On 9 and 10 July, the European Space Policy Institute (ESPI) in collaboration with the Italian Space Agency (ASI) hosted the Space for Climate Resilience and Food Security in the Mediterranean Basin online workshop.
The event was aimed at bridging the existing gaps between the climate policy and space communities in the Mediterranean region, while formulating concrete policy and operational recommendations for maximising the impact of space on climate resilience and food security.
This closed-door workshop saw various representatives from the scientific community, environmental and agriculture ministries, national and regional space agencies, the United Nations, IFIs, NGOs, and industrial and commercial actors, come together to discuss and exchange on how to address the aforementioned issues as well as the added value of space.
Key Takeaways from the workshop can be downloaded here.
Keynote speeches and panel discussion included representatives from IPCC, UNOOSA, the African Union Commission, ASI, ESA, the Algerian Space Agency, the Sahara and Sahel Observatory, EBRD, SatNav Africa JPO, WFP, FAO, GEOGLAM, NASA Harvest, e-GEOS, eLEAF, ERATHOSTENES Centre for Excellence, FutureWater, TREEADS, ISPI, and IAI.
The workshop convened at a time when references to satellite technology have recently been made by G7 ministries for climate, energy and environment. In parallel, food security initiatives, such as Apulia Food Systems Initiatives (AFSI) are being launched within the G7 and similar frameworks. Meanwhile, the population of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is forecasted to grow by 50% by 2050, despite food production in the region being dramatically impacted by climate change and other non-climate stressors.
The final agenda of the event can be found here.
ESPI will take on board the outcomes of the workshop and will share these conclusions in the relevant policy fora. This activity will be kickstarted by the publication of a forthcoming report on Space for Climate Resilience and Food Security to be published following the summer.
We would like to extend a big thank you for the valuable contributions of all speakers and participants.
For any questions regarding the workshop or work related to this topic, please contact Research Fellow Gabriele Redigonda at <gabriele.redigonda@espi.or.at>.
The Mediterranean is a particularly vulnerable region to climate change. Space solutions are essential towards strengthening adaptation measures, but regional policy has yet to reflect the breakthroughs made from space data. Through workshops like this, ESPI aims to facilitate inter-sectoral dialogues and promote connections between actors, such as between the climate policy and space communities.
