Satellite Earth Observations and Their Impact on Society and Policy

228 Pages·2017·4.684 MB·English

by  Masami Onoda, Oran R Young (eds.)

Masami Onoda
Oran R. Young Editors
Satellite Earth
Observations and
Their Impact on
Society and Policy
Satellite Earth Observations and Their Impact
on Society and Policy
Masami Onoda Oran R. Young
(cid:129)
Editors
Satellite Earth Observations
and Their Impact on Society
and Policy
Editors
Masami Onoda Oran R.Young
JapanAerospace Exploration Agency BrenSchool ofEnvironmental Scienceand
Tokyo Management
Japan University of California
SantaBarbara, CA
USA
ISBN978-981-10-3712-2 ISBN978-981-10-3713-9 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-981-10-3713-9
LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2017936897
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To Molly Macauley, an inspirational
contributor to the project, whose expertise in
space policy and economics will always
provide invaluable guidance to the space
community.
Foreword
As gravitationally bound beings, humanity has long dreamed of soaring into the
atmosphere and beyond to gaze down upon the Earth, our home, both out of
curiosity and an instinctive desire to better know our place in the world.
Thankstohumaningenuity,wehaverealizedthispossibility.Whileonlyaselect
few have had the privilege to experience this unique viewpoint first-hand, Earth
observation satellites have opened all of our eyes and, in the process, made us
acutely aware of the importance of our planet’s environment. Geostationary satel-
lites in particular—in addition to supporting telecommunications, positioning,
broadcasting, and surveillance—provide unique and important insights into the
dynamics of the Earth’s environment and climate.
While these benefits are well recognized, Earth observations also provide
intangible and philosophical benefits. Their views remind us that we are all global
citizens of planet Earth, living together in a fragile ecosystem that requires our
utmost care and respect, urging international peace and cooperation.
Earth observations are usually discussed in the context of science, but in this
volume we explore the political aspects, driven by a desire to understand the
interplay between environmental policy and technical developments in Earth
observation. This volume covers findings first presented at a November 2015
workshop held in Tokyo, Japan, on “Assessing the Impact of Satellite Earth
Observation on Society and Policy.” The contents explore policy-relevant satellite
observations inanumberof keyareas, aswell as thecoordinationand governance
of Earth-observing systems required to maximize their contribution to solving a
range of environmental problems.
vii
viii Foreword
Negotiationandcompromise arenecessarypartsofenvironmental policy.Earth
observations are fundamental instruments that facilitate discourse by providing a
mutual understanding of our environmental issues on a global scale.
I sincerely hope the findings herein accelerate our discussion and action.
Akimasa Sumi
President of the National Institute
for Environmental Studies
Japan
Professor Emeritus
The University of Tokyo
Advisory Board and Project Members
International Advisory Board Workshop
Assessing the Impact of Satellite Earth Observation on Society and Policy
9–10 November 2015
Tokyo, Japan
Summary of Conclusions
An International Advisory Board recently met in Tokyo with the overarching goal
of assessing the impact of satellite earth observation on society and policy.1 A
series of roundtable discussions invited perspectives from experts to understand
how Earth observations contribute to environmental and other policymaking, and
how space agencies establish links between their programs, scientific advances,
industrial innovation, and societal well-being. At the closing of the workshop, the
Advisory Board concluded with the following key findings from the two days of
meetings:
1. Earthobservationsprovideauniquewindowandperspectiveonourworld,
serving the betterment of all humankind by supporting policies aimed at
sustainably managing natural and societal resources on an ever more
populous, affluent, and interconnected planet Earth.
– For example, Earth observations can make an important contribution to
addressing some of the world’s greatest health risks including air pollution,
water contamination, lack of sanitation, and risks related to increasing
urbanization.
1TheAdvisoryBoardwasconvenedinsupportoftheproject“StudyonMethodsforAssessingthe
Impact of Satellite Observations on Environmental Policy”, funded by the Japan Science and
Technology Agency (JST), and jointly carried out by the National Institute of Information and
Communications Technologies (NICT), Keio University, Institute for Global Environmental
Strategies(IGES),andtheJapanAerospaceExplorationAgency(JAXA).
ix
x AdvisoryBoardandProjectMembers
2. Earth observations should be regarded as critical societal infrastructure.
ThereisstrongevidencethatpubliclyopenEarthobservationsaremaking
positive, cost-effective contributions to solving a variety of high-priority
environmental and societal problems.
– StudiesonthesocioeconomicbenefitsofimprovedglobalEarthobservation
systems show that the benefits outweigh the costs by