March 22 is World Water Day
By Join Kevin Shortt
If one considers the Earth as a giant living organism then surely water would be the critical life blood of that organism. In that context it becomes clear that just as we have specialists to monitor and manage our circulatory system, so too does the Earth have specialists monitoring and managing water resources. However, asking a scientist or engineer to comment on the health of our oceans while staring at an inland stream or river is like asking your doctor to comment on the health of your heart while starting at a blood vessel.
What's needed is that global perspective. That high ground from which we can take in the bigger picture and come up with reasonable conclusions about the state of the Earth's own circulatory system. And there's no higher ground than that of outer space!
What's needed is that global perspective. That high ground from which we can take in the bigger picture and come up with reasonable conclusions about the state of the Earth's own circulatory system. And there's no higher ground than that of outer space!
Today, governments the world over have hundreds of satellites circling the Earth, monitoring everything from climate to urban growth to natural resources, including water. Things such as water pollution, illegal fishing and flooding are just some of the many events that can be tracked from Earth orbit. The recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan is a prime example of the power of space assets to monitor a crisis in progress. Within hours of the earthquake, satellite images were taken showing the devastation caused by the earthquake with subsequent images showing the aftermath of the tsunami (see attached picture: caption - An Expedition 26 astronaut took this photograph from an altitude of 220 miles (350 kilometers) up on the International Space Station. North is at upper right. This picture shows an area north of Sendai, and part of the city of Higashimatsushima appears along the right edge of the image. Note the flood waters surrounding Matsuhima Airport preventing supplies from being airlifted to the area. CREDIT: NASA/JSC). These images ultimately find their way into the hands of relief workers as they plan and prioritize their humanitarian efforts in the affected areas.
Join Kevin Shortt, President of the Canadian Space Society, as he takes delegates on a truly global tour of our water resources as seen from the depths of space at this year's Global Youth Assembly in Edmonton, Alberta.
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