espi space for sustainable development report

7/26/2019 ESPI Space for Sustainable Development Report

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Report 59

June 2016

Stefano Ferrett i

Jrg Feustel Bechl

Roy Gibson

Peter Hulsroj

Andreas Papp

El isabeth Veit

Space for

Sustainable Development


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ESPI Report 59 2 June 2016

Short title: ESPI Report 59

ISSN: 2218-0931 (print), 2076-6688 (online)Published in June 2016

Editor and publisher:European Space Policy Institute, ESPISchwarzenbergplatz 6 1030 Vienna Austriahttp://www.espi.or.atTel. +43 1 7181118-0; Fax -99

Rights reserved No part of this report may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or for any purpose with-out permission from ESPI. Citations and extracts to be published by other means are subject to mentioningSource: ESPI Report 59; June 2016. All rights reserved and sample transmission to ESPI before publishing.

ESPI is not responsible for any losses, injury or damage caused to any person or property (including undercontract, by negligence, product liability or otherwise) whether they may be direct or indirect, special, inciden-tal or consequential, resulting from the information contained in this publication.

Design: Panthera.cc


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Space for Sustainable Development


Table of Contents

1. Introduction 4

2. The Sustainable Development Goals and Space 6

3. The Demand Side 9

4. The Supply Side 11

6. The Tools for Dialogue and Cooperation 13

6. Conclusion 15

Acknowledgements 15

About the Authors 15


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1. Introduction

The Millennium Development Goals were asuccessful catalyst of global efforts to allevi-ate poverty, and was a significant mobiliserof actors with a role to play in this endeav-our. In September 2015 the successor initia-tive, the Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs), were agreed at a meeting of headsof state and government in New York. Incontrast to the Millennium DevelopmentGoals, which were addressing the conditionsspecifically of developing countries, the Sus-

tainable Development Goals address concernsof the entire global community.

The Sustainable Development Goals are, likethe Millennium Development Goals beforethem, calling upon all possible contributors,be they national, regional, or international,be they governmental or non-governmental,be they industrial or service-focused, be theylarge or small, low or high tech, to becomeactive and bundle their efforts in the serviceof meeting the vital objectives of the SDGs.The SDGs are thus addressed also to thespace community, and the new impetus in-

troduced by their endorsement should incen-tivise the space community to focus on howspace can become an ever more importantenabler of user-driven sustainable develop-ment, particularly in developing countries.

The objective of the current report is to lookin a broad fashion at how space has contrib-uted to sustainable development in the past,at the untapped potential in this respect, andat how this untapped potential can beunlocked. A special focus of the report is thusgoing to be an endeavour to define how dia-logue and cooperation mechanisms can be

set up between the various space and sus-tainable development actors. How suchmechanisms can be set up in such a fashionthat space will become an optimum enablerof sustainable development efforts driven bythe demand side - represented by those whoare implementing the SDGs and those whoare facing all the practical challenges of ac-tivities on the ground.

Before going into the substance of these is-sues it is worth reflecting on the meaning ofthe terms space and space community.

Space is often taken to refer to space infra-

structure, and hence when discussions arehad on the contributions space can make tosustainable development they will often be

focused on the needs for new space infra-structure, particularly new satellites. Yet, thismisleads. There may in some situations be aneed for new satellites, but this will be theexception. The general issue for the spacecommunity is how to make the plethora ofsatellites and functionalities more useful forsustainable development particularly in de-veloping countries; it becomes an issue of thetransformation of infrastructure and data intoservices that are targeted to on the ground

needs of development actors. The termspace must thus be understood broadly, andparticularly as a source of services, ratherthan just new in-orbit infrastructure.

The term space community might suggest aunitary body of great homogeneity. Nothingcan be farther from the truth. The spacecommunity consists of a multitude of sectorsand actors with very different interests, spe-cialisations, backgrounds, and institutionalcharacter, and only an attachment to space,in the wide sense, is the common denomina-tor. In the current report space community

is used to signal the supply side of the de-velopment equation.

Space technology has accompanied economicdevelopment efforts for a long time and hasplayed an important role. This is true both inindustrialised and developing countries. Inthe developing world India has been a leaderin deploying space for economic developmentand remote health care, but numerous inter-national assistance programmes involvingspace have also been implemented, such asGMES and Africa and the Tiger Programme,both in the field of Earth Observation. Tele-

coms initiatives have often been undertakenby commercial actors, O3B for example, andmany projects currently exist for ensuringconnectivity for every citizen of the world,one of the most ambitious being that ofOneWeb.

