Islamabad (GNP): Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Minister Dr Musadik Malik said Pakistan must move from reacting to disasters toward preventing them, using space technology, satellite imagery, radar and hyperspectral data, AI and advanced predictive modelling to spot risks before they become emergencies.
He was chief guest at the closing ceremony of the five-day UN/Pakistan International Conference on “Leveraging Space Technology for Early Warning for All (EW4All), Climate Action and Disaster Risk Assessment,” hosted by the Pakistan Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) in Islamabad.
Malik compared the approach to cardiology: just as early diagnosis and timely treatment can spare a patient surgery, he said, scientific monitoring and accurate forecasting should prevent loss of life and property. He pointed to Pakistan’s growing space capabilities and said scientific data must be turned into practical, timely action.
His core message was that a warning with no address is a warning to no one. Alerts, he said, must go beyond broad regional forecasts to precise, location-specific warnings that reach individual households and vulnerable communities.
He called for annual satellite-based reports on floodplains and encroachments, closer coordination among institutions and across borders, accurate mapping of disaster-prone areas, and more involvement of young innovators through collaborative research, hackathons and innovation programmes. Science, he concluded, must serve humanity, with rescue operations the last resort rather than the first response and the protection of vulnerable people the ultimate purpose of technology.
The event drew about 250 participants from Pakistan, including federal and provincial ministries, academia and national institutions, along with delegates from 22 countries. Its aim was to strengthen space-based early warning systems, improve multi-hazard risk assessment and speed up preparedness and response to climate-related disasters.
Attending the closing ceremony were SUPARCO Chairman and ISNET President Muhammad Yousaf Khan, the conference host; Lorant Czaran, Director of Space Applications at the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA); the Secretary of the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination; the Secretary of the Sindh Rehabilitation Department; and representatives of UN-SPIDER, the Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization (APSCO), the Inter-Islamic Network on Space Sciences and Technology (ISNET), Kazakhstan Gharysh Sapary and other international bodies.
The programme comprised 17 sessions: two high-level plenaries, five panel discussions and ten technical sessions with 67 presentations. Ten keynote talks were given and 32 panellists took part, covering space-based climate intelligence, climate action, disaster risk reduction, the Sendai Framework, the Paris Agreement and the EW4All initiative.
Yousaf Khan said the real value of satellite technology lies in turning space-based information into timely decisions and action. He named three priorities from the conference: building information into decision-making, strengthening interoperable systems and data-sharing arrangements, and sustaining institutional and human resource capacity.
Czaran stressed the importance of international cooperation and effective use of space technologies for global climate and disaster challenges, and welcomed collaborative initiatives and knowledge-sharing platforms that help countries apply space data to sustainable development and disaster management.
Participants highlighted the growing role of satellite Earth observation, geospatial information and space applications in multi-hazard early warning, vulnerability assessment, environmental monitoring and informed decision-making. They stressed converting space-based information into actionable intelligence, strengthening institutions, deepening regional and international cooperation, and ensuring warnings reach vulnerable communities.
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A summary of the proceedings and key recommendations was presented, along with areas for future collaboration. SUPARCO also presented its Pakistan Space4Climate Initiative, reaffirming its aim to use national space capabilities and satellite applications for climate monitoring, disaster risk assessment and national resilience. The conference ended with a renewed commitment to using space technology, scientific innovation and international partnerships to improve climate resilience and disaster preparedness and to advance Early Warnings for All.
Sohail Majeed is a Special Correspondent at The Diplomatic Insight. He has twelve plus years of experience in journalism & reporting. He covers International Affairs, Diplomacy, UN, Sports, Climate Change, Economy, Technology, and Health.
