Satellite 'will help poorer nations'

A new satellite-based information system will quickly spread environmental and health data across the world so that developing countries can anticipate catastrophes such as drought, storms and floods – for only about £700 (€1,050) in set-up costs.

The GEONETCast system, to be unveiled tomorrow at an international conference in Bonn, Germany, will permit governments in poorer nations to tap information from the sophisticated satellites and weather stations run largely by the world’s richer industrial countries, organisers say.