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Organizers ISSUE No. 447
its academic, training, research programs, and scientific As emphasized by H.E. Ms. Amna Al Balushi, the
activities, to stay abreast of advancements in science Secretary-General of Oman National Commission for
and technology, especially in the rapidly growing field of Education, Culture and Science, in her address, the world
artificial intelligence (AI). AI technologies can be utilized faces serious environmental challenges such as climate
in the field of security in its comprehensive sense. He change, pollution, and global warming. These issues
highlighted that Arab security agencies have expressed have a profound impact on the environment, resulting in
interest in developing AI applications and utilizing biodiversity loss, rising sea levels, and an increase in the
them for information collection and analysis, logistic intensity of natural disasters. Consequently, computer
services, electronic operations, command and control, vision plays a crucial role in addressing these challenges
rescue operations, environmental protection, and more. through environmental monitoring, data collection,
Al-Harfash underscored that NAUSS’s efforts are geared and decision-making. Ms. Al Balushi highlighted that
towards enhancing the ability of Arab agencies to adapt computer vision has experienced notable advancements
to these advanced technologies, benefiting both Arab in recent years, augmenting its capabilities in the realm
and international security. This involves the transfer of environmental protection. Presently, computer vision
of best practices and experiences provided by NAUSS can be employed for more intricate applications, such
through its international strategic partnerships with as distinguishing between tree species, monitoring
specialized international institutions and bodies. endangered animals, assessing air quality, and observing
climate changes.
Dr. Yaseen Al-Mulla, the Director of the Remote
Sensing and GIS Research Center and the Chair of the Dr. Adel Samida, an expert in information technologyin
ICESCO Chair in Machine Learning for Remote Sensing, the science and technology sector at ICESCO, highlighted
emphasized the urgent need to explore advanced that climate change poses substantial challenges to
scientific techniques and applications for identifying security and stability, jeopardizing public safety, the
and analyzing relevant data. This is essential for making economy, and national security. International statistics
effective contributions to empowering decision-makers,
communities, and individuals to adapt and recover 45 6
from natural disasters, hazards, shocks, and associated
pressures while preserving, to the extent possible, participants from countries
long-term development prospects. This concept is
known as resilience in facing natural disasters. At the 8
forefront of these technologies is computer vision based
on remote sensing, a modern technique referred to as presented by experts
«empowering technology» that can be utilized in various
fields, including the subject of the workshop. It serves 8
as a highly useful tool to support the entire disaster
risk management cycle, which includes prevention from organizations
or mitigation, preparedness, response, recovery or
reconstruction, as well as operational planning and
decision-making regarding these risks. It also serves to
protect the environment from the impacts of climate
change.
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