NEWS
On 24 April, 2023, ISDE President Alessandro Annoni was invited to give a keynote speech at the Opening Ceremony of the 39th International Symposium on Remote Sensing of Environment (ISRSE), which was held in Antalya, Turkey during 24-28 April, 2023. The theme of ISRSE39 is “From Human needs to Sustainable Development Goals”. More than 220 participants attended this event.
Alessandro’s speech is entitled “Towards sustainable development: challenges and opportunities”. In his speech, he mentioned that:
2015 was a fundamental year for multilateralism and the definition of international policies for the sustainable development of our planet, with the adoption of important agreements. In particular, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations Member States, provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and planet, now and in the future. At its core are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are an urgent call to action by all countries - developed and developing - in a global partnership.
It's enough? Are we now more confident that our planet will be preserved?
Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. When dealing with Sustainable Development we should address 3 main dimensions: Environment , Economy and Society.
In his Book “Earth in the Balance”, US vice president Al Gore stated “People should be informed about the dangers of pollution, global warming and other planetary issues”. If the public becomes aware of what is going on in the environment maybe people will change for the better and try to make the world better and cleaner place for future generations.
The lessons learnt from Digital Earth implementation are important to understand how we should better contribute to the SDGs. In this keynote, the challenges and opportunities were presented, along with some recommended actions for the Remote Sensing, Spatial Science and Environmental communities.
As a global event, the ISRSE39 offered a unique opportunity for in-depth, cross-disciplinary exchanges between organizations in key public and private sectors and leading actors in the field of satellite observing systems, remote sensing applications and information services, as well as the practical applications and societal outcomes at local, national and regional levels.
