SUPARCO symposium highlights space technology for climate resilience

By LAHORE: The Pakistan Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), through its Space Applications Center for Climate Sciences (SACCS), successfully conducted the Third Regional Symposium on the theme 'Space4Climate – Waterways & Land Cover Dynamics, Crop Monitoring, Air Quality/Smog and Heatwave Hazard Assessment' here at a local hotel. The symposium brought together senior government officials, policymakers, scientists, researchers, development partners, academia, and environmental experts to strengthen collaboration on the application of space technologies for climate resilience and sustainable development. The symposium served as a strategic platform to showcase Pakistan's indigenous space-based capabilities for climate monitoring and to promote evidence-based policymaking through satellite-derived climate intelligence. Participants discussed emerging climate risks facing Punjab and the country, including floods, disasters, deteriorating air quality, heatwaves and changing water resources, while highlighting the critical role of Earth observation technologies in addressing these challenges. The inaugural session featured Introduction to Space4Climate Initiative by Dr. Mohammad Farooq, Deputy Director General, Space Applications Center, for Climate Sciences (SACCS), SUPARCO and welcome Remarks by Zafar Iqbal, Member Space Application & Research Wing, SUPARCO. Muhammad Yousaf Khan, HI, PoP, Chairman SUPARCO highlighted the growing impacts of climate change across Pakistan, including glacier melt, floods, droughts, heatwaves, air pollution and pressures on agriculture and water resources. He emphasized that Earth observation satellites, remote sensing, geospatial analytics and Geographic Information Systems have become indispensable for continuous and objective monitoring of environmental change. He further underscored SUPARCO's role in transforming satellite data into actionable climate intelligence in support of national priorities. The Chairman also highlighted that space technology is an essential instrument for sustainable development and climate resilience and SUPARCO plays a key role in harnessing space-based technologies and Earth observation capabilities for climate adaptation, disaster risk reduction, water resource management, food security and environmental monitoring, with its series of satellites. He also emphasized the importance of science-based climate action and highlighted the relevance of space technology to Punjab's growing climate challenges. A major highlight of the symposium was the presentation of SUPARCO's Space4Climate initiative and a live demonstration of the Space4Climate Geospatial Portals, showcasing how satellite-based climate intelligence can support informed decision-making across national and provincial institutions. The portal integrates data from Pakistan's satellite assets, including PRSS-1, SAR-1, EO series and hyper spectral capabilities, to provide near real-time information on greenhouse gases, air quality, glaciers, snow cover, waterways, land cover, coastal ecosystems, and other critical environmental indicators. The technical session featured expert presentations and discussions around the symposium's core thematic areas, including waterways and land-cover dynamics, crop monitoring, air quality and environmental assessment, and heatwave hazard assessment. The discussions highlighted the growing role of satellite-derived information and geospatial analytics in supporting climate adaptation, disaster risk reduction, agriculture, water management, urban planning and environmental protection in the province of Punjab. An interactive panel discussion on 'Mainstreaming Space-Based Information in Provincial Planning and Development for Climate Resilient Societies and Infrastructure' highlighted the importance of strengthening inter-agency coordination, expanding access to geospatial information, and mainstreaming satellite-derived climate services into planning, disaster preparedness, natural resource management, and environmental governance. The symposium concluded with recommendations emphasizing the institutional adoption of Space4Climate services across government departments, strengthened collaboration among scientific and government organizations, enhanced capacity building in geospatial technologies, and continued development of operational climate information services to support evidence-based policymaking. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026