Abu Dhabi: The UAE Space Agency has announced Phase 2 of the Space Analytics and Solutions (SAS) Programme to combat climate change.
Phase 2 will include three new challenges, namely the Air Quality challenge to monitor and control air pollution to achieve the targeted quality, the Infrastructure challenge to enhance infrastructure monitoring, maintenance, and operations solutions, and the Losses and Damages challenge to use satellite data to track and quantify the losses and damages inflicted by climate change. These challenges will offer entrepreneurs and researchers advisory and financial support to develop space applications to tackle climate change challenges.
The announcement was made on the sidelines of the first-of-its-kind UAE Climate Tech held at the Abu Dhabi Energy Centre.
Furthermore, the UAE Space Agency signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with ADNOC to promote collaboration on research and development of satellite technology in the energy sector, launching new joint projects, and utilising space applications to increase the work efficiency of public and private sectors.
“The UAE recognises the importance of innovation, technology, and space applications in mitigating the impact of climate change. To achieve this, we must expand our perspective and prioritise global cooperation and public-private partnerships to leverage our collective resources towards a sustainable future for all. The UAE Space Agency is committed to driving unique initiatives and programs in collaboration with local and global partners and the private sector to foster innovation and enhance national capabilities in environmental technology and renewable energy. This will support our comprehensive development strategy and enable us to combat climate change effectively,” said Sarah Bint Yousif Al Amiri, Minister of State for Public Education and Advanced Technology, Chairperson of UAE Space Agency.
Salem Butti Salem Al Qubaisi, Director General of the UAE Space Agency, said: “The space sector, with its satellites and other advanced technologies, plays a crucial role in enabling strategic decision-making in areas such as sustainability, food security, urban planning, water resource management, and sustainable agriculture. By harnessing the power of space technology, governments and international organisations can make informed decisions to advance these critical fields. The UAE Space Agency is fully committed to supporting environmental projects and investing in cutting-edge research and development to help achieve the UAE’s vision of becoming a leading hub for innovation in climate tech.”
During its participation, the UAE Space Agency utilised smart screens and miniatures to showcase its achievements, projects, and initiatives launched to support sustainability and combat climate change. It showcased the Space Data Centre, one of the transformational projects which have a major impact on all industries over a short period of time to ensure the implementation of the UAE’s government’s new work plan, while transforming the government’s workflow to promote efficiency and competitiveness. The Space Data Centre accelerates the realisation of a highly competitive innovation ecosystem to achieve the objectives of ‘We The UAE 2031’ vision, positively impact society and various industries, and become the leading and most advanced support system for the UAE’s plans over the next decade.
The UAE Space Agency highlighted Geospatial Analytics Platform-Space Data Centre, which provides scientists, scholars, public and private entities, start-ups and community members with access to satellite data to help develop space applications and value-added services (VAS). Additionally, the UAESA showcased the partnership with ‘Bayanat’, the platform developer and operator, as part of the UAE Space Agency’s vision to build an innovative ecosystem to to utilize space data and technologies to address global sustainability challenges, promote public-private partnerships, and expand local and international agreements.
