A. M. 
The U.S. Government is spearheading an innovative initiative to strengthen climate resilience in Central America through advanced satellite technology with the launch of the SERVIR Central America center. This effort, which underscores the U.S. commitment to address critical environmental challenges, will significantly improve the region’s ability to respond to climate-related threats and improve the lives of more than 40 million people.
With an estimated initial investment of $6.6 million from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) over the period 2024-2029, SERVIR Central America will provide innovative solutions to pressing environmental problems using satellite data and geospatial technology. This initiative will support evidence-based decision making at the local, national and regional levels, focusing on climate resilience, agriculture and food security, ecosystem and carbon management, air quality, health and water security, with a strong emphasis on gender equity and social inclusion.
The center, a collaboration between USAID, the Administración Nacional de Aeronáutica and the Espacio (NASA) y el Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza (CATIE), will work with institutions, governments, indigenous communities and local leaders to ensure that all voices are included in environmental decision-making. It will also support resilience to increasingly frequent climate shocks, such as hurricanes and droughts, and address current environmental and socioeconomic challenges, including deforestation, soil erosion and degradation of coastal ecosystems.
Based in Costa Rica, SERVIR Central America will promote opportunities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), supporting the use of geospatial technology among youth and other groups with limited access to these tools.
“The launch of SERVIR Central America marks a milestone in the collaboration between space technology and local needs in Central America. This initiative represents NASA and USAID’s commitment to put advanced technology at the service of the region”, said Dan Irwin, SERVIR Global Program Manager.
Central America is the latest addition to the global SERVIR network, an initiative that has operated in Asia, Africa and Latin America since 2005.
The launch was presided over by U.S. Ambassador William Duncan, SERVIR Global Program Manager Dan Irwin, Director General of the Observatorio de Amenazas y Recursos Naturales de El Salvador Jacqueline Rivera, and CATIE Director General Luis Pocasangre.