In developing countries where terrestrial in-frastructures are often insufficient or absentspace services offer great advantages be-cause they largely eliminate the need forsuch infrastructures. This is true for tele-coms, where space services can work hand-in-hand with wireless functionalities, but it is

also true for many Earth Observation applica-tions where space based observation to someextent might substitute for absent in-situ


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measurements. Space based navigation doesnot eliminate the need for roads, but assistsin utilising the available infrastructure in thebest possible fashion and can be central todefining alternative routing when specificroutes become unnavigable.

In some situations Earth Observation satel-lites are the only possible source of informa-tion even in industrialised countries, and of-ten they are central to proper societal man-agement. This is, for instance, true for datathat is central to coastal and fisheries man-agement and for pollution monitoring, do-mains where developing countries can beparticularly challenged. Well-functioningbanking systems rely extensively on spacebased telecommunication and timing informa-tion derived from navigation satellites, andthe ability of telecoms satellites to make dis-tance irrelevant is central for functionalitiessuch as tele-education and telehealth.

It can certainly be said that developing coun-tries currently benefit significantly from spaceservices, yet often the needs of developingcountries are an afterthought compared tothe great efforts made in industrialised coun-tries to ensure that all the useful data andfunctionality coming from space are put tothe best use for their societal purposes. Soone of the ways to tap further the potential ofspace for sustainable development in devel-oping countries is to make sure that spaceservices are also customized and targeted tothe specific needs of their societies. But thereis another critical challenge to consider andthat is to make sure that space services areembedded in the best possible fashion indevelopment user communities. Space ser-vices will not always be plug-and-play, butmay require extensive and continuous train-ing in order to be useful, and there is a need

to make sure that terrestrial equipment isproperly maintained and upgraded. In orderto make sure that space services are createdand deployed in an optimum fashion, and tomake sure that terrestrial infrastructure isuseable in a sustainable fashion, there is astrong need for the space community andpolicymakers to have the ear close to theground, so that the true needs are identifiedand the best and truly sustainable solutionsfor developing countries are found. The cen-trality of good dialogue and cooperationmechanisms is underscored.

Europe has a special role to play in all of thisbased on history, current wealth and capabil-ity, and the fact that many European spaceassets already contain data and functionalityof high relevance for developing countries,particularly in Africa. The position of the Me-teosat satellites on the geostationary arc isideal for providing data for weather forecast-ing in Africa, for instance. But also the rise ofthe economic importance of developing coun-tries provide a motive of self-interest forEurope to become more deeply involved withthe developing world. Many of the new mar-kets of the future will be in developing coun-tries, and this means not only possibilities ofsupply of space functionality and equipmentin the short term but the possibility to be-come a trusted partner of rising powers forthe long term. It is important to note, how-ever, that in order to become a true and

trusted partner Europe must demonstratethat what it seeks to provide are the bestsolutions for the actual needs of developingcountries and their diverse communities.Mindless technology push is neither right noruseful for Europe.


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2. The Sustainable Development Goals and

Space

The Sustainable Development Goals expressglobal ambitions and exhorts all possible con-tributors of whatever stripe to assist in meet-ing its challenges. Given the important rolealready played by the space domain in devel-opment efforts and the great opportunity forincreasing its contribution, space actors arecalled upon to seize the momentum of theSDGs to focus not only on how they can fur-ther contribute, but also on how they canbecome a more integral part of the commu-

nity dealing with development in the greatersocietal context and thereby optimise effec-tiveness and contribution. For European ac-tors this poses the question of how coordina-tion with non-space European stakeholderscan be organized in the best possible fashion,as well as how European actors can leveragetheir global networks of contacts for this ef-fort and achieve overall coherence with thebroader global development community andits activities.

The importance of seizing the moment isdemonstrated by the experience with the

Millennium Development Goals. The eightMillennium Development Goals created in2000 have shaped international developmentcooperation for the past fifteen years. Al-though the goals were not legally binding,they were widely accepted as the ultimateguideline for action by the UN, its MemberStates and non-government actors, aiming

to free our fellow men, women and childrenfrom the abject and dehumanizing conditionsof extreme poverty. With the end of the year2015, however, the goals have expired, ne-cessitating an evaluation of their successesand shortcomings, as well as the creation of a

Post-2015 Development Agenda.

