THE EUROPEAN – SECURITY AND DEFENCE UNION
Earth Observation is fast becoming a tool of national and international security importance
We must prepare and react to climate and security risks through space technologies by Sinéad O’Sullivan, Research Fellow, The Center for Climate and Security, Washington, D.C.
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t has been well documented that climate change is producing rapid physical changes globally1; some of these changes are observable over short periods of time such as hours and days, whilst others require decades to come to light. Climate change has forced communities to change how their cultures exist and cooperate with each other, largely through the physical changes that have occurred in a local context.2
as key tools for decision-making by policy-makers and other key stakeholders. These tools give us unprecedented foresight into our climate future to match the unprecedented risks posed by climate change – a dynamic underscoring a Responsibility to Prepare.4
Effects of climate change
Climate change has brought about very specific physical changes that can be broken down into primary, secondary and tertiary effects. Primary effects are long-term changes that are easily observable over time and include phenomena such as melting glaciers, sea levels rising and desertification. There are, however, secondary and tertiary effects of climate change that are harder to observe directly. Secondary effects Understanding emerging risks associated with climate change largely focus on both a global As globalization and increased sharing of the world’s resources increase in natural disasters, both in count and severity and a increase, diminishing resources in certain geographic locations reduction or change in available due to climate change are quickly natural resources in a given becoming problematic and progeographic location. liferating negative consequences Natural disasters can be very globally.3 Sinéad O’Sullivan quickly detected through satelUnderstanding the emerging risks is a Sainsbury Management Fellow at lite and drone imagery; they are around these vulnerable geograthe Harvard Business School and a Rephysical in nature and chaotic phies is of utmost importance and search Fellow at the US Center for Cliin behavior. Using methods of understanding how to prepare for mate and Security. She has completed change detection in imagery, and mitigate these risks is the rea Bachelors of Aerospace Engineering which have been implemented sponsibility of all stakeholders in (Queen’s University of Belfast), a MasPhoto: © Matthew Guillory for several decades, satellite the larger, international context. ters in Aerospace Engineering (Georgia imagery can very quickly detect Satellites and Earth ObservaInstitute of Technology) and an MBA a natural disaster. They also can tion (EO) technologies – namely from Harvard Business School. Having worked for NASA, be used in certain stages of the drones or UAVs – are among the the US Navy and the Federal Aviation Administration, she disaster management cycle as best means for observing how focuses on the intersection between space technologies and outlined by the United Nations the world is climatically and geopolitical policies surrounding natural and humanitarian Office of Disaster Risk Reduction geographically changing. Going disasters, including climate change. (UNISDR).5 Given its ability to forward, they should be included
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