II. Trends and Perspectives: Space Technology towards poverty alleviation
8. The strength of space technology lies in blending and
synergy, and certainly not in competition, with conventional
systems and other ICT tools, and also in compatibility with
institutional set ups. Wherever it has made an impact, it
is primarily because of these reasons and also due to the
strong support in terms of governmental policy, political
leadership, and strategic alliances and cooperation. It
is operationally demonstrated that appropriate space applications,
if used conjunctively and innovatively, enable multi-pronged
strategies for poverty reduction, especially addressing
the convergence hypothesis, wherein all the dimensions of
poverty are embedded (Figure 1).
Figure 1. Role of space-based ICTs: the
convergence hypothesis of poverty alleviation
Space applications provide enabling infrastructure to ensure
connectivity. This is especially vital in remote and inaccessible
areas that have hard-core poverty, where wired and land-based
wireless connectivity may have not yet been implemented
due to physical or economic obstacles. This may lead to
better governance, effective natural resources management,
disaster reduction, and to faster GDP growth. On the other
hand, space applications have established their operational
reliability in areas of addressing basic human entitlements
with respect to education, health, empowerment and environmental
sustainability. With the backdrop of an emerging knowledge
society in the globalized economy, economic opportunities
for the poor and marginalized will depend on their acquiring
and maintaining skills and knowledge, gaining and maintaining
access to information and empowerment, and connecting with
a wider market.
9. Asia and the Pacific region possess considerable assets
in the arena of space technology. According to a survey
in 1999, there were more than 2,100 satellite communication
transponders, over 100,000 very small aperture terminals
(VSATs), over 10 remote sensing satellite ground stations,
about 30 environmental satellite data reception stations,
and tens of thousands of geographic information systems
serving the region. Such assets offer immense opportunities
to make considerable impact on all dimensions of poverty
alleviation.
A. Satellite Communications: Affordable
Broadband Connectivity to Transcend the "Last Mile" Problem
10. In the arena of satellite communications, a recent
survey has forecast that around 175 to 201 communication
satellites are planned for launch during the period 2001-2010,
despite the telecommunications industry's worst crisis in
recent times and recent massive expansion of fibre optic
cable networks (Euroconsult Research Report 2002). In a
recent forecast, the current satellite bandwidth demand
of 33.5 Gbps is expected to reach 218.8 Gbps by 2007 (Northern
SKY Research Report 2002 and 2003). Broadband satellite
services with Ka and Ku bands, though presently contributing
only a small fraction of their potential, are destined to
change the landscape of the communications scenario. The
convergent environment facilitated by terrestrial and space-based
systems may lead to the realization of "accessibility",
"affordability" and "usefulness" of the services to benefit
the poor. However, to move from promising potential to routine
operations, several issues must be addressed for them to
demonstrate their importance in comparison with other priorities,
such as traditional approaches to education, health care
and economic development.
11. Access to low-cost bandwidth will be a vital component
for economic development in the new millennium, as cheap
power was to the industrial revolution in the 18th century,
reliable transportation in the 19th century; and electricity/electronics,
modernized health care, and rapid transportation in the
20th century. Currently such bandwidth is relatively high
and growing internationally in North America and parts of
Europe, plus the North Atlantic Ocean, and to a lesser degree
across the Pacific Ocean to parts of East Asia. It is estimated
that to meet such a challenging task - to be fully global
- by terrestrial means, 25 years and $1,000 billion to $3,000
billion would be needed to connect the globe with fibre
optics. This is where SatCom could be most useful, particularly
in rural areas with low-density traffic of less than 200
subscribers per square kilometre, and may be the means by
which developing countries could obtain ample, low-cost
access to high-density broadband ICT. Such access has begun,
with several small islands and other communities tele-connected
to the world by SatCom. However, the imminent advent of
truly affordable satellite broadband capabilities offer
hope for dramatic increases in such connectivity, if policies
and business models are in place.
12. Therefore, one aspect of what makes space more relevant
to the poor and marginalized is the outreach capabilities
of SatCom. While broadband terrestrial networks are likely
to cover urban areas and dynamic corridors, rural regions
having lower concentrations of people, and generally less
intense economic activity, will continue to be isolated
digitally, if the SatCom option is not used. Based on recent
trends, a scenario, as depicted in Figure 2, could be visualized
wherein bandwidth-per-capita utilization for all kinds of
ICT applications, contributed by terrestrial and satellite
networks, are better distributed in two aspects - urban
vs rural and non-poor vs poor. Though terrestrial wired
(fibre optic, Digital Subscriber Line), wireless (microwave),
and satellite-based communications are all experiencing
significant technological advances, it is arguably the upcoming
significant increase in affordability and broadband capacity
of SatCom that will have the greatest potential benefit
for linking previously under-served/unserved communities.
It hardly matters for a previously underserved person whether
newly available services emanate from space or terrestrially
based networks. The main criteria are availability, reliability,
affordability, relevance of content and services, training
abilities, and motivation to use the capabilities.
