NASA, UNEP partner to enhance environmental education, training 

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) agreed to join hands to enhance environmental education and training as well as opening up new prospects for the collection and use of environmental data.

 Under the partnership, the two sides will work together on the promotion and implementation of Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) and UN Environment’s activities.

The GLOBE Program is an international science and education program that provides students and the public worldwide with the opportunity to participate in data collection and the scientific process, and contribute meaningfully to understanding of the Earth system and global environment.

Through this partnership, GLOBE and UN Environment will cooperate on environmental education and training, citizen science, and the collection and distribution of environmental data.

GLOBE and UN Environment will also work together to increase awareness, and promote the use, of GLOBE data by the international science community by leveraging the UN Environment’s Global Resource Information Database Centers and publications, with the goal of encouraging participation of environmental researchers in GLOBE.

They will also share education and training resources for distribution to their networks and promote closer collaboration of UN Environment Regional Offices with GLOBE countries.  UN Environment, NASA, and GLOBE are excited about the opportunities this partnership will bring to the environmental community.

“The NASA Globe and UNEP partnership strengthens the sharing and interoperability of geospatial data, promoting the availability of rich information for learning and observations towards a better environment,” says Alexandre Caldas, UN Environment’s Chief of the Country Outreach, Technology and Innovation Branch in the Science Division.

“NASA is pleased to partner with UNEP to enhance environmental education and training and to open up new prospects for the collection and use of environmental data,” says Allison K. Leidner, the NASA GLOBE Program Manager.

“The opportunity to collaborate with a worldwide environmental organization is especially exciting at the cusp of the GLOBE Program’s 25th anniversary on Earth Day 2020,” she adds.

“It has a direct impact on youth and new generations, fundamental for data strategies and our common future. This leverages UNEP initiatives in terms of harnessing the power of big data on the environment for sustainable development, peace and security and humanitarian action.”