Overall the Millennium Development Goalshave been extremely successful in the senseof focusing attention on the need for concreteaction. Yet, the goals were also very ambi-tious, meaning that not all goals were, orcould be, met. Some goals, such as eradicat-ing extreme poverty and hunger (Goal 1),have marked considerable successes, withthe proportion of people whose income is lessthan $1.25 a day falling from 47% to 14% indeveloping regions between 1990 and 2011,far better than the target. Others, such as

improving maternal health and access tocontraception, have fallen short. In particu-

lar, the effects of climate change have be-come more acute, despite the global emis-sions targets set under Goal 7. Furthermore,the impacts of development efforts have beenfelt unevenly, with rural populations, women,and the population of Sub-Saharan Africawitnessing fewer improvements than others.Sub-Saharan Africa especially is experiencinga growing concentration of extreme povertyas it fails to keep pace with global improve-ments.

Awareness of these issues, as well as relateddevelopments such as growing global ine-quality, rising pollution due to industrializa-tion and increased global political insecurity,has framed debates on the formulation of aPost-2015 Development Agenda from thestart. The Third United Nations Conference onSustainable Development in Rio de Janeirocalled for goals within the United NationsDevelopment Agenda beyond 2015 to bebased on the principle of sustainable devel-opment, that is development that meets theneeds of the present without compromising

the ability of future generations to meet theirown needs, that respects the planets limitsand considers the interrelated nature of theeconomies, societies, and the environment.The SDGs are thus of global application.

The emphasis on sustainability has perme-ated the Post-2015 Development Agenda.The core component, the SDGs, not onlyadopt a broadened scope (17 Goals as com-pared to 8 MDGs), more ambitious targets(eliminating issues rather than reducingthem), and place greater emphasis on theenvironment and governance, but integrate

more fields into the Agenda. The UN WorldConference on Disaster Risk Reduction inSendai, Japan, and the 21st Conference ofParties on Climate Change in Paris, Francewere held in 2015 to produce new frameworkagreements on disaster risk reduction andclimate change respectively, and theseagreements have been referenced in theSDGs. The Goals acknowledge that theseconferences are the primary fora for negotia-tions in their respective fields, but note thatthe implementation of agreed frameworksshould occur on a sustainable basis in con-formity with the SDGs, creating a two-way

interaction between fields that were previ-


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ously siloed and functioned largely in isola-tion from each other.

The importance of the SDGs is thus that theyformulate a new approach to developmentwhich has the potential to be more circum-spect, but also more comprehensive in its

actions. This emphasis on intelligent devel-opment solutions presents new challenges to

current development actors, and is driving asearch for improved solutions. But this em-phasis plays to the strengths of space.

Assessing the potential of space relative tothe SDGs in a very general and non-exhaustive fashion the following mapping can

be suggested (see Table 1):

SDG topic Actual or possible contribution of space

SDG 1: No Poverty Improved communications and more environmental data as a driver ofgrowth, better logistics management by the use of sat/nav

SDG 2: Zero Hunger Earth Observation data for optimised agriculture and livestock man-agement, more efficient crop markets through better telecommunica-tions, better emergency responses enabled by Earth Observation dataand telecoms, better delivery systems using sat/nav

SDG 3: Good Health andWell-Being

E-health, including telemedicine and medical tele-training and learning

SDG 4: Quality Education Tele-learning

SDG 5: Gender Equality Female empowerment by telecoms links to the Information Society,tele-learning, telecoms enabling small businesses of women.

SDG 6: Clean Water andSanitation

Earth Observation data for water management, water detection, andwater pollution monitoring

SDG 7: Affordable & CleanEnergy

Earth Observation data for renewable energy management, grid man-agement

SDG 8: Decent Work andEconomic Growth

Space services as enabler of economic growth and high quality jobs inall economic sectors

SDG 9: Industry, Innova-

tion & Infrastructure

Space as enabler of innovation both in own sector and others, space

based data and communication abilities key for industrial processes,space telecoms compensates for lack of terrestrial networks, EarthObservation for lack of in-situ stations, sat/nav important for best useof transport infrastructure and banking systems

SDG 10: Reduced Ine-qualities

Access to Information Society through telecoms is a leveller, fosterstransparency and hence helps fight against corruption, space servicesas an enabler of work opportunity

SDG 11: Sustainable Citiesand Communities

Earth Observation data for pollution monitoring, energy managementand land use planning, sat/nav for traffic management, telecoms forefficient information exchange

