UN-Pakistan conference on space technology and climate opens in Islamabad
SUPARCO has inaugurated a five-day international conference in Islamabad on using space technology for early warning and climate action. About 250 participants from 20 countries are attending, running from 27 to 31 October 2026.
- Five-day conference runs from 27 to 31 October 2026 at Serena Hotel, Islamabad
- About 250 participants from 20 countries attend
- Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal was chief guest at the opening
The Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) has inaugurated the International Conference on Leveraging Space Technology for EW4All, Climate Actions and Disaster Risk Assessment at Serena Hotel in Islamabad. The five-day event runs from 27 to 31 October 2026.
It is organised with the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), the Inter-Islamic Network on Space Sciences and Technology (ISNET) and the Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization (APSCO). According to ProPakistani, around 250 national and international participants from 20 countries are taking part. Daily Times had reported earlier that SUPARCO expected 200 to 250 participants.
The conference centres on the UN Early Warnings for All (EW4All) initiative, disaster risk assessment, climate action and the use of satellite information and geospatial technologies for timely decisions. SUPARCO said early warning systems help protect lives, livelihoods and infrastructure.
Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal was chief guest. He stressed the role of science, technology and international cooperation in addressing climate challenges. He recalled that the 2022 floods caused direct losses of about 2.2 percent of GDP, and said climate resilience should be built into national economic planning and public-sector projects.
He called for better data-sharing, investment in human and institutional capacity, innovative financing models and stronger regional cooperation. He asked the conference to produce actionable recommendations on institutional arrangements, data sharing, financing and capacity building, and said his ministry would consider them in the national planning process.
SUPARCO Chairman Muhammad Yousaf Khan welcomed participants and highlighted the growing importance of space-based applications in climate monitoring, disaster management and early warning. Remarks were also made by ISNET Executive Director Munir Ahmad Asad, UNOOSA Director Aarti Holla-Maini and APSCO Secretary-General Dr Jiang Hui.
International participants include the World Food Programme, the International Telecommunication Union and space and research agencies from Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Vietnam and Nepal. Pakistani bodies attending include the Ministry of Climate Change, NDMA, the Pakistan Meteorological Department, the Federal Flood Commission, the State Bank of Pakistan and SECP.
The technical programme covers flood risk modelling, multi-hazard mapping, glacial lake outburst flood early warning, satellite monitoring of glaciers, forests, farmland and water resources, climate risk financing, crop-yield loss estimation, and the use of AI and GeoAI for hazard detection.
Why it matters
Pakistan is exposed to floods and other climate hazards, and the conference looks at satellite tools for warning and planning. The planning minister said his ministry would consider its recommendations in national planning.
