more than something to monitor the planet, it is an exemplar of how the industry can incorporate sustainable space operations and reduce carbon impacts through the life cycle of the mission.”
The TRUTHS mission will be a ‘standards laboratory in space’, setting the ‘gold standard’ reference for climate measurements. It will ensure that decision-makers can be confident in the data they use for climate change mitigation strategies and policymaking and assist with the world’s net zero agenda. The TRUTHS is due to launch in 2030.
Hexagon Purus has received purchase orders for the delivery of hydrogen distribution systems to a leading player within the green hydrogen ecosystem, worth approximately EUR 9.6 million.
Hexagon Purus’ hydrogen distribution systems, including its type 4 hydrogen cylinders, will be used to deliver green hydrogen to industrial applications in Central Europe.
Driving Energy Transformation
“There is a growing need to move hydrogen around, and our distribution systems are significantly more cost-effective than traditional metal tube transportation solutions. We expect demand for our systems to gain further momentum as green hydrogen increasingly becomes part of the hydrogen mix”, says Michael Kleschinski, EVP Hydrogen Infrastructure & Mobility at Hexagon Purus.
The industrial and mobility sectors account for close to 50% of annual carbon emissions globally, and hydrogen has a significant role to play in reducing these emissions, particularly in hard-to-abate sectors.
Making green hydrogen available for use in industrial processes and mobility is critical to reduce carbon emissions.
As hydrogen, a key contributor to the energy transition, continues to build momentum globally, more than 30 countries have released hydrogen roadmaps.
USD 320 billion in direct investments into hydrogen projects have been announced through 2030 and more than 1,000 hydrogen projects have been announced globally to date. Green hydrogen is projected to supply up to 25% of the world’s energy needs by 2050.
VERSES AI welcomes the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to the Beta program of its Intelligence-as-a-Service platform, Genius.
NASA seeks to advance international and interagency collaboration on space exploration efforts through technology and policy standards. NASA, JPL, and many other stakeholders in the new “space race” have a vested interest in standardizing infrastructure and supporting the space economy, which Morgan Stanley estimates may grow to $1 Trillion by 2040.
The international space agency community is actively seeking to develop standards for space exploration. For example, many countries have recently announced their intention to return to the moon.
To ensure safety and collaboration, in 2020, NASA published the Artemis Accords, a non-binding multilateral arrangement between thirty-two world governments and one territory participating in NASA’s Artemis space program, which aims to return humans to the moon by 2025, establish a permanent presence on the moon, and ultimately expand space exploration to Mars and beyond.
The Accords set out to define space rules and laws governing various activities, from exploiting natural resources on the moon, comets and asteroids to governments’ ability to protect access to lunar bases or mining zones.
PWC estimates that the lunar economy will reach $170B by 2040. In addition to governance considerations, many technical specifications must be developed, including power distribution, communications, positioning, navigation and timing, lunar surface surveying, lunar satellite networks for guidance and communications, and cislunar space traffic control. Interoperability is central to the success of the global space economy.
“Interoperability of systems is critical to ensure safe and robust space exploration. Therefore, the Artemis Accords call for partner nations to utilize open international standards, develop new standards when necessary, and strive to support interoperability to the greatest extent practical,” says NASA.
“We believe that interoperability, knowledge sharing, transparency and accountability are prerequisites for collaboration in space and is precisely the kind of application that Genius is uniquely designed to enable,” said VERSES CTO, Jason Fox.
Genius is built on the open standards designed by the Spatial Web Foundation being developed within the IEEE P2874 Spatial Web, Architecture and Governance Working Group. IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) is the world’s largest standards development organization (SDO) and works with many other SDOs and government agencies involved in space exploration.
The standards have been successfully deployed in Flying Forward 2020, a European Commission program chartered with defining governance systems for autonomous drones across five European cities.
Similarly, NASA, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), and Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), among others, are seeking to develop a civil lunar infrastructure that unifies other siloed efforts to foster shareable, scalable systems that interoperate.
Genius is the only system based on these open standards that is designed specifically to foster this kind of interoperability and governance on Earth, the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
“I’m thrilled that JPL will participate in the Genius beta program because it represents one more step towards standardization. While serving as CTO of the Open Geospatial Consortium, the standards body responsible for key geospatial information standards, my experience with NASA and JPL is that real tests using running code are an essential step in the adoption of standards. And standards are the foundation to enabling industries and economies to thrive,” said George Percivall, Distinguished Engineering Fellow and Vice-Chair of the IEEE P2874 Working Group on behalf of the Spatial Web Foundation.
