Pakistan should move from a reactive approach to disasters towards prevention, using space technology, satellite imagery and predictive modelling to anticipate risks before they become crises. That was the central message from Federal Climate Change Minister Dr Musadik Malik at the closing ceremony of a five-day international conference in Islamabad on using space technology for early warning and disaster risk assessment.
The conference, titled Leveraging Space Technology for Early Warning for All, Climate Action and Disaster Risk Assessment, was hosted by the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission, known as Suparco. It brought together around 250 participants from Pakistan, along with delegates from 22 countries. The scale and international character of the gathering reflect the shared nature of climate and disaster risks, and the value of exchanging knowledge, tools and experience across borders.
The shift advocated by Dr Malik is a change in emphasis rather than a rejection of emergency response. Reactive response, which focuses on rescue, relief and recovery after a disaster has occurred, remains necessary. Prevention, by contrast, seeks to reduce the impact before an event happens, through early warning, better planning, risk assessment and timely intervention. The argument is that investment in anticipation can save lives, reduce damage and lower the overall cost of disasters, compared with relying mainly on response after the fact.
Space technology plays a central role in that preventive approach. Satellite imagery can provide a broad and regular view of changing conditions on the ground, including river levels, rainfall patterns, land use and the state of infrastructure. Radar can add information even when cloud cover limits optical observation, which is particularly valuable during monsoon conditions. Hyperspectral data, which captures detailed information across many wavelengths, can offer further insight into environmental conditions that may not be visible in ordinary imagery.
Artificial intelligence and predictive modelling bring those data sources together. By analysing patterns in satellite and other data, predictive models can help identify areas at heightened risk and estimate how a hazard might develop. That kind of analysis can support earlier decisions, such as issuing warnings, preparing evacuation routes, protecting infrastructure or positioning relief supplies in advance. The aim is not to replace human judgement, but to give decision makers better information, earlier, so that their judgement can be applied in time.
A key point made at the conference was that scientific data must become practical and timely interventions. Data alone do not prevent disasters. They must be translated into warnings that reach the right people, in a form they can understand and act upon, and within a timeframe that allows action. That translation requires coordination between scientists, government agencies, local authorities and communities, as well as communication systems that work even in remote or vulnerable areas.
The early warning theme of the conference, reflected in its EW4All title, underlines that ambition. Early warning for all means that warnings should not be limited to well connected urban areas, but should reach everyone at risk, including communities in remote, flood prone or mountainous regions. Achieving that goal requires both technology and outreach, because a technically accurate forecast has limited value if it does not reach the people who need to act on it.
Pakistan’s exposure to climate related hazards gives the discussion particular urgency. Floods, heatwaves, glacial melt and changing rainfall patterns all pose risks that are influenced by climate change. A preventive approach that uses space based observation and modelling could help authorities track those risks more systematically and respond earlier, rather than waiting until a hazard has already caused damage.
The participation of delegates from 22 countries also points to the international dimension of the work. Space technology, early warning systems and disaster risk assessment are areas where countries can learn from each other’s experience, share data and develop common standards. For Pakistan, hosting such a conference through Suparco provides an opportunity to strengthen those links and to showcase its own capabilities in space based observation.
Source: Dawn.
