The Biden administration is dedicating $6.6 million to launch a Central American hub of a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) program that reportedly strengthens climate resilience, food and water security, carbon management, and air quality in developing nations. The initiative is called SERVIR, a name derived from the Spanish word that means to serve, and it claims to provide innovative solutions to pressing environmental challenges through the integration of earth observations and state of the art technologies funded by American taxpayers. With hubs in Asia, Africa and Latin America SERVIR monitors agriculture practices in Bangladesh, evaluates biodiversity in Cambodia, documents deforestation in the Amazon forest and manages groundwater analysis in Niger.
The initiative uses satellite data and geospatial technologies to fulfill its mission, which is implemented by a global network of applied research organizations across its regional hubs. The centers collaborate with communities to develop “locally led solutions to the unique challenges faced in each region.” For instance, in Peru illegal mining causes deforestation and creates water and soil pollution that harms ecosystems, so SERVIR uses data and satellite imagery to generate alerts about where mining is occurring, and local authorities use the information to address the problem. In Senegal earth observation data is used to guide herders and their cattle to water during the dry season. In Bangladesh and Nepal, a special weather toolkit provides more reliable forecasts of severe weather that help save lives and reduce economic losses. In Colombia satellite data aids in the management of coastal mangrove forests and identifies deforestation and illegal mining.
The new, multi-million-dollar Central American hub will facilitate decision-making that strengthens the resilience of more than 40 million people in one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable regions, according to the government’s recently issued announcement. The center will address “critical regional challenges” that include food security, carbon management, weather and climate resilience, water security and gender equality and social inclusion, which the government describes as “promoting a culture of inclusive science that benefits society as a whole.” Additionally, the Central American SERVIR aims to promote opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) among groups with limited access to the sophisticated, U.S.-funded tools not typically available in poor nations.
Some of the issues that the new center is supposed to address overlap with those funded under Vice President Kamala Harris’s ill-fated initiative to curb illegal immigration from Central America. Officially known as Root Causes Strategy, the Biden administration has dedicated an astounding $4 billion to create jobs, support education, enhance food security and improve life in the Central American nations of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. The idea, according to the Biden administration, is that the financial assistance will have far-reaching impacts that will improve life enough to deter citizens in the impoverished countries from leaving their homes. But as the cash flowed south, illegal immigration skyrocketed under Biden, shattering annual, quarterly, and monthly records that were once unimaginable. The vice president’s Central American experiment has most definitely failed to deter migrants from the three countries receiving the extra U.S. humanitarian aid, CBP figures show.
It will be difficult to measure the success of the new Central American SERVIR hub, especially since the Biden administration has revealed that the recent allocation to get it started is an “initial investment,” indicating that the project requires a lot more American taxpayer money. Perhaps it will get on the radar of President-elect Donald Trump’s new Department of Government Efficiency before Uncle Sam writes another big check.