SDG 12: Responsible con-sumption and production

Earth Observation data for optimised supply management, energymanagement, sat/nav for logistics management in production

SDG 13: Climate Action Earth Observation data key for climate change monitoring and defini-tion of mitigation strategies

SDG 14: Life below Water Earth Observation data key for monitoring the health of oceans andother water systems, for fisheries management and policing

SDG 15: Life on Land Earth Observation data for bio-diversity monitoring, pollution monitor-ing, land use management and policing

SDG 16: Peace and Justice- Strong Institutions

Telecoms empower civil society by connecting to the Information Soci-ety, e-voting enabled by telecoms, legal evidence, treaty compliancemonitoring, security management through Earth Observation systems,

SDG 17: Partnerships Space community is part of an international fabric of partnerships.

Possibilities of reinforcement of links with development actorsTable 1 Actual or Possible Contributions of Space to SDGs


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Space is not starting from zero in any of thementioned domains, far from it, but it is clearthat much more can be contributed by thespace sector when needs are better under-stood and when additional resources are mo-bilized.

In order to harvest all the benefits of spacefor sustainable development siloed ap-

proaches must be avoided, thus allowing toembed space even more in integrated ap-proaches where the only measure is theadoption of the solutions that serve sustain-able development best in the short as well asthe long term.


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3. The Demand Side

The actors that can benefit from space ser-vices in the development field can roughly begrouped into seven categories: national gov-ernmental actors of developing countries,citizens in developing countries, non-governmental actors in developing countries,governmental aid organisations operating indeveloping countries, intergovernmental or-ganisations in the field, the Office of the UNSpecial Representative for the SDGs, devel-opment consultancy firms.

National governmental actors of developingcountries

The national governments of developingcountries are central to any developmenteffort as they both have policy making andregulatory powers and provide, or are sup-posed to provide, essential services to theircitizens. Development projects that are notsupported, integrated, or coordinated withnational governments and local authoritieswill mostly fail if they are not designed to bemere one-offs. National governmental actors

are key enablers and with their knowledge oflocal conditions and policies they are impor-tant sources of information for those seekingto assist.

Citizens of developing countries

The object of all development efforts arealways the citizens of a country. However,citizens are often not heard properly whendevelopment activities are planned. The as-sumption is, perhaps, that local governmentswill give voice to the needs and perspectivesof the citizens, but particularly in countries

with more rudimentary governance schemesthis is often only imperfectly the case. Giventhe great emphasis commercial companies inthe industrialised world puts on canvassingconsumers and surveying consumption trendsit should be remembered to ensure directvoices for citizens also when designing devel-opment and assistance programmes. This istrue also for programmes involving spaceservices, even if citizens cannot be assumedto be space technology experts.

Non-governmental organisations in developingcountries

Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) playan extraordinarily important role in develop-ing countries. NGOs tend to have unsenti-mental, realistic views on challenges, particu-larly on those they themselves encounter inthe field. NGOs are often stuck in the imme-diacy of trying to fill urgent needs and there-fore might not always take the time to take

the longer view or explore the utility of newapproaches or tools. Sometimes this is mar-ried to technology hesitancy, and, vis--visspace services, reluctance because spaceservices are misunderstood as always expen-sive and often of military provenance. In anyevent, NGOs are reluctant to invest in tech-nology development both because of thedevelopment risk and because donors tend tofocus on short-term need alleviation

Governmental aid organisations operating indeveloping countries

In the same fashion as NGOs governmentalorganisations operating in developing coun-tries have a good view of conditions and chal-lenges on-the-ground. However, governmen-tal aid organisations might be more ready toentertain longer perspectives and innovationin tools and approaches, because of their linkto general policy making. This link mightsometimes hamper actual operations but isalso a good opportunity to try to make surethat new approaches fit in a broader context.This is important for the deployment of newspace services, the introduction of which

might sometimes require dialogue betweendonor and recipient governments, and willneed to be carefully weighed as part of priori-tisation processes.

