On September 22nd, 2016, the opening ceremony of International Training Course on Space-based Technologies for Flood and Drought Monitoring and Risk Assessment was held at Beihang University. Mr. Weng Jingnong, Executive Director of the Centre, Dean of International School-Beihang University, Mr. Shirish Ravan from UN-SPIDER Beijing Office, Mr. Mohammad Ebrahimi Seyedabadi from APSCO and Ms. Li Suju from NDRCC attended the ceremony. It was hosted by Ma Yunfei from Department of International Cooperation, NDRCC. This training is jointly held by UN-SPIDER, National Disaster Reduction Center of China, RCSSTEAP and APSCO at Beihang University from 22nd to 27th September 2016. It will focus on how to monitor flood and drought disasters using space technologies.

Six experts from UN-SPIDER, International Water Management Institute, Iranian Space Agency and National Disaster Reduction Center contributed to this hands-on training program. 28 participants from 19 countries (Bangladesh, Turkey, Guatemala, India, Iran, Kyrghyzstan, Nepal, Nigeria, Trinidad, Tobago, Ghana, Italy, Mozambique, Pakistan, Peru,  Sri Lanka, Sudan, Zimbabwe, Mongolia and China) funded by APSCO, UN-SPIDER and the Centre will participate in the training.