Swift Navigation unveiled its partnership with surveying solutions company Emlid. Through this collaboration, Swift and Emlid are bringing together a complete, turnkey solution for high-precision surveying and mapping that’s easier and more cost-effective to use than competitive offerings.
The need for accurate GIS (Geographic Information Systems) data has never been more critical and prevalent across industries – from construction firms conducting site surveys to utility companies locating buried infrastructure, and research institutes mapping archeological excavations.
This has given rise to Real-Time Kinematic (RTK), a technique used to enhance the precision of location data derived from GNSS satellites. However, most RTK receivers on the market come in the form of vertically integrated products that are expensive, complex to operate, and rely on the availability of a single ground reference station in the vicinity.
Swift’s solution is Skylark Precise Positioning Service, a cloud-based hardware agnostic GNSS corrections service that delivers centimeter-accurate positioning, fast convergence, and unified performance. With its flexible and affordable subscription model, Skylark eliminates the cost and burden of maintaining ground stations or the risk associated with depending on unreliable public ones.
Instead, Skylark leverages observations from hundreds of reference stations in its network to model corrections across entire countries and delivers them straight to any compatible receiver over the internet.
Just like Swift is revolutionizing precise positioning technology, Emlid is disrupting surveying and mapping technologies with its suite of cutting-edge, rugged, and considerably more affordable high-precision GNSS receivers. When paired with Skylark, Emlid’s Reach RX delivers centimeter-level accuracy, and gets a fix within seconds, even in challenging environments.
Whether used for utility, inspection, construction, or research, anyone on the team can use it, with no training required, and, weighing only 250 grams and measuring about 5 cm wide, it fits right into anyone’s pocket.
Reach RX pairs via Bluetooth to any smartphone, instantly routing its high-precision location to all running mobile apps, such as GeoAce from ITS Geo, another member of Swift’s Partner Program. The GeoAce app fuses Reach’s location with the iPhone Lidar to create precisely georeferenced 3D scans that can be instantly viewed in augmented reality.
Igor Vereninov, co-founder and CEO of Emlid, shared his perspective on the partnership, “Together Emlid and Swift Navigation are delivering a joint solution that is ideal for mass market deployment of surveying and mapping technology. For any company with multiple teams taking any kind of measurements in the field, this is the way to go.”
Timothy Harris, co-founder and CEO of Swift Navigation added, “This partnership advances Swift’s mission to build a safer and more efficient future by changing the way we understand and navigate every centimeter of our planet. By making it possible for anyone to create and leverage high precision digital maps, we’re unlocking innovative GIS, surveying, and mapping applications that improve safety and efficiency for millions of workers in construction, mining, utilities, and other industries around the world.”
Airbus Defence and Space and the Dutch Ministry of Defence have signed a four-year agreement to provide worldwide, sharp, fresh, and up-to-date satellite imagery via the OneAtlas Basemap.
This new contract will extend the Dutch Ministry of Defence access to Airbus’ exact, curated global imagery base map layer by providing 30cm, 50cm, and 1.5m resolution imagery to support mission needs. The imagery layer will be embedded into their collaborative environment and help supply complete and consistent coverage over land surfaces.
“The renewal and extension of the contract with the Dutch Ministry of Defense not only is a great vote of confidence in the worldwide imagery layer Airbus will continue to provide”, said Rob Postma, President Airbus Netherlands, “It also shows that the Netherlands MoD sees Airbus as one of their partners for further integrating web-based geospatial information for their operations and missions.”
“OneAtlas Basemap is a great worldwide imagery dataset, which allows all military and civilian staff of the Dutch Ministry of Defence access to up to date high-resolution satellite imagery for operational planning. This base map enhances our possibilities to access satellite imagery data and we are more than happy to add OneAtlas Basemap to our geographical information solutions portfolio for the upcoming four years,” says Lieutenant Colonnel Roland van Gorp, Commander Defence Geographical Agency of the Netherlands Ministry of Defence.
Green energy for clean and sustainable environment. Wind energy used in the industry of factories, machines and technologies. Reducing Co2 emissions and limiting global warming and climate change.