Intergovernmental organisations in the field

The intergovernmental organisations in thefield are mostly part of the UN family. Inmany respect these organisations are indis-tinguishable from governmental aid organisa-tions, yet, they always feature multiculturalapproaches, and allow the leveraging of ex-periences over a wide spectrum of activities

in many different settings. As has been rec-ognized by the UN through its Delivering asOne initiative very good coordination is nec-


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essary in order to make sure that experi-ences of different actors in different environ-ments are leveraged properly across theboard and that ultimately efficiency of effortsis ensured. Some UN organisations have ex-pert knowledge and practical experience inleveraging space assets for their efforts(peace-keeping, for instance, operate a largeand sophisticated satellite based telecommu-nication system) but, despite best efforts bythe UN Office of Outer Space Affairs, it mightbe questioned whether these capabilities aremade use of in the best possible fashionacross organisational borders within the UNfamily. The annual coordination meetingcalled UN Space is a promising forum thatshould be expanded and instrumentalisedmuch more. UN Space, organized by the UNOffice of Outer Space Affairs, could be animportant entry point for the space commu-

nity to seek dialogue with the UN system.

Intergovernmental aid organisations not in thefield

The World Bank and the Directorates Generalfor Development and Cooperation and forHumanitarian Aid and Civil Protection of theEuropean Commission play a key role infunding development activities in developingcountries. In this sense they are critical forthe establishment of relevant programmes,and their knowledge of the potential of spaceis often decisive for whether space assets are

instrumentalised in the best fashion in theoverall development effort. The importance ofsensitivising such institutions to space as anenabler is further underscored by the advi-sory function that particularly the World Bank

is often fulfilling. This sort of institution is,like national aid authorities, well suited toinvest in targeted technology developmentfor use in the field in developing countries,and to support in-house technology capacitybuilding in NGOs and other sustainable de-velopment actors.

The UN Special Representative for the SDGs

The holistic approach adopted by the SDGsput a premium on good coordination at allstakeholder levels. The UN Special Represen-tative for the SDGs play a central role, andalthough he necessarily must take a birdseye view and deal with a multitude of actorsand specialisations, it would seem importantfor space to be understood as an substantialcontributor to the achievement of the SDGs,so that also the Special Representative can

sensitivise relevant actors at all levels to con-sider whether needs might be best met byspace assets in a given situation. The role ofthe Special Representative is in some re-spects to act as a conduit between the de-mand communities and the supply communi-ties.

The special case of consultancy firms specializ-ing in development

The definition and execution of developmentprojects often rely significantly on adviceprovided by specialised consultancy firms.

These firms might, however, sometimes beblind to the potential of space, and henceefforts should also be made to explain well tosuch actors how space assets might help.


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4. The Supply Side

The supply side consists of the various spaceactors, ESA, EU for Copernicus and Galileo,Eumetsat, national space agencies, themanufacturing industry, the operators, andthe value added downstream segment,UNOOSA.

ESA

ESA is a possessor of tremendous expertisenot only in space technologies but in projectmanagement and in how to make interna-

tional cooperation work in very different con-texts.

All these qualities are already brought to bearin the context of sustainable development,but this could be done much more in the con-text of developing countries. ESA has a longrecord of being involved in various initiativesof this nature and has a powerful IntegratedApplications Programme also serving suchpurposes, but ESA expertise could be lev-eraged more through the creation of adedicated programme on space for sus-tainable development in developing

countries, as well as by ESA becoming aninstrument for other funders and actorsto define and execute sustainable devel-

opment programmes and projects.

Such new programmes could include a SpaceTechnology Academy for NGOs and otherfield actors - through which field workers andcoordinators could receive technology infor-mation and training in the use of space tech-nology (more or less in-depth depending onneed) and space experts could get feedbackfrom those using space tools for sustainabledevelopment purposes. Such an academy

might also provide in-house and tele-trainingfor NGOs, arrange yearly general workshops,and feature a call-centre at which NGOs andother field institutions could get immediateoperational assistance and counseling.

EU, Copernicus and Galileo

Both the Copernicus and the Galileo Pro-grammes generate data of the greatest im-portance for sustainable development, asillustrated in table 1 above. And, indeed, theEuropean Commission created a dedicatedactivity, GMES and Africa, which has been

aiding the more effective use of Copernicusdata in the region. In addition, the Commis-

sion has funded a number of terrestrialequipment and training schemes relative tothe use of Earth Observation data.

In the context of Galileo less has been donein terms of outreach towards the develop-ment community, which is perhaps not sur-prising since the programme is not yet fullyoperational. However, there is a need to pri-oritise this aspect very soon, given the valueof the data for sustainable development pur-poses.

What is most important, however, is thatmechanisms are created that allow spacerelated information to flow freely between thevarious relevant Directorates General of theCommission, so that, for instance, DEVCOand ECHO can integrate space services evenbetter in their efforts.

