OSUN's GeoHub project is inviting you to join a talk by Lorant Czaran, Scientific Affairs Officer at the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), who will explore the application of Earth observation data in the context of the UN Early Warnings for All Initiative.
The talk will introduce the UNOOSA in the context of the United Nations, mention relevant treaties related to space utilization, and discuss some of the mandates of the Office. Mr. Czaran will particularly focus on the Early Warnings for All, a groundbreaking initiative to ensure that everyone on Earth is protected from hazardous weather, water, or climate events through life-saving early warning systems by the end of 2027.
As part of the UN Secretary-General’s Acceleration Agenda, the Early Warnings for All initiative is a key contribution to delivering climate justice to those at the frontlines of the climate crisis. It aligns with the priorities of the Paris Agreement and supports key provisions of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. It also contributes to delivering the targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development on poverty, hunger, health, water, clean energy, climate action and sustainable cities.
Lorant Czaran is currently Chief of the U.N. Platform for Space-based Information for Disaster Management and Emergency Response (UN-SPIDER) Vienna Branch at UNOOSA, leading efforts for space technology support to countries in disaster situations.
Starting 1996, he has worked at UNEP/GRID-Arendal in Norway, at the U.N. Headquarters Cartographic Section, with Peacekeeping and for the UN Disengagement Observer Force in Syria. He also supported international boundary demarcation projects for Cameroon/Nigeria, Iraq/Kuwait and Eritrea/Ethiopia. Mr. Czaran also served as Map Centre Manager for ReliefWeb at the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs before first joining UNOOSA in 2008. Between 2018 and 2021 he worked as Lead for the “Geo-Referenced Infrastructure and Demographic Data for Development” (GRID³) Project Secretariat at the United Nations Population Fund in New York, championing UNFPA’s geospatial modernization and development of the Population Data Portal.
Mr. Czaran is representing the United Nations in specialized bodies such as the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS), ISO/TC211 and the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC).
All students, faculty, and staff members are welcome to attend!
So, book your calendar for October 6 (11:30-12:30 CEST), and indicate your interest in participating through the registration form. Details on how to join the hybrid event will be shared with registered participants separately. For those planning to join in-person at the CEU Campus, please note that the room space is limited.
We look forward to having you join us!