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NASA and USAID Pledge to Advance International Development with Science and Technology
www.usaid.gov
April 25, 2011: NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and USAID Administrator Dr. Rajiv Shah signed a five-year memorandum of understanding today at NASA Headquarters. The agreement formalizes ongoing agency collaborations that use Earth science data to address developmental challenges, and to assist in disaster mitigation and humanitarian responses. The agreement also encourages NASA and USAID to apply geospatial technologies to solve development challenges affecting the United States as well as developing countries.
"Technologies for NASA missions have long improved life here on Earth. Together with USAID, we'll meet even more sustainable development challenges here on the ground, solving problems for the world community," Bolden said. "As we explore space, we'll also be exploring solutions to important health, nutritional and safety challenges in developing countries."
"Through our partnership with NASA, we can apply the latest, cutting-edge technology to deliver meaningful results for people in developing countries in areas like health, food security and water," Shah said. "It's a prime example of our efforts to use the power of science and technology to tackle today's pressing development challenges."
Since 2003, NASA and USAID have worked together building and expanding the SERVIR program. The program allows people in developing regions to use Earth observations for addressing challenges in agriculture, biodiversity conservation, climate change, disaster response, weather forecasting, and energy and health issues. SERVIR integrates satellite observations, ground-based data and forecast models to monitor and forecast environmental changes and improve responses to natural disasters in Central America and the Caribbean, East Africa, and the Himalayan region of Asia.
