Most developing small island states do not have access to geospatial data, Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland said during the panel session "Ecosystems of Small Island States and Communities in the Context of Climate Change" at COP29.
"We must join forces to help small island states in fighting climate change. The recent agreement between the Commonwealth Secretariat and Azerbaijan's Space Agency (Azercosmos) provides access to geospatial data not only from Azercosmos but also from other space agencies. This cooperation helps find solutions, as many island states don't have access to such data or specialists to use it," she emphasized.
According to Scotland, out of 25 island member states of the Commonwealth, at least 23 need natural marine barriers. "Now we have geospatial data and artificial intelligence simulators. We hope that COP29 will provide funding for these initiatives," she said.