Eumetsat

Eumetsat has been an earlier mover on seek-ing to make meteorological and climatechange data from space available and useful

for the sustainable development in develop-ing countries through its involvement, forexample, in the Preparation for the Use ofMSG in Africa (PUMA) programme of the early2000s. This involvement has been followedby strong participation in the African Monitor-ing of the Environment for Sustainable De-velopment (AMESD) and the current Monitor-ing the Environment and Security (MESA)programmes. A characteristic of these pro-grammes is that they bundle efforts and ca-pabilities of a number of organisational actors- receiving strong financial backing by theEuropean Commission and placing the African

Union and African Regional Economic Com-munities centrally in the governance andimplementation. These programmes can thusbe seen as pathfinders for inter-institutionalcooperation on sustainable development alsoin other fields.

National Space Agencies

Many of the national space agencies of Europeare already involved in activities supportingdeveloping countries in their efforts. Again,this is a role that can be reinforced, and hasparticular relevance because such reinforce-

ment can rely on traditional links of coopera-tion between given donor and recipient coun-


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tries. National space agencies should also in-crease the links with general governmental aidinstitutions in their countries, so that the ex-pertise of space agencies can be utilised in anoptimum fashion for aid purposes.

The Manufacturing IndustryThe satellite manufacturing industry is impor-tant for sustainable development even if exist-ing space infrastructures might to a large ex-tent fill current needs. Yet, the planning ofnew programmes will rely extensively on theirexpertise, and the manufacturing industry isoften in a position to guide customers towardssolutions that will enable sustainable devel-opment to be served in the best way. Fur-thermore, they might be able to guide theircustomers to the possibilities of opening newservices of relevance for developing countries

by only changing planned designs in modestways. Often small steps can have great im-pact!

The Operators

The operators in the telecoms field have acrucial role to play in terms of enabling sus-tainable development. New markets are open-ing up and these can often be served withoutsacrificing commercial interests, partly be-cause these new markets might be self-sustaining, partly because the operators mightbe able to attract development specific fund-

ing.

The Downstream Segment

To get the service providers of the down-stream segment engaged in filling the needsof development actors is key for making spaceever more useful for sustainable development.This is currently not an ignored market forservice providers, far from it, but much morecan be achieved and this will require evenmore focus, but also, critically, to get localentities and companies involved in serviceprovision. Local needs and requirements can

normally be identified and satisfied much bet-ter by local actors, and sustainable fulfilmentof sustainable development needs will clearlyrequire local involvement. The downstreamsegment can become a substantial economicactivity for developing countries, also becauseentry barriers are relatively low in this seg-ment.

UNOOSA

The applications programme of the UN Officeof Outer Space Affairs has been very beneficialfor developing countries, because it addresses

how space based services are made relevantin the local environment. The recent step toset up a specific liaison function with UNOCHA

and other humanitarian assistance actors islaudable!

However, UNOOSA can potentially expand itsutility for sustainable development in develop-ing countries by expanding its advisory rolevis--vis the various branches and organisa-

tions of the UN, but also by building a dedi-cated advisory function, perhaps together withthe World Bank, where developing countriescan either get specialist advice or be referredto specialists vetted by UNOOSA.

But UNOOSA could also create an optionalprogramme structure a la ESA that would al-low developing countries to agree, finance andexecute space programmes in a standardisedformat - with the top level management doneby dedicated programme management func-tions within UNOOSA. In other words,UNOOSA can help lower the entry threshold

for developing countries by acting, in a limitedfashion, as their space agency. It is notewor-thy in this respect that such programmes mustnot concern just the establishment of new in-orbit infrastructure, but could also be a way toagree and execute new downstream serviceprogrammes.

The role of UNOOSA as a potential one-stopshop for customers seeking to find outwhether space can be the solution to a given

problem of theirs would be welcome!

The above description of the demand and sup-ply side does not pretend to be exhaustive,and is, admittedly rather Eurocentric. Thedescription is an attempt to show the diversityof actors and give an impression of the extentto which untapped potential exists. It is recog-nized that many other relevant actors exist:charitable organisations like the Gates Foun-dation, the Group on Earth Observations, theWorld Meteorological Organization, the Inter-national Telecommunications Union, the Char-ter on Space and Major Disasters, many ofwhom defy easy definition.

The whole object of this report is to stress theimportance of being open to the great diver-sity of actors and tools that may be relevantfor sustainable development in developingcountries, and to invite an effort to optimizethe mechanisms for dialogue and cooperationbetween this multitude of relevant contribu-tors.

