By Awa Macalo
The Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology in partnership with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) Operational Satellite Application Programme (UNOSAT), recently held a 5-day capacity building workshop for technical experts on introduction to earth observation and geospatial information technology application for climate resilience and disaster risk reduction.
The training tends to improve the understanding of local experts on satellite data collection and earth risk reduction techniques.
Mucktarr Darboe, Director of Science and Technology at MoHERST, said the training is part of capacity building activities that the ministry will use to increase local experts’ participation in the improvement of technology, purposely, the interpretation of satellite imagery with specific focus on disaster risk management in the country.
Marisol Lopez Meda, the capacity development expert, UNITAR, expressed gratitude, hoping that the capacity building training will be a success, and the trainees will benefit at the end of the course.
Mod A.K. Secka, the permanent secretary of MoHERST, explained that a nation will surely develop if science and technology is utilized. He said the training came at a time when the ministry has set up a 65%policy turn-around of in support and scholarship given to students in STEM disciplines and the creation of a centre of excellence at GTTI, which he said, would transform GTTI to a University of Applied Science, Engineering, and Technology.
”It is therefore hoped that the training in geospace technologies would be in the near future anchored in the USET programmes and eventually, as a centre of excellent in this field of study.” he said.
