Space Technologies Boost Disaster Reduction Int'l Co-op

Another China-Brazil satellite will be launched from China at the end of this year to collect data for disaster prevention and environmental protection.

The satellite, the third to be launched under the China-Brazil Earth Resources Satellite Program (CBERS), is the latest international advance in disaster reduction, with functions in agriculture, meteorology and the environment, according to the China National Space Administration (CNSA).

CBERS images are used for a variety of purposes, including measuring deforestation and urban planning.

More internationally backed, high-resolution satellites for disaster mitigation are on the way, according to Li Guoping, deputy director of the CNSA's system engineering department, on Wednesday.

In April, China sent up a high-resolution observation satellite with civilian applications.

"More open data policies will be adopted" so that Chinese satellite resources are shared by the international community when disaster strikes, Li said.

The Beijing office for the United Nations Platform for Space-based Information for Disaster Management and Emergency Response (UN-SPIDER) has become an open source for China to help other countries manage disasters through space-based solutions.

The office, established by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs in Nov. 2010, works closely with the National Disaster Reduction Center (NDRC) under the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

China will cooperate with international partners to use space technology in cartography to combat calamity, said Yang Siquan, the NDRC's chief engineer.

The Beijing office provided quick map-making and data services for African drought and the Japanese quake in 2011 as well as Iraqi flooding in 2013 and has trained personnel from Asian and African countries.