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-Announcement-
[[APRSAF-14, November 21-23, 2007, Bangalore, India]]
The leaflet is now available on APRSAF website:
http://www.aprsaf.org/text/ap14_info.html
************************************* T O P I C S ****************************************** 1. Workshop on "Social Inclusion in Disaster Risk Reduction
in the Himalayan Region - Sharing Knowledge and Bridging
Gaps" Nepal
- May 9 - 11
2. The 5th Annual Mekong Flood Forum, Vietnam - May 17 -
18
3. Vietnam to launch a telecom satellite, "Vinasat," in
early 2008, Vietnam
4. Philippine Council for Advanced Science and Technology
Research and Development (PCASTRD)
5. The "SinoSat-3," a communications satellite
successfully launched, China - June 1
6. [[Event Information and APRSAF Website Updates - June
- July 2007]]
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
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1. Workshop on "Social Inclusion in Disaster Risk Reduction in the Himalayan
Region - Sharing Knowledge and Bridging Gaps" Nepal - May 9 - 11
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The 60 key disaster management practitioners from Bangladesh,
India, Nepal and Pakistan met from May 9 to 11, 2007, in
Kathmandu during a workshop organized by the International
Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) to
share knowledge and experiences on "Social Inclusion
in Disaster Risk Reduction in the Himalayan Region."
This ICIMOD initiative supported by the European Commission
Humanitarian Aid Department (DG ECHO) is of great importance
also for technical oriented practitioners working in the
field of space activities.
More data and new technology will not contribute to reduce
the rise of natural hazard risks and vulnerability. The
use of satellite data and space technology in disaster
preparedness need to be combined with a better understanding
and integration of ground data both technical and social
for disaster risk reduction. The proceedings of the workshop
will be shortly posted on the website
(www.disasterpreparedness.icimod.org).
For further information, please contact Dr. Mats Eriksson
(meriksson@icimod.org), Water, Hazards and Environmental
Management, ICIMOD.
ICIMOD Website:
http://www.icimod.org/home/
Full text of the article:
http://www.aprsaf.org/feature/feature_14.html
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2. The 5th Annual Mekong Flood Forum, Vietnam - May 17 - 18
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Since 2002, the Mekong Flood Forum has been conducted
every year by the Mekong River Commission (MRC). The forum
provides opportunities for managers, planners, practitioners
and scientists from riparian states, international organizations,
and civil society organizations to meet and share experiences
and information regarding flood issues and identify ways
to improve flood management taking a balanced regional
and holistic approach.
On May 17 and 18, 2007, the 5th Annual Mekong Flood Forum
was held in Ho Chi Minh City, with the theme of "Improving
Inputs Towards Medium-term Flood Forecasting and Warning
in the Mekong Basin" with
132 participants from 17 countries.
During the forum, the technical advisor of the Regional
Flood Management and Mitigation Centre (RFMMC) of MRC,
Bob Pengel, reported on the Satellite Rainfall Estimate
(SRE), which would play an important role to manage the Mekong
flood.
Mekong River Commission Website:
http://www.mrcmekong.org
Full text of the article:
http://www.aprsaf.org/feature/feature_13.html
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3. Vietnam to launch a telecom satellite, "Vinasat," in early 2008, Vietnam
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vietnamese first telecommunication satellite, "Vinasat" is
now under development. The Vinasat is manufactured by the
American satellite maker Lockheed Martin Commercial Space
Systems (LMCSS). According to LMCSS, 30% of the satellite
hardware has been manufactured and the remaining 70% is
scheduled to be made before January 2008. In Vietnam, two
operation stations are scheduled to be completed on June 30,
2008. Vietnam is planning to launch the satellite on March
29, 2008, and the satellite is expected to begin providing
telecom services to remote and isolated areas of Viet Nam
in late April 2008.
The Vice Director of the Space Technology
Institute (STI) and the Head of the Mechatronics Department
of the Institute of Mechanics, Vietnam Academy of Science
and Technology Dr. Pham Anh Tuan said "VINASAT
is one of the main task of the Master Plan for Research
and Application of Space Technology of Viet Nam to 2020,
approved by the government on June 14, 2006."