Intermap Technologies, a global company in 3D geospatial products and intelligence solutions announced a new collaboration with its partner, Twinn by Royal HaskoningDHV, to offer the global insurance industry enhanced, comprehensive flood, natural hazard and climate change data.
Intermap is a trusted provider of flood hazard maps and analytics in the United States, Central and Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia. This collaboration augments both companies’ spatial intelligence capabilities and transforms risk assessment services, enabling insurers to make informed decisions, diversify portfolios and better manage natural hazard risks worldwide.
Expanded capabilities beyond flood risk include other natural perils such as extratropical storms, lightning, hail, tornado, wildfire, surge floods, earthquake hazards and volcano hazards. It also includes climate change-based hazard analytics, including sea level rise, drought stress, heat stress, precipitation stress, fire weather and tropical cyclones.
The Global Risk Analytics market size is estimated at US$39.3 billion in 2022 and is expected to grow to US$70.5 billion by 2027 with a CAGR of 12.4%. Intermap’s partnership with Twinn by Royal HaskoningDHV expands its dataset offerings in its risk analytics applications, InsitePro® and Aquarius RMA, enabling the Company to provide natural hazard and climate risk analytics on a global scale, extending market reach beyond its core U.S. and CEE customers.
“As the world faces more frequent or severe climate change-related weather events like flooding, droughts and storms, organizations are seeking innovative approaches to risk management,” said Mark Nunns, Twinn Head of Commercial, Financial Services.
“Leveraging our extensive climate risk modelling expertise, we’re enhancing our combined data and analytics to bring new capabilities to financial services firms. We are committed to growing our partnership, to deliver a market-leading, high-resolution, current and future day climate dataset, along with providing a trusted source for all physical climate risk datasets.”
“We are committed to enhancing our spatial intelligence capabilities to provide the insurance industry with critical, quality data,” said Patrick A. Blott, Intermap Chairman and CEO. “This new collaboration with our partner is a testament to our dedication to providing the global insurance industry with the most comprehensive and advanced flood, natural hazard and climate change data, empowering insurers with the data and insights they need to navigate the evolving challenges of natural perils and climate change.”
Intermap’s partnership with Twinn by Royal HaskoningDHV advances risk assessment capabilities for the insurance industry, empowering insurers to make data-driven decisions in the face of growing climate challenges and natural perils.
The Company’s InsitePro and Aquarius RMA risk assessment solutions provide underwriters, risk engineers, reinsurance specialists, claims adjusters, actuaries and methodologists with data and analytics to accurately assess a property’s risk level.
In the year 2023, New Zealand recorded the highest average emissions per tonne among countries of loading at 222 kg per tonne of cargo shipped, according to VesselBot’s report titled “Decoding Maritime Emissions- Highs, Lows, and Green Leaders across global ocean routes.” Conversely, the United Arab Emirates recorded the lowest at 71 kg per tonne.
VesselBot, a leading technology company that brings transparency to Scope 3 transportation emissions has been monitoring GHG emissions across the industry covering several trade lanes, vessel groups and types as part of this requirement, providing transparent and accurate reporting of emissions so it can enable better decision-making, foster accountability, and drive improvements across the sector. VesselBot has released the December 2023 edition of its comprehensive report.
Countries of origin or destination do not possess any control over the type of ships that call at their ports unless specific emission policies are in place. However, it is imperative for governments and legislators to consider the significance of policies, particularly in the context of global efforts to reduce emissions and mitigate climate change.
Recognizing the need to curb emissions from ships, The IMO set ambitious targets to reduce the total annual GHG emissions by at least 50% by 2050 compared to 2008 levels.
Reporting and monitoring GHG emissions has therefore become critical components in achieving this goal and initiatives like the Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) and Energy Efficiency Existing Ship Index (EEXI) have been introduced to measure and improve the energy efficiency of ships, aiding in the reduction of GHG emissions.
The insights provided show cases the fact that change is indeed possible and progress is being made. The breakdown of emissions data by country of departure and vessel type provides a comprehensive understanding of the maritime industry’s endeavors to minimize its carbon footprint.
Tracking Maritime Emissions
The maritime industry accounts for more than 80% of global trade by volume while contributing to 2-3% of the world’s total GHG emissions. Due to long-distance transit and the use of fossil fuels, the shipping industry is a major source of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N20) emissions.
As the sector grows and evolves, addressing GHG emissions in the industry is critical and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has recognized the need to curb emissions in the industry by setting ambitious targets to reduce total annual GHG emissions by at least 50% by 2050 compared to 2008 levels.
