[LETTERS] Satellite images can't fight poverty

Editor, RE: “How satellite images and deep learning can fight global poverty” (The New Times, August 20). I totally disagree with this article. Satellite images cannot in any way help in fighting poverty. What they can do though is help foreigners who have never set their feet on the African continent clearly see the stark divide that exists between the rich and the poor in developing countries. I believe the article is based on the recent BBC satellite images showing South African slums next to upscale neighbourhoods. But then, such a divide is already known by all developing countries, including South Africa. The number of people living in Soweto slums and Kibera are not only well known by the authorities but they also understand well the level of poverty prevailing in those slums. If such threshold still exists, it is not because African countries were lacking satellite images showing the economic divide between rich city dwellers and the poor, but simply because of poor planning and other economic reasons. Satellite images do not provide any new learning to African countries’ leaders on the economic situation prevailing in our cities’ slums. Semugeshi

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[LETTERS] Satellite images can't fight poverty