UK and Australia team up to use space technology to protect Pacific from climate change and natural disasters

The UK Space Agency is looking for project ideas, to be delivered through UK aid, that use the data collected by satellites to improve decision-making for disaster risk reduction, ocean monitoring, mangrove mapping and maritime management.

This will also see Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, provide match-funding and invite UK organisations and other international partners to work with them to scope projects designed to deliver sustainable benefits to Small Island Developing States in the Pacific.

The work will build on those systems already under way to help prevent and plan for disasters that are a consequence of rising sea levels and climate change.

This follows a recent statement of intent between the UK Space Agency and Australian Space Agency to establish a ‘Space Bridge’ to increase strategic collaboration and lay the foundations for swift negotiations for space-related opportunities under any potential future trading arrangements.

Science Minister Chris Skidmore said: “We were the first major country to sign our commitment to net zero carbon emissions by 2050 into law, and next year the UK will be hosting the UN’s climate conference, COP26.”

One UK space company already having an impact is Surrey Satellite Technology Limited, which launched its NovaSAR-1 satellite last year, part-funded by the UK Space Agency.

The satellite uses Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) to provide images day and night and see through cloud cover, making it particularly valuable for Pacific small island states which are frequently covered by clouds.

The UK and Australia will build on this existing collaboration and improve access to services based on radar satellite data for countries in the Pacific region that need them most.

This is one part of a wider call for projects from the UK Space Agency’s International Partnership Programme (IPP), with up to £8 million in new funding available to support collaborations between UK space experts and developing countries and emerging markets, to boost sustainable development through satellite-enabled services.

In addition to the new collaboration with Australia, this call invites applications for projects to address the growing need for developing countries around the world to build resilience to the effects of climate change. This will help forge new partnerships with countries and understand their needs ahead of a follow-on funding call to underpin operational capabilities.

IPP is already supporting projects in 44 countries across the world, which are tackling a wide range of challenges, including deforestation, food security and disaster resilience.

Funded by the Global Challenges Research Fund it is the world’s largest space for sustainable development programme having provided £128 million of grant funding for 33 projects, involving 120 UK organisations and 147 international organisations since 2016.

One of these projects, led by the United Nations Institute for Training and Research and with support from UK partners including the Satellite Applications Catapult and the Met Office, is using satellite remote sensing technology to build climate resilience and enhance decision making for government teams in Fiji, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.