ESA/UNESCO Initiative

Mountain Gorilla Protection: A Geomatics Approach; "Gorillas in the data base"; European Space Agency/UNESCO Initiative; The European Space Agency (ESA), in collaboration with UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization), will soon begin an important new project to acquire and analyze European satellite images of the Virunga reserve. A new satellite, ENVISat, will have a powerful radar imager, and ESA has committed to acquire numerous images of the region for several years. This will provide important new data to monitor natural and human-induced changes in the region.; At the 52nd International Astronautical Congress in October, 2001, in Toulouse, France, ESA and UNESCO presented their new initiative on the monitoring of World Heritage sites using space technology, including Earth observation satellites. The Virunga region will be the first test case.; The goal is to create a new remote sensing unit inside the UNESCO World Heritage Center, as well as to create a new virtual network of co-operating entities, and to increase the capabilities in the areas of remote sensing and monitoring within developing countries. ESA ESRIN (ESA Research Institute) in Frascati, Italy will be the lead technical center for the project.; This new initiative will provide a huge new database of satellite imagery that will be of great benefit.; ESA/UNESCO Press release; ENVISAT; Launch is scheduled Feb. 28; Learn more about ENVISat-ESA's new radar satellite; The ENVISat web page; For further information:; ESA Media Relations

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For more information contact Scott Madry or the Diane Fossey Gorilla Fund