“My Planet from Space: Beauty and Fragility” Exhibition Closing Event at United Nations

The closing event for a multimedia exhibition entitled “My Planet from Space:  Beauty and Fragility” organized by the European Space Agency in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs will take place in the Visitors’ Lobby on 8 September at 6:00 p.m.

During the ceremony, remarks will be made by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon; Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information Cristina Gallach; Volker Liebig, Director of Earth Observations Programmes at the European Space Agency; and Simonetta Di Pippo, Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs.

Through spectacular satellite imagery and videos, the exhibition demonstrates the fragility of our planet and the challenges posed by climate change.  Satellites (two models are on display) provide images of an ever-changing Earth: glaciers melting, sea levels rising, rainforests threatened by deforestation, growing desertification affecting croplands and uncontrolled urban sprawl.

The exhibit highlights the importance of satellites in the management and protection of natural resources and the global environment.  Space-based Earth observation provides valuable and highly reliable imagery for climate change mitigation and adaptation.

As the United Nations General Assembly works to finalize sustainable development goals for the post-2015 development agenda, the global community will require effective, enhanced and innovative tools to support their implementation.  Among these tools are those offered by space science and technology, which could act both as an enabler and as a catalyst for countries’ efforts in progressing towards internationally agreed development goals.

For specific information, please contact the Curator of the exhibition, Viviana Panaccia, at viviana.panaccia@gmail.com.

For information on United Nations exhibitions, please contact Renata Morteo at +1 212 963 5455 or morteo@un.org.