What is Space for Development?

Space for Development is a knowledge hub managed by Caribou, offering practical resources at the intersection of geospatial, humanitarian, and development.

Why was Space for Development created?

The rationale behind Space for Development is to bridge the technical knowledge gap that limits the widespread use of geospatial data in the development and humanitarian sectors. In fact, despite significant investments in satellite technology and efforts to make data more accessible, geospatial tools remain underutilised. Our website aims to improve the evidence of geospatial benefits, democratise access to these tools and tackle the fragmentation of resources. It provides a centralised hub for learning and application across various sectors, such as climate change, clean energy, and forestry.

Who is Space for Development for?

Space for Development is intended for policymakers, practitioners, and advocates worldwide who tackle some of the world’s greatest challenges including humanitarian crises, sustainable development efforts, and building climate resilience. Our website makes available practical resources for people with limited technical expertise who want to use geospatial data in disaster management. The platform is also a valuable educational tool for anyone interested in understanding how geospatial technology can be applied to a wide variety of fields, such as climate change, clean energy, and forestry.

Founded in 2020, UKHIH is an independent humanitarian innovation initiative fully funded by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and hosted within Elrha – a global humanitarian organisation and the UK’s leading supporter of humanitarian innovation and research. UKHIH brokers and facilitates high-impact accelerated innovation collaborations, bringing together researchers, humanitarian responders, donors, companies and local communities.
The UK Space Agency’s International Partnership Programme (IPP) was an award-winning space for sustainable development initiative that ran from 2016 to 2022. It utilised the UK space sector’s capabilities in satellite technology and data services to deliver measurable and sustainable economic, societal and/or environmental benefits in partnership with developing countries.