The report sheds light on the development of GHG emissions in the shipping and freight industry, a critical factor in global climate change mitigation efforts.
The key points of the report
Downward Trend in Emissions: Between January and July 2023, contained vessels recorded a substantial reduction of 12% in GHG emissions compared to the same period in 2022, when the emission were up by 17%. When comparing the emissions by trade lane, North Europe to the Middle East showed the best improvement in 2023 (Jan-July) compared to the same period in 2022 with a 75% drop in emissions. On the other end, the route from the Mediterranean to the Indian Subcontinent had the highest increase in emissions for the above period with a 90% increase.
The decline in emissions as evidenced by VesselBot’s data, can be attributed to several reasons like the low demand for shipping during the first half of the year led shipping lines to cancel voyages, reduce sailing speed, and reallocate large container vessels from major trade routes, such as the Trans-Atlantic, Trans-Pacific, and Europe-Asia. Large container vessels on these trade routes travel longer distances between origin and destination, resulting in significantly more CO2 emissions for each tonne of goods shipped.
Improvements by Vessel Groups: Three vessel groups, namely VLCS, ULCS, and Post Panamax II, exhibited significant reductions in emissions in 2023. Each group demonstrated a reduction of over 20% compared to the emissions recorded in the previous year. Although the improvement should be welcomed and is plausible, the report delves into the possible factors that may have contributed to this achievement.
This report is an essential read for anyone involved in the maritime industry, environmental policy-making, or global trade. It not only celebrates the progress made in certain areas but also highlights the ongoing challenges, underscoring the urgency for continued action and innovation.
Angola’s President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço has officially signed the Artemis Accord solidifying Angola’s commitment to deep space exploration and international collaboration.
This makes Angola the third African country and the 33rd nation globally to endorse this agreement, following in the footsteps of Nigeria and Rwanda, who signed the accord in December 2022.
The Artemis Accords serve as a guiding framework, rooted in the principles of the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, aiming to establish a secure and transparent environment that fosters exploration, scientific pursuits, and commercial activities for the collective benefit of humanity. By joining this agreement, Angola aims to contribute to the shared vision of promoting peaceful and responsible exploration beyond Earth.
Furthermore, “the Accord aligns with NASA’s ambitious Artemis programme, which aims to achieve significant milestones such as landing the first woman and the first person of colour on the Moon. The programme’s objectives encompass groundbreaking scientific discoveries, extensive lunar surface exploration, and crucial preparations for the first human mission to Mars.
While NASA spearheads the Artemis initiative, collaborative efforts between nations will play a pivotal role in ensuring a sustainable and robust presence on the Moon. Thus, the Artemis Accords guide international partnerships in missions and operations around the Moon.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III, Richard Marles MP, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, Australia, and the Right Honourable Grant Shapps, Secretary of State for Defence, United Kingdom answer questions during a press conference at Moffett Field, Calif, Dec. 1, 2023. The three leaders met to discuss the Australia-United Kingdom-United States Security Partnership (AUKUS) on the campus of the Defense Innovation Unit. The leaders will review progress made in implementing the Optimal Pathway to provide Australia with a conventionally-armed, nuclear powered submarine capability and discuss current and future efforts to develop and deliver advanced capabilities and promote deeper collaboration between the three nation’s innovation ecosystems and defense industrial bases.(DoD photo by Chad J. McNeeley)
A network of three space-tracking radars will be set up in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States as part of the trilateral security partnership known as AUKUS.
The three nations will host and operate the Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability (DARC), a next-generation ground-based sensor funded by the U.S. Space Force and currently being developed by Northrop Grumman.
“The Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability will leverage the geography of the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom to further enhance our collective space domain awareness: the ability to track, identify and characterize space objects,” U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy John Plumb said in a news release.
DARC will provide 24/7, all-weather capabilities to track and characterize objects deep in space — in geosynchronous orbit up to 22,000 miles above Earth. The first DARC radar site, to be constructed in Exmouth, Western Australia, is expected to be operational in 2026. All three sites are projected to be completed by 2030.
Cawdor Barracks in Wales has been identified as the U.K.’s preferred site for DARC, pending an environmental impact assessment. They will support space defence initiatives, space-traffic management and global surveillance of military and commercial satellites.
