UNOSAT has long embraced public engagement to improve satellite applications and mapping technology. Already in 2006, UNOSAT, CERN and the University of Geneva joined hands to explore the potential of participatory mapping using CERN’s experiences on collaborative computing and collaborative thinking in particle physics. In July 2006 the first crowdsourcing experiment goes public with the name of Africa@Home.

UNOSAT and ADPC moved swiftly to implement their recently signed strategic partnership agreement. In April UNOSAT delivered a successful intensive course for trainers (ToT) hosted at the campus of the Asian Institute of Technology, in Bangkok.

More than 15 analytical maps and reports have been produced by the UNOSAT team of satellite analysts in support to various UN humanitarian agencies and the UN Humanitarian Air Service since March. As the situation deteriorated due to the intensifying military activities in and around various cities on the coast, larger numbers of civilians found themselves trapped in conflict areas sometimes subject to heavy shelling, with slim chances to be reached by humanitarian relief or evacuated to safer areas.

30 March - 2 April 2011, Jeju, Republic of Korea. CIFAL Jeju convened over ten country delegations in Jeju Self-Governing Province, for its first training of a series to build local government capacities on priority Human Security issues in the Asia-Pacific Region. Part of UNITAR's global network of nine CIFAL training centres for local development, CIFAL Jeju's mandate is to develop knowledge and skills among regional local governments on this theme.

ADPC and UNOSAT create partnership to increase capacity development in Asia and the Pacific.

UNITAR Executive Director Carlos Lopes (shown in the photo on the left, front left) and the High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres (front right) signed a comprehensive agreement concerning the support to be provided by UNITAR

As the number of people affected by the floods in Pakistan increases, UNOSAT received additional requests from the Pakistani government and international humanitarian organisations to expand its analysis and mapping efforts.

Heavy rains in the past week have triggered both flash floods and river floods in several parts of the country resulting in serious loss of life and widespread displacement of populations, In some provinces these floods are the worst since the early 20th century.

UNOSAT rapid mapping was activated this March over Uganda in the aftermath of deadly landslides provoked by severe flooding in the region of Bududa.

UNOSAT wins praise for its work in Haiti