Information of the Master Plan for
Research and Application of Space Technology of Viet Nam
to 2020:
http://www.aprsaf.org/update/text_20070613.html
VietNamNet Bridge - May 21, 2007, by Mr. Hoang Hung
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/tech/2007/05/697251/
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4. Philippine Council for Advanced Science and Technology Research and Development
(PCASTRD)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The senior science research specialist
of PCASTRD, Jose Edgardo L. Aban, reported:
PCASTRD was established in 1987 as one of the sectoral
planning councils of the Department of Science and Technology
(DOST) tasked to develop, integrate, and coordinate the
national research system for the advanced science and technology
(S&T) sector in the country.
PCASTRD has developed its activities in a wide range of
research fields in cooperation with government entities,
academia and research laboratories.
In terms of space activities in the Philippines, the National
Congress on Space Technology Application Research (NC-STAR)
will be held in November 2007. This is a follow-up event
of the Science and Technology Application and Research
(STAR) Plan held in November 2005. Also, a small modular
project of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) is
now under development in collaboration between the Advanced
Sciences and Technology Institute (ASTI) and the National
Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA).
Besides, for the space education
and awareness activities in Philippines, the water rocket
launch competition will be held in June as a domestic event
for school students and its winner will be awarded with an
opportunity to participate in the competition of the APRSAF-14
side event to be held in November in Bangalore, India.
PCASTRD Website:
http://www.pcastrd.dost.gov.ph
Full text of the article:
http://www.aprsaf.org/interview/interview_11.html
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5. The "SinoSat-3," a communications satellite successfully launched, China
- June 1
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China launched the SinoSat-3, a communication satellite
for radio and television broadcasting, aboard a Long March-3A
carrier rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center
in Sichuan province, southwest China, at 0:08 a.m. (Beijing
Time) on June 1, 2007 and the satellite was separated from
the rocket about 24 minutes after lift-off and before entering
its geosynchronous orbit.
The SinoSat-3 and its carrier rocket were mainly developed
and manufactured by the China Academy of Space Technology
(CAST) and the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology
(CALT).
The launch was the 100th time of China's Long March series
of rockets.
China view - June 1, 2007, by
Mr. Mu Xuequan -
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-06/01/content_6182044.htm
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6. [[Event Information and APRSAF Website Updates - June -July 2007]]
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*June 14-16, 2007
RAST 2007 3rd International Conference on Recent Advances
in Space Technologies
Istanbul, Turkey
http://www.rast.org.tr/
*June 20-27, 2007
Geoinformation Forum Japan 2007
Yokohama, Japan
http://www.jsurvey.jp/eng-geoforum2006.htm
*June 25-28, 2007
Second Global Conference on Economic Geograph
Beijing, China
http://courses.nus.edu.sg/course/geoywc/conference/econgeog.html
*June 27-29, 2007
Good Land Administration
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
http://www.la-east-west.mn/
*July 3 - August 4, 2007
Asia Oceania Geosciences Society, 4th Annual Meeting
Bangkok, Thailand
http://www.asiaoceania.org/aogs2007/
*July 5-7, 2007
Geoinformation Forum Japan 2007
Yokohama, Japan
http://www.jsurvey.jp/eng-geoforum2006.htm
*July 10-13, 2007
4th International Conference on Population Geographies
Hong Kong
http://www.grm.cuhk.edu.hk/en/4ipgc.htm
*Jan 7 - Apr 25, 2008
International Institute for Geo-Information Science and
Earth Observation (ITC)
Nairobi, Kenya
http://www.itc.nl/itc_worldwide/kenya_brochure.pdf
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Copyright 2007 The APRSAF Secretariat
APRSAF Secretariat
c/o. Remote Sensing Technology Center of Japan
Roppongi First Bldg. 12F, 1-9-9 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo
106-0032,
Japan
Tel:+81-3-5572-6708 / Fax:+81-3-5572-6707
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