SpatialNews Press Release

RSI Awarded CAD 738,500 in Agriculture-Related Projects

www.rsi.ca

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Richmond, B.C. - RADARSAT International (RSI) has been awarded two agriculture-related contracts - the first by the World Bank, and the second by the European Space Agency (ESA) - totaling CAD 738,500.

The World Bank contract requires RSI to assess the advantages of Earth-observation satellite data as a tool for verifying the occurrence of extreme weather events. The project focuses on the capabilities of RADARSAT-1 and optical satellite data for use as effective tools for detecting drought, flood and frost events in Mexico, Nicaragua, Morocco, Tunisia, Ethiopia and Cambodia.

This information will be used by re-insurance and risk management companies who require unbiased information for measuring weather-related damage claims. This project supports the World Bank's efforts to assess and develop index-based weather insurance programs to mitigate the socio-economic and food-source effects of natural disasters.

The European Space Agency (ESA) award is a two-year business development contract that funds the design and development of a crop information system. This system will use RADARSAT-1 and ENVISAT data, related agronomy information, and modeling to provide timely and unbiased crop production figures. This information is used by insurance and re-insurance companies, as well as by governments and aid organizations, for food supply and security management.

The ESA project will be carried out by a consortium led by sarmap (of Switzerland), and in collaboration with RSI (of Canada), Synoptics (of The Netherlands), and Bolton Associates (of Malaysia).

"Both contracts emphasize the impressive capabilities of Earth-observation satellite data to provide unbiased information that is essential to proper decision making," said Phil Gray, President of RSI.

About RSI: www.rsi.ca

RSI, a subsidiary of MacDonald Dettwiler (TSE-MDA, www.mda.ca ) has been providing Earth-observation data and derived information products, as well as leading-edge services to our global clients since 1989. The company combines its experience and service with the strengths of its worldwide partners-(and the capabilities their sensors represent)-to support global applications ranging from environmental monitoring and natural resource management to marine oil surveillance, defence, and mapping.

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Apr 29, 2002 Jun 26, 2002