The China-Africa International Cooperation Programme for Space-Based, AI-Powered Earth Observation System for Disaster Early Warning and Mitigation (China-Africa Space AI Programme), led by Professor CHEN Hongyu from the Institute of Optoelectronics, Fudan University, has officially been endorsed under the Third Set Programmes of the UN International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development (2024–2033), or the “Science Decade” on July 14.
Third Set of Endorsed IDSSD programme
The resolution on the International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development (Science Decade) was adopted by the UN General Assembly in August 2023 and is led and implemented by UNESCO. As a flagship global science initiative of the past decade, it aims to leverage science, technology and innovation to address critical global challenges including climate change, biodiversity loss and public health crises, and accelerate the delivery of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The initiative establishes three tiers of deliverables: Programmes, Projects and Activities. Programmes represent the highest-level, long-term strategic actions, serving as core vehicles to advance global scientific collaboration and systemic transformation worldwide.
UNESCO IDSSD Strategic Plan
Listed in “Science Decade” of UNESCO marks Fudan University’s first programme recognised by the UNESCO flagship initiative. Co-developed with the African Disaster Mitigation Research Center (AMDiR) and the South African National Space Agency (SANSA), the project operates via the Shanghai International Joint Laboratory on Africa Optoelectronic Remote Sensing & Disaster Mitigation, a municipal-level research platform approved in late 2025.
Centered on cross-border disaster risk governance between China and Africa, the programme integrates space remote sensing and Artificial Intelligence to build a shared disaster early-warning and mitigation framework. It will develop tailored smart optoelectronic remote sensing technologies, collect disaster monitoring data across Africa, and jointly operate cross-continental research platforms to boost Africa’s independent disaster response capacity.
Professor Chen’s research team
The endorsement recognises Fudan’s global research standing in space optoelectronics and spaceborne AI. Moving forward, the university will coordinate government, industrial and academic partners to deliver replicable disaster mitigation solutions, share China’s space tech experience with African nations, and advance global sustainability under the UN 2030 Agenda.
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Source: Institute of Optoelectronics, Fudan University
Editor: WANG Mengqi, Li Yijie