Figure 2. Bandwidth needs for the poor:
contributions from terrestrial and satellite networks -
a schematic based on trend analysis.
13. It is clear that in a near-future scenario, currently
unconnected or underserved communities will be able to have
more selections for accessing ICT, particularly broadband,
services and applications. Installation of satellite ground
terminals will be at greatly reduced costs. Generally speaking,
it may be a combination (of their own choosing) of wired
and wireless networking to link peoples and institutions
within their communities. Initiatives to extend the capabilities
of fixed and mobile local wireless connectivity offer hope
of a range of several kilometres (10-40 km radius from a
wireless transponder have been mentioned recently), and
data transfer rates of 10-45 megabits per second (Mbps).
In at least one country, license-free spectrum exists -
established to increase competition and experimentation
with wireless connectivity. In other cases, licensed wireless
connectivity may be desirable, to ensure interference-free
facilities. Whichever is the case for such connectivity,
near-future options are anticipated to increase at least
in some countries, depending on relevant policy and regulation
framework to be established.
B. Remote Sensing and Geographic Information
Systems: Improved Information Products and Services for
Decision Makers and the Poor
14. The first known occurrence of remotely sensed imagery
beyond mere terrestrial photography occurred in 1859, when
Gaspard Felix Tournachon took a photograph from a balloon
near Paris. However, in the modern discipline of remote
sensing, the term normally refers to digital imagery from
satellites or aircraft, which began quasi-operationally
in 1960. Geographic information systems began nominally
at about the same time. Modern remote sensing has evolved
beyond experimental image understanding to the development
and use of operational products. And modern GIS has evolved
beyond mere multi-layer data comparison and customized map
generation to sophisticated data collection, quality control,
analysis and Web-based delivery of user-designed products.
In the realm of GIS, recent developments have moved this
field toward greater power for empowerment and poverty alleviation.
Formerly, GIS had evolved from two families of software:
(a) vector systems derived from digital cartographic software
linked with database management systems that were primarily
used to digitize old maps and make new maps, and (b) raster
systems derived from image processing software that were
often used to perform multi-layer analyses combining remotely
sensed and traditional cartographic data. Such software
tended to be expensive, and was beginning to emphasize user
interface more than functionality, ease in learning, Web-accessibility
or cost-benefit. The addition of the Amber flash flood forecast
model to ArcView shows that mainstream basic GIS capabilities
can be used for increasingly powerful poverty reduction
efforts (reducing the impacts of flash floods, for instance).
Internet mapping capabilities, Web-based systems like Mapquest,
and more online source data available gratis or at modest
cost has increased the accessibility of data. The release
of Microsoft MapPoint, its integration with Microsoft Office,
and the downloadable add-in that permits importation of
MapInfo and shapefiles suggests that Microsoft may eventually
integrate more substantial GIS capabilities into Microsoft
Office and help exert additional downward pressure on the
cost/training entry points to GIS. The evolution of public
domain systems such as GRASS and MapServer, and the increasing
power of low-cost GISs like Idrisi and ILWIS have brought
affordable capabilities to many more people.
15. So far as contributions of remote sensing to poverty
alleviation is concerned, a key technology trend is the
regular improvements in imaging sensors and consequently
the regular improvements in value of such imagery. Improvements
include more frequent acquisitions, wide fields of view,
high spatial resolution, targeted spectral sensitivity,
stereoscopic views, cloud penetration of radar imagers,
improved geolocation abilities, and other features from
various new systems to facilitate improved decision support.
This is likely to facilitate sustainable development, disaggregated
poverty mapping and community-based disaster management
(Annex I). It is expected that current gaps between some
downstream information needs supporting poverty alleviation
and increasing potentials of remote sensing and GIS technologies
will be filled by more sophisticated, sometimes dedicated,
sensor and post-processing systems. On the other hand, continuing
advances in weather satellites, and continued integration
of ground- and space-based data for weather forecasting
and "nowcasting" are likely to improve the disaster prediction
ability further, besides empowering farmers and fishermen
with better-targeted information and services related to
their livelihoods. With such advances in Earth observation
technologies, integrated modelling approaches can provide
improved guidance for planning, implementing and after-the-fact
impact assessment, a pathway for sustainable development
and poverty alleviation - evolved during WSSD in 2002.
16. Indeed, the progress made by Earth observation satellites
with regard to mapping and modelling in the decade between
the Rio and Johannesburg Earth summits is summarized in
Box 1. Taking into account the public- and private-sector
Earth observation missions planned for the near future,
as well as the developments taking place in GIS and modelling,
the quality of services will be increasingly better targeted
to specific applications, to (a) better understand environmental
associations with poverty, (b) better forecast environmental
conditions (e.g. drought) that may affect the poor, and
(c) provide information (e.g. crop and fishery forecasts
and guidance) that decision makers and the poor can use
to improve conditions. Mapping and modelling at various
scales will provide better insights on linkages between
micro-level practices and the ecosystems approach - a pathway
to sustainable development as envisaged by WSSD.
|
