This article was originally published in Afrique IT News on 14 March 2022.
African governments and private sector organisations could save billions of dollars by making proper use of satellite technology. This includes using next-generation tools for more effective disaster management efforts. This is one of the key findings of the white paper published by the Access Partnership “The Role of Satellite Communications in Disaster Management”.
In its white paper, Access Partnership highlights the urgency with which governments and the private sector must leverage satellite technology for more effective disaster management efforts in Africa and globally. Indeed, if African governments are increasing investment in physical and social infrastructure through the acceleration of transformational technologies, they should do the same with next-generation satellite technology to prevent natural disasters.
Satellite networks can also significantly reduce costs in emergencies, especially where cellular networks cannot reach. According to the Access Partnership report, the annual number of natural disasters is expected to increase by 37% (from 442 to 541 occurrences) by 2025 worldwide.
The impact of natural disasters is expected to be concentrated in low- and middle-income countries, which are relatively less prepared to adapt. Weather-related disasters such as hurricanes, tropical storms, floods, forest fires and others are likely to become more frequent and widespread in the coming years, due to climate change.
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