The CommonSpace Initiative – Digital Twins for Commonwealth Nations Project seeks to strengthen disaster risk management capacities and climate resilience in several Commonwealth countries. Its main goal is to use advanced satellite data and digital twin technology – virtual, data-driven models of real-world environments – to help governments and agencies better understand, predict, and respond to natural hazards such as floods, droughts, or storms.
By combining Earth observation data with modeling and analytics, the project aims to:
Improve decision-making during disasters through accurate, real-time spatial information.
Support sustainable development by identifying vulnerable areas and planning climate adaptation strategies.
Demonstrate innovative uses of space technology for societal benefit, particularly in developing regions.
The collaboration – led by UNOOSA and SpaceData Inc., with technical partners Maxar Technologies and the University of Bonn’s ZFL – showcases how geospatial innovation can translate global satellite data into practical local solutions that enhance preparedness and resilience.
Videos of the digital twin can be found under the following links
Ghana https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nf0BqoPCye4
Trinindad und Tobago https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyB-8ENlukA
Stakeholder |
Roles and Responsibility |
| UNOOSA/UN-SPIDER | Leadership; project coordination for flood and sea level rise simulations using AI-based digital twins |
| NADMO (National Disaster Management Organisation, Ghana | Operational partner and data user; beneficiary of digital twin outputs and simulations for risk management and early warning |
| University of Trinidad and Tobago | Operational partner and data user; technical review of digital twin outputs and simulations for risk management |
| SpaceData Inc. | Development of digital twin products and flooding simulation videos from VHR satellite imagery |
| University of Bonn (ZFL) | Storm surge modeling and application of UN-SPIDER Recommended Practices |
| Hidenori Watanabe, University of Tokyo | Convert 3D data format to 3D Tile format through Cesium ion platform with sea level rise simulation |
| Maxar Technologies | Provision of VHR (30–50 cm) satellite imagery for target areas |