Clearly the Sustainable Development Goalsare ambitious and will need a significantlystepped up effort by the supply side if they areto be achieved. This requires commitment,dialogue with the demand side, and creativeprogrammatic thinking, and the EU, ESA, thenational Space Agencies are particularly calledupon to define frameworks that will allow theprerequisite ambitions to be fulfilled!


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6. The Tools for Dialogue and Cooperation

Optimising dialogue and cooperation mecha-nisms is, as repeatedly stated, central forallowing space to play its enabling role aseffectively as possible vis--vis the sustain-able development goals. This having beensaid it is equally important not to create newmechanisms and instruments where existingsuch might serve the purpose. However, dia-logue and cooperation mechanisms must beheterogeneous enough to serve the diversity.

At the political very top-level of the SDGmanagement there are the UN Secretariatand the UN General Assembly. At this level,space is mostly seen as just a branch of hi-tech. Yet, when hi-tech is addressed in rela-tion to the SDGs, for instance in the GeneralAssembly, space agencies have been absent.This is a mistake and the major space agen-cies should be represented in addition toUNOOSA. The possible perception that Gen-eral Assembly meetings on these topics lackconcrete results is mistaken. Addressing theenabling functions of space in high level po-litical fora draws the attention of the imple-

menters, and being part of the dialoguemeans that space becomes part of theagenda, of the menu.

As a significant contributor to the informationsociety the space community should alsomake sure that it is well-represented at themeetings on the World Summit on the Infor-mation Society. The huge annual meeting isan important forum to reach sustainable de-velopment actors and be kept abreast of thedevelopments in the hi-tech contribution tothe SDGs.

The UN Secretary General has appointed aSpecial Representative for the SDGs. TheSpecial Representative is central for the SDGsfrom a political perspective, and effortsshould be made to have an annual meetingbetween the Special Representative and cen-tral hi-tech representatives, such as Googleand Facebook. The space community shouldbe represented by the heads of the majorspace agencies and particularly focused in-dustrial actors such as OneWeb.

Working relationships should also be builtwith staff of the UN Department of Economicand Social Affairs which is deeply involved inthe SDG agenda as well. However, the or-ganisations and branches of the UN involved

in the SDGs are many, and for many spacewould be relevant. It would be highly advan-tageous if the space community, in whateverconfiguration, could become involved in thediscussions centered on new programmes orthe top-level monitoring of the implementa-tion of existing programmes across the rangeof UN organisations.

Good working relations with World Bank rep-resentatives should also be built and the ma-

jor space agencies should be present at theirhigh level events addressing the contributionof hi-tech to sustainable development.

A Working Group of 15-20 senior leveladvisors from both the supply and de-mand side might be a good first step inorder to improve dialogue on space andsustainable development across organ-isational boundaries and for definingmore permanent dialogue mechanisms,

either within existing structures or cre-ated anew.Good stakeholder platforms arekey for success!

At the national level it is recommendable thatspace agencies and space industry becomemore directly involved with the national aidagencies and aid communities, including,importantly, NGOs.

Within the European environment it isrecommended that a forum be set upwhere once a year high level representa-tives of ESA and the national spaceagencies would meet with counterpartswithin the relevant Directorates Generalof the Commission, e.g. GROW, DEVCO,ECHO, CONNECT, ENVIRONMENT,

CLIMATE ACTION and with the ExternalAction Service.

Cultivation of relations with NGOs that couldbenefit from space services is a neglectedarea, despite some efforts by DG Grow andDG ECHO. Relations might be served to someextent by participation in UN and World Bankmeetings, but NGOs also arrange their ownevents where an appreciation of the potentialof space could be useful and representationtherefore desirable.

More generally, it might be recommendablethat each space agency would designate afocal point for the outreach to sustainabledevelopment actors, since such an ambassa-


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dorial function could channel space actorsexpertise to the sustainable developmentcommunity, and could ingest the need ofdevelopment actors into space agencies andtheir programmes. Such focal points shouldbe especially mindful of the need to listenclosely to the voice of the NGOs and should,if necessary, create fora dedicated to frankexchanges on the possible usefulness ofspace services for their purposes.

The International Astronautical Federationhas traditionally been a place where also theissues and needs of developing countrieswould be addressed. The annual InternationalAstronautical Congresses (IAC) are the mainevents where space actors discuss such is-sues. It is noticeable, however, that at theIACs the participation is almost exclusivelyfrom the supply side. Much more should bemade to draw in both the high level and theworking level development actors.