A satellite image released by NASA shows Cyclone Amphan over the Bay of Bengal on May 19, 2020
Annually, innumerable lives across the globe are lost to floods, cyclones, and other natural disasters. A robust Early Warning System, along with a weather data-sharing mechanism between countries, and analyzing past patterns, can significantly reduce the death toll.
Frequent change in climatic conditions as a result of worsening natural environment leads to untimely floods, cyclones, and wildfires, causing severe damage to agricultural production, and pushing the world towards multiple crises, such as food shortage and oceanic degradation. Unless some serious, strict, and well-thought-out steps are taken, it is already too late.
Timely tracking, monitoring, and detecting natural disasters help save lives as well as resources, giving first responders ample time to prepare for evacuation efforts well in advance.
What is an Early warning system (EWS)?
EWS is an adaptive measure for climate change that allows governments, communities, and individuals to timely act and minimize the impact of climate-related events, through integrated proper communication systems. EWS includes response plans based on lessons learned from other communities, past actions, and other countries to build a healthy response against future climate, water, and related environmental disasters.
In November 2022, at the COP27 climate change conference, UN Secretary-General, António Guterres announced the Executive Action Plan for the Early Warnings for All initiatives, to ensure everyone on the planet is protected by EWS within the next five years (2023-27). The plan calls for initial new targeted investments of $3.1 billion between 2023 and 2027.
UN Secretary-General has tasked the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) to lead the effort and prepare an action plan. “One of the most powerful ways to adapt to climate change is to invest in EWS,” said WMO Chief, Peteri Taalas back in 2022, in an interview with Geospatial World. He mentioned that people who reside in vulnerable areas like the small island states are fifteen times more likely to succumb to climate disasters, which displace three times more people globally than conflicts. And the situation is worsening.
A new report from the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and the WMO published last year warns that half of the world’s countries are not protected by multi-hazard early warning systems (MHEWS).
The report shows that less than half of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and only one-third of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) have MHEWS, and the countries with limited EWS coverage have eight times higher disaster mortality than those with high coverage. With the launch of the EWS plan, the UN believes it has taken the right step to protect the lives and livelihoods of vulnerable communities.
The plan has been set to understand the important gaps in disaster risks, monitoring, predicting, preparedness, dissemination of information, response to warnings, and sending rescue efforts.
WMO said the need for EWS is urgent as the number of recorded disasters has increased five-fold, driven in part by human-induced climate change and more extreme weather.
EWS is widely regarded as the “low-hanging fruit” for climate change adaptation because they are a relatively cheap and effective way of protecting people and assets from hazards, including storms, floods, heatwaves, and tsunamis to name a few.
EWS provides more than a tenfold return on investment
Just 24 hours’ notice of an impending hazardous event can cut the ensuing damage by 30%
The Global Commission on Adaptation found that spending just US$800 million on such systems in developing countries would avoid losses of $3 to 16 billion per year.
Taalas said, “Such progress is only possible with modern science, sustained systematic observing networks, daily international exchange of quality data, access to high-quality early warning products, the translation of forecasts into impacts, plus advances in telecommunications.”
EWS Footprint
Even though this trend is expected to continue, half of all countries do not have EWS in place, and even fewer have regulatory frameworks to link early warnings to emergency plans.
Coverage is worst for countries on the front lines of climate change, namely the world’s LDCs and SIDS.
“Currently, only half of the 193 WMO member countries have proper early warning services in place, which means when high impact weather event hits, the economic losses and casualties are higher,” added Taalas.
The countries which are capable of investing in the efforts to combat climate change are the ones least affected by extreme weather conditions and are the biggest contributors to climate change. And the countries which are least responsible for climate change, suffer the most.
Reports suggest that the most vulnerable regions are the ones that fall between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, and most of the developing countries lie in this region.
“Accurate early warnings combined with coordinated disaster management on the ground prevented the casualty toll from rising even higher. But we can do even better and that is why the Early Warnings for All initiative is the top priority for WMO. Besides avoiding damages to the weather, climate and hydrological services are economically beneficial for agriculture, air, marine, and ground transportation, energy, health, tourism, and various businesses,” Taalas said.
Subcontinent Experience
Areas around the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean, the eastern and western peninsular flanks of the country, are prone to heavy cyclones, causing loss of life, livelihood, and resources. As per UN reports, Cyclone Amphan which struck the Indo-Bangladesh border in 2022, lead to an economic loss of $14 billion.
