Space technology for sustainable development

By Dhaneshi Yatawara

The use of space technology applications in many developing countries such as Sri Lanka, has not matured," said Engineer Sanath Panawennage, Director General of the Arthur C Clarke Institute for ModernTechnologies (ACCIMT) .

It was in such a back drop that Sri Lanka was selected by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) as the first pilot country to implement a five year Action Plan (2012-2017) in capacity building in the region to use space technology applications for sustainable development.

The aim of the five- year action plan drafted by UNESCAP is to help the countries in the region to assist build their capacity for thev use of space technology applications for sustainable development, including disaster risk reduction. The ACCIMT works as the national focal point for space technology applications as appointed by the UNESCAP. "It is a privilege to be selected as the first country as there are 53 countries in the region as full member states and nine other countries as associate members that are yet to receive this chance," said Panawennage.

In today's context space technology is every day technology. Rain, drought, building cities and irrigation canals, animal movements and hundred and more predictions depend so much on branches of space technology. Space technology is not only building and launching satellites, according to scientists.

"Space technology is not rocket science," said Panawennage. explaining the new phase of technological advancement Sri Lanka will enter in the near future.

Director General Sanath Panawennage

In today's context space technology is every day technology

Agriculture, irrigation, natural resources management, environmental management, oceanography, urban development, land use management, disaster risk reduction, transportation, climate change adaptation and many more fields can be brought to an advanced and more efficient level with the use of space technology.

Space technologies such as Remote Sensing by Earth Observation Satellites, Satellite Communication Applications and the associated geographic information systems and such ensemble of technologies are increasingly finding wide spread applications across diverse array of spheres, as Panawennage said . Amidst this advancement happening far and wide across the globe, Sri Lanka was struggling to bring in a spec of it to accelerate development.

"This is popular in the world specially in countries with space technology. It improves efficiency and productivity in many areas. Established in its present corporate form as a Statutory Board by the Science and Technology Development Act No. 11 of 1994, the ACCIMT is operating within the purview of the Ministry of Technology and Research.

The institute conducts research in information and communications technology, electronics, microelectronics, space technology, robotics and photonics. Most of the research is aimed at promoting latest technology among government and the private sector industries in Sri Lanka.

The above selection by the UNESCAP was at the 17th Session of the Intergovernmental Consultative Committee (ICC) of the Regional Space Application Program (RESAP) of the UNESCAP and the High Level Decision Makers Meeting on implementation of the Asia Pacific Plan of Action for Applications of Space Technologies, which were held back to back at the

United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok during November.

The ACCIMT, is functioning as the National Focal Point in Sri Lanka for Space Technology Applications for the Regional Space Applications Program and Sanath Panawennage, Director General of the ACCIMT was elected to the Chair of the above High Level Decision Makers Meeting. The ACCIMT represented Sri Lanka previously as Vice Chairman, Chairman and Vice Chairman posts of the ICC during sessions in 2010/2011, 2011/2012 and 2012/2013.

"We were in the need to develop this field so that we could develop many fields and have food safety and better economic development. Yet as many countries without space technology Sri Lanka also faced many drawbacks in development," he said. For example, India has an impressive drought monitoring system developed with their satellites which plays a key role in safe guarding the agriculture sector. "If we get the chance to develop such a system in Sri Lanka it would ensure food security of the country," he said.

Under the UNESCAP program data will be collected from satellites of countries like China and India and will be disseminated to the development of agriculture, irrigation and disaster management. "Technology and expertise will be available through this program. Our Scientists will get the chance to train themselves in esteemed organisations - all funded by UNESCAP," Panawennage said.

Are we going to develop a totally indigenously manufactured satellite? Through this program it seems that it is highly possible. We are not targeting the moon yet a small step at a time in this line of scientific advancement. " At the moment we can not think of manufacturing many satellites for all the purposes we need. Even in the world only three or four countries have that capability," he added. But we need a few number of satellites to gather vital information we need and the rest has to be

sourced through other satellites belonging to other countries," he said. " Satellites vary. Whether it is small or big we need the same level of technology and expertise. Thus to suit our need of information we are talking about building a small satellite," according to Panawennage.

Launching satellites is a different story that needs a specific place and any country which wish to develop space technology need to seek assistance of those specific places.

First things first. Our Scientists need to get the basics right. "Though we have experts in technology, demonstrations need to take place to refresh and educate the science community on this technology," Panawennage said.

While the satellite building process continues takes time the ACCIMT will go ahead in collecting data, knowledge transfer in developing Space technology. We have to gather information from existing satellites yet under this program this will be streamlined further to assist a broader spectrum.