Global Reach: Charter Training Strengthens Southern Africa’s Disaster Response and Preparedness
The world is experiencing increasing exposure to natural hazards, especially in highly vulnerable regions that are resource-limited. These communities face escalating challenges that require prompt and strategic action. The International Charter: Space and Major Disasters (hereafter referred to as the “Charter”) addresses this need through its Regional Training initiative, which is transforming how satellite data is used in global disaster management and expanding access to space-based emergency support. The Charter enables any national disaster management authority to become an Authorized User. Once authorized, these national authorities gain free direct access to satellite imagery and derived mapping products during major disasters, enabling faster and more effective response and recovery efforts.
The Charter supports communities beyond immediate disaster relief by promoting long-term resilience through comprehensive training programs. These initiatives empower local authorities to build technical expertise and develop effective, self-sufficient disaster preparedness strategies. Crucially, the knowledge and insights gained regarding hazard impacts and risks during a disaster response are documented and preserved, serving as a vital reference for future planning, risk reduction efforts, and ongoing preparedness activities.
Countries in the Global South face heightened exposure to natural hazards and the severe consequences those hazards can trigger. In order to better prepare for disasters when they occur, a regional training in Pretoria, South Africa, equipped 26 disaster management and remote sensing professionals from six Southern African countries with hands‑on skills in using the International Charter’s workflow system and its Charter Mapper, accelerating the region’s ability to turn satellite data into timely, life‑saving information.
Background
In November 2000, several space agencies joined forces to establish the International Charter: Space and Major Disasters as a worldwide collaboration that makes products generated from satellite imagery available free of charge to responders in any region of the world. By combining Earth observation assets from multiple space agencies, the Charter allows resources and expertise to be coordinated. The initiative enables rapid response, with activations processed within hours to deliver near real-time satellite data that guides emergency operations. Crucially, all data and services are provided at no cost to the end user, removing financial barriers for low-income nations. Recent tools such as the cloud‑native Charter Mapper reduce technical bottlenecks, allowing teams, Project Managers, and Value‑Added Providers to focus on extracting actionable, space‑based information from satellite imagery rather than on preprocessing.
The Training Course
From 15–19 September 2025, the South African National Space Agency (SANSA) hosted a regional training course in Pretoria, co‑organized by the United Nations Platform for Space-based Information for Disaster Management and Emergency Response (UN‑SPIDER), part of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), the Center for Remote Sensing of Land Surfaces (ZFL) of the University of Bonn, the Charter, and South Africa’s National Disaster Management Agency (NDMC). Participants from South Africa, Madagascar, Eswatini, Botswana, Kenya, and Mozambique joined four intensive days of instruction and practice. The agenda combined short technical briefings with extended hands‑on sessions where trainees used the Charter Mapper to ingest, calibrate, and analyse large Earth observation datasets and practiced workflows through simulated activations.
In summary, the participants
- Acquired information on how any national disaster management authority can become an Authorized User (AU) of the Charter
- Learned the Charter workflows and the operational roles of Project Managers and Value‑Added Providers
- Ran simulated activations to produce operational Value‑Added Products from satellite imagery
- Worked in teams and completed workflow chains to create final products, moving from product selection to map composition and upload
- Built peer connections that form an informal regional network for rapid support during real activations
Impact and Outcomes
The International Charter Space and Major Disasters Regional Training Course “Use of the COS-2 and the Charter Mapper during Activations”, hosted by SANSA and conducted with the support of UN-SPIDER, ZFL, and NDMC, aimed at contributing to an increased use of space-based information to respond to the challenges posed by disasters.
By the end of the week trainees demonstrated clear, practical gains:
- Operational readiness improved as participants shortened the time from data access to usable maps
- Regional capacity increased through hands‑on experience with cloud processing, reducing reliance on local bandwidth and heavy pre-processing
- Tangible deliverables included Value‑Added Products created during the course, showing immediate application of skills
- Inclusive participation was supported by UN‑SPIDER’s and ZFL’s financial assistance, enabling professionals from the Southern Africa region to attend
The Charter Mapper’s cloud‑based design removes common technical barriers and allows teams to focus on analysis, product creation, and decision support. Strengthening local expertise in the Charter system and its cloud processing tools enables Southern African responders to generate and share satellite‑derived products faster when natural hazards occur, improving coordination and helping to reduce the human and economic toll of resulting disasters.
Another intended and ultimately achieved outcome was the incorporation of participants in an informal network that brings together professionals from Africa already who are incorporated as Project Managers and/or Value-Added Providers. The information network facilitates the sharing of lessons learned, enables quick answers to questions quickly during activations, provides guidance on the use of the COS-2 and the Charter Mapper, and raises awareness of planned and on-going activities related to the International Charter.
Conclusion
This initiative was created to remove previous obstacles to participation, helping countries with limited space infrastructure or technical expertise to engage more fully. This design ensures that even nations most vulnerable to natural hazards and with limited resources can benefit from Earth observation technologies. The Pretoria Regional Training Course shows how international cooperation, modern cloud-based tools, and practical learning convert satellite data into concrete support for communities facing natural hazards and the resulting disasters. Strengthened local capacity means faster, better coordinated responses that protect lives and livelihoods.
Expanding the number of countries designated as Authorized Users, Project Managers, and Value-Added Providers is a core component of the Charter's mission to ensure universal access to satellite data. This initiative transcends mere technological distribution; it is an exercise in global solidarity, preparedness, and empowerment. By fostering a more equitable and coordinated international framework, the Charter equips the global community to respond to disasters rapidly and effectively, thereby building a safer, more resilient world.