The Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water (PSIPW) is an observing member of the United Nations Committee for the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS), where it consults on matters relating to the use of space technology in water resources management.
At the 53rd meeting of the Scientific and Technical Sub-Committee, which was held in Vienna from 15-26 February 2016 in Vienna Austria, PSIPW was represented by its General Secretary Dr. Abdulmalek A. Al Alsheikh and its Executive Director Eng. Ali-Wafa Abu-Risheh.
UN COPUOS supports and encourages international efforts to utilize space for peaceful purposes and works to strengthen regional and international cooperation in this area. COPUOS stresses the importance of space applications that can contribute significantly to the management of water resources at a lower cost as well as the role of space technologies in anticipating and mitigating water-related emergencies.
The Committee follows and promotes a number of research activities and capacity building initiatives in the use of space applications for water resource management which are undertaken by the various national and international bodies. It also urges its member organizations to adopt projects and programs that use remote sensing applications and satellite systems for managing water resources.
The PSIPW General Secretary spoke at the meeting about the nominations received for the seventh award of the Prize, which came from 65 different countries, and he encouraged nominations for the 8th Award that will be opening for nominations in the near future.
On the sidelines of meeting, PSIPW held intensive discussions with the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) towards signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the two organizations. The MoU would facilitate the completion of a number of projects that are currently underway between the two organizations.
Also discussed was the "Fourth International Conference on the Use of Space Technologies in Water Resources Management" which will be held in Paksitan in March 2017. This is the fourth in a series of conferences, held every three years, which are co-organized by UNOOSA and PSIPW in various countries around the worlds in cooperation with various local and regional partners. The conference was first held in Riyadh in 2008, then in Buenos Airies, Argentina in 2011, followed by Rabat, Morocco in 2014.