Space data plays a crucial role in addressing the country’s “increasing vulnerability” to climate change, the very reason why Philippine Space Agency Deputy Director General for Space Science and Technology Dr. Gay Jane P. Perez intends to use it to respond to the growing need for climate information.
“Data is already available and there is the technical capacity to host this data, but the challenge remains on how this data is being translated into actionable insights. For us to realize the economic value, there is a need to maximize what we can get from the space data, from generating maps, forecasts, and advisories, which serve as an impetus to action insights, which benefit our end-users, such as our fishermen or farmers,” Perez said.
PhilSA explained that the survey has six focus areas, namely: Hydrologic Cycles and Climate Studies; Weather, Air Quality, and Atmospheric Processes; Earth Surface and Interior: Dynamics and Processes; Hazards and Disaster Risk, Reduction, and Management; Aquatic Ecosystems and Water Resources Management, and; Terrestrial Ecosystems and Land Resources Management.
One of these projects is SIICaP, or the Space Information Infrastructure Capacity Building and Training Program, which aims to promote awareness and understanding of space information infrastructures and their applications through monthly events, such as webinars, hackathons, workshops, short courses, and resource person support. The project has successfully conducted two webinars, engaging with students, researchers, and representatives of various local government units.