Satellites in Support of World Heritage

The historic fortified town of Campeche, in the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico, was home last week to a conference on the use of space technologies to conserve the world´s natural and cultural heritage, including UNESCO biosphere reserves.

Experts representing more than 30 countries attended this international conference on the Use of Space Technologies for the Conservation of Natural and Cultural Heritage, organized by the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) in Campeche, together with ESA, UNESCO and EURISY, a non-profit European organization which aims to promote the use of space technologies.

Present were representatives of UNESCO World Heritage sites in the Mayan world (Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and Costa Rica); the Galapagos Islands (Ecuador); Iguazu Park (Brazil, Argentina); Old Havana (Cuba); the Taj Mahal (India); the Great Wall (China); Calakmul (Mexico); the Altai mountain range (Russia); Cocos Island (Costa Rica) and Machu Picchu (Peru).

Experts in space technologies from ESA and NASA, together with members of the German, Canadian, Argentinean and Syrian space agencies, universities and research institutions, also attended the Conference.

The five-day Conference discussed the problems of conserving sites classified by UNESCO as ´World Heritage sites´, as well as ways in which satellite images and technologies can be used as a tool to benefit conservation and detect possible risks to this heritage of humanity.

"The cooperation that space agencies give UNESCO is in fact an ´injection´ of technology to increase the protection of UNESCO World Heritage sites and Biosphere Reserves", said Mario Hernandez of UNESCO.

Conclusions and recommendations drawn up by the Conference will be issued shortly by UNESCO.