Space for Resources

Abstract

On 7 December 2007, the “Lisbon Declaration on ‘GMES and Africa’” adopted under the Portuguese Presidency of the European Union marked a new step in Europe’s implementation of the ‘space for resources’ concept. The aim of the Declaration was to improve the partnership between Europe and Africa in the context of the Millennium Development Goals and to induce the use of relevant space applications such as Earth observation, telecommunications, navigation and meteorology. Everyone agrees that improving benefits from space has been a permanent concern since the early days of the space age. The growing number of satellites dedicated to a large range of applications and owned by an increasing number of countries confirms that space is definitely perceived as a preferential medium for supporting development. However, after more than 50 years of practice, the relationship between space and sustainable resources is more complex than might appear at first sight. New trends are emerging and different strategies are being pursued.