DAI Teams with USAID, NASA on Climate Change Project

August 07, 2012

DAI is delighted to announce that we are collaborating with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), in partnership with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), to use earth observations from space to help forecast and adapt to the effects of climate change.

Established in 2004, the SERVIR Program, using NASA’s vast earth observation satellite resources, is strengthening the capacity of governments and others to integrate earth observations and geospatial technologies into decision making for sustainable development.

SERVIR operates regional hubs in partnership with established organizations in Kenya, Nepal, and Panama, with a new hub expected soon in Southeast Asia. Under the SERVIR Program Demand Activity funded by USAID, DAI will enhance the demand for the information the SERVIR platform provides, building new user communities in East Africa and the Himalayas, and building these hubs’ capacities to develop relevant information products that enhance regional resilience to climate change.

“We are delighted to be able to work with USAID and NASA on this critical project,” said Allen Hollenbach, a development specialist on DAI’s Environment team. “We look forward to helping USAID, NASA, and the regional SERVIR hubs further the development impact of the satellite and geospatial products generated by SERVIR.”

Leading this activity will be Renée Leduc Clarke, an expert and advocate for international environmental, science, and technology programs and policies. Her career includes nearly eight years with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, where she served as a policy advisor to the agency’s leadership on their environmental satellite programs. She currently serves as the President-elect for 2012 of Women in Aerospace, an international organization dedicated to expanding women’s opportunities for leadership in the aerospace community. She will lead DAI’s Washington-based team that includes subcontractors Training Resources Group and SpatialDev.