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One of the many events marking the 30th anniversary of the World
Heritage Convention is a conference that was held November 5-8
on the use of satellite observation in the conservation of natural
and cultural heritage, in particular World Heritage.
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Organised by EURISY, the International Space University (ISU),
the European Space Agency, NASA and UNESCO’s World Heritage
Centre, the conference was held in Strasbourg, France, itself
a World Heritage city. The conference, which also commemorates
30 years of civilian remote-sensing satellites, brought together
about 150 experts and put the spotlight on a new generation
of celestial Earth-gazers that are expanding and improving the
monitoring techniques for World Heritage sites, including cultural
properties. |
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Dr. Ghassem R. Asrar, associate
administrator for earth science at NASA, said in his keynote
speech that through satellite technology, "we are discovering
our planet, seeing it from space like a researcher analyses
a certain illness with a microscope."
Mario Hernandez, Chief of the Information Management and Remote
Sensing Unit at the World Heritage Centre, said: "Space
technologies and in particular earth observation satellites
enable us to see World Heritage sites in their complex surroundings
… in the whole context of the interrelation of the World
Heritage sites with the eco-system, landscape [and] the associated
human interactions." |
He teamed with Luigi Fusco of
the ESA to discuss progress on a pilot project monitoring the
last remaining populations of gorillas and their habitat in
central Africa. “Space technologies enable us to see the
changes in the gorilla habitat that have occurred during the
last 10 years,” Barbosa said. “Having a better knowledge
of the areas affected, the Institut Congolais pour la Protection
de la Nature [in the Democratic Republic of Congo] can then
define priority areas for their conservation efforts.”
Dr. Tom Sever of NASA presented his work using earth observation
satellites to better understand the Maya civilisation of Central
America. The technology has given archaeologists a way to see
the Maya civilisation as a whole as well as the interrelation
of the various Maya periods. Satellite data has helped to explain
the Mayans’ water use and the sudden migration that occurred
due to a sudden lack of fresh water..
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In another application involving a cultural
World Heritage site, the sprawling temple complex of Angkor in Cambodia
was mapped using radar imaging in 2000, resulting in the first comprehensive,
detailed survey of the World Heritage site’s environment and
cultural landscape. In Strasbourg, Roland Fletcher of the University
of Sydney and Christophe Pottier of the Ecole Francaise d'Extreme
Orient discussed the technique’s implications for the past and
future health of Angkor’s regional ecosystem, as well as for
sustainable development. The World Heritage site of Angkor has benefited
from space observation applications for more than 12 years.
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Like the universe itself, the
world of space technology and heritage conservation is constantly
expanding. Space agencies have agreed a Charter for Natural
and Manmade Hazards through which satellite images are provided
when a catastrophe occurs somewhere in the world -- such as
the volcanic eruption in Goma, the Democratic Republic of Congo,
last year; last summer’s floods in Europe; oil spills
like the one off the South African coast near a World Heritage
site in September and so on.
The charter gives countries free, rapid access to satellite
images so that the affected areas can be identified and measured
to help contain the catastrophe.
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Similarly, in October 2001, UNESCO launched an “Open Initiative”
calling on all international space agencies to support developing
countries in the monitoring of World Heritage sites. Through the initiative,
States Parties to the World Heritage Convention have access to satellite
images of their World Heritage sites as well as the space agencies’
expertise and knowledge.
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