Perhaps one initiative could be to create aSustainable Development Networking Forum,similar to the Global Networking Forums, butdedicated to events bringing the space supplyside together with the sustainable develop-ment actors from the demand side. Thiswould seem to chime with a desirable evolu-tion of the IACs to bring together more thosethat could benefit more from space withspace experts a concrete manifestation of

Space for Earth.

New tools for cooperation?

Space related activities often involves exper-tise or resource needs beyond individual ac-tors or countries means. Pooling mecha-nisms therefore become a prized asset.

In this respect ESA and other space agenciesshould positioning themselves as welcominghosts of third party activities serving the sus-tainable development of developing coun-tries.

It would be salutary to see programs

dedicated to such purposes in the spaceagencies and allowing funding both fromthe agencies themselves, from govern-mental or intergovernmental aid agen-cies and even from developing countriesthemselves. For narrower specific appli-

cation projects mechanisms could evenallow NGO funding to become involved.Obviously governance structures would haveto accommodate the possible heterogeneousfunding sources, but there is no good reason

why the expertise of space agencies could notbe instrumentalised for sustainable develop-ment in such a bundled fashion!

In a similar vein UNOOSA could, as men-tioned, also build up a programme executivearm and create optional programme struc-

tures that would allow developing countriesto fund and execute joint programmes ac-cording to their wishes, it being noted thatthis would normally not involve UN fundingfor the programmes, the UN only becomingan implementer and a force assisting theambitions of developing countries to leveragespace for economic development.

There would also be very big value in creat-ing space incubator programmes in develop-ing countries, or assisting in the developmentof such. The incubator programmes of ESAhave been a success and the lessons seem to

be rather directly transferable to a developingcountry context, thus serving the purposealso of making space a catalyst for local eco-nomic development even from the supplyside. Space agencies could be mid-wives insuch a process, lending expertise whilst re-ceiving funds from aid agencies.

Further, exchange programmes could be im-plemented, in pursuance of which young tal-ented engineers from developing countrieswould spend a year or two at the technicalcentres of the space agencies of industrial-ised countries, and where young and talented

engineers from the space agencies wouldspend a year or two at space engineeringfacilities in developing countries. It is an es-tablished fact that such exchange pro-grammes are not only high effective in termsof capacity building, but also serve to cementfriendly relations between nations. Theywould serve sustainable development in de-veloping countries well, but should go hand-in-hand with measures to limit the associatedrisk of brain drain.

It is finally worth mentioning that for the past15 years a tool has existed that has been of

extreme utility for disaster management, andthat is the Charter on Space and MajorDisasters, founded by ESA and CNES, andcurrently with 15 members. This toolshould be expanded to cover the broaderambit of data for sustainable develop-ment in developing countries and a ho-listic approach should be taken.Such anextension of scope would be a very tangiblecontribution to sustainable development ef-forts!


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6. Conclusion

Achieving the sustainable development goalsis mainly a question of will. Yet, not the willof one entity will decide, what is required iscollective will! An important constituent of thecollective will is the space community with itsdiverse entities.

This report has sought to demonstrate thatspace services, as enablers, have a very sub-stantial role to play in implementing theSDGs, but that proactive measures must betaken in order to ensure optimum contribu-

tion. Hence, the report describes a number ofmeasures that should be taken to facilitateinformation exchange and dialogue, but alsomakes recommendations for how the tool boxfor practical cooperation could be significantlyexpanded.

Much remains to be done and it is in the in-terest of everybody that implementation ofthe SDGs occur as quickly as possible. Forthis space assets have an important role toplay as part of an integrated whole!

Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the valu-able inputs of Ambassador Thomas Stelzer in

the elaboration of this report.

About the Authors

Stefano Ferretti, Resident Fellow, ESPI

Jrg Feustel-Bechl, former Director, ESARoy Gibson, former Director General, ESA

Peter Hulsroj, former Director, ESPI

Andreas Papp, International Director, SOSChildrens Villages

Elisabeth Veit, Junior Researcher, ESPI


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Mission Statement of ESPI

The European Space Policy Institute (ESPI) provides decision-makers with aninformed view on mid- to long-term issues relevant to Europes space activi-ties. In this context, ESPI acts as an independent platform for developing po-sitions and strategies.


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www.espi .or .at

espi space for sustainable development report

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