Defining disasters through international space governance

This Chapter examines the concept of disasters in the context of the space sector through a focus on international space governance. Disasters are inherently linked to the space sector. The space environment poses various catastrophic risks to humankind, while simultaneously enabling terrestrial disaster management process through space-based technologies and data. This has resulted in the creation of various international instruments and mechanisms for sharing space resources and activities for the management of hazards with both extra-terrestrial and terrestrial origins. Nevertheless, the development of concrete and binding international space governance around disasters continues to be delayed. It is underlined by levels of hazard risks, and situated in a struggle between the solidarity and self-interests of States. This Chapter discusses these developments, and concludes that our growing understanding of hazard risks and how they can be collectively managed may be helping to move the dial towards more concrete international collaboration and in the space sector.