While one can’t prevent a cyclone or the destruction in its trail, countless lives can be saved by the efficient use of Early Warning Systems (EWS).
It took around three years for India to come up with warning systems for all hydro-meteorological hazards in 2007, and 15 years to reduce mortality from cyclones by up to 90%.
“We have nearly 100% coverage of EWS for cyclones on both east and west coasts. We are working on building EWS for other hazards like heatwaves to make our communities resilient,” said Indian Union Minister for Environment Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav, at COP27.
Bangladesh has been one of the countries recognized as a “trailblazer when it comes to seeing what an effective early warning system looks like”. In 2021 WMO adopted a resolution on the free exchange of weather data between all 193 member states, which accounts for Bangladesh and other vulnerable countries. Bangladesh’s journey to build a world-leading EWS dates back to 1970, however, the effective exchange of weather data has made the efforts fruitful.
“Climate finance is still a mirage, and effective climate adaptation such as Early Warnings For All helps us collectively in our region toward reducing vulnerabilities and ensuring preparedness and swift and timely response to natural hazards,” added Yadav.
One-third of the world’s people, especially in the LDCs and SIDS are still not covered by EWS, In Africa, 60% of people lack coverage.
It takes decades for developing countries to build a healthy and effective EWS, so the UN’s five-year goal to ensure every person on Earth is protected by EWS seems more far-fetched. The question arises: Is the UN timeline of 5 years for all countries viable?
At the recently held United Nations Water Conference in New York, WMO Chief spoke about access to early warning systems for all within the next five years being a key UN priority.
Addressing Gaps and Accelerating Climate Actions
“We have the tools, the knowledge, and the solutions. But we must pick up the pace. We need accelerated climate action with deeper, faster emissions cuts to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degree Celsius. We also need massively scaled-up investments in adaptation and resilience, particularly for the most vulnerable countries and communities who have done the least to cause the crisis,” said Guterres.
Major gaps in areas of preparedness include lack of climate investment, lack of waste management, lack of communication network coverage, digital divide, and usage of data gaps among others.
By the end of 2021, 5.3 billion people subscribed to mobile services, which represents 67% of the global population. Estimated by the end of 2025 the total subscribers will reach 5.7 billion, almost 70% of the global population.
The coverage gap remains significant in Africa, 18% of the population still does not have access to a mobile broadband network and almost 17% lack such access in LDCs and LLDCs. In 2022, an estimated 2.7 billion people (One-third of the world’s population) remain unconnected to the internet.
Aside from limiting connection to receive alerts, Members are not able to upload observation data to enable the production and download of the high-quality forecasts that are critical for alerts.
In 2021, the Global Basic Observing Network (GBON) was established, committing all countries to generate and exchange basic weather and climate data. However, today, less than 10 percent of these internationally agreed data are available from LDCs and SIDS. These critical data gaps hinder the provision of high-quality climate services around the globe.
For this reason, WMO, UNDP, and UNEP established the Systematic Observations Financing Facility (SOFF37) as a UN Multi-Partner Trust Fund, with the support of an initial group of funding partners. SOFF provides long-term, technical, and financial support to the countries with the largest capacity gaps, to close their GBON data gap, with a focus on LDCs and SIDS.
This new mechanism contributes to achieving the adaptation and systematic observation goals of the Paris Agreement through the improved climate and weather observations essential for effective climate services and early warnings.
The Risk-informed Early Action Partnership (REAP) was launched in 2019 at the UN Climate Action Summit (UNCAS) to enhance collaboration among climate, disaster risk reduction, development, and humanitarian communities, to work towards making “1 billion people safer from disasters by 2025”. The Partnership currently includes 70 governments and partner organizations that collectively commit to working together.
The Centre of Excellence for Climate and Disaster Resilience is jointly hosted by WMO and UNDRR and comprises over 14 United Nations and international organizations. It aims to increase the availability, understanding, and use of climate and disaster data and analysis for risk-informed development and humanitarian action.
It also aims to strengthen climate and disaster risk governance through integrated planning and improved access to disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation in financing and investment mechanisms. Along with improving disaster preparedness and early action, including strengthening the availability and access to MHEWS.
The clock is ticking and the globe is undergoing severe changes with every passing day. Timely actions now can only minimize the severity of climate change if not entirely stop it from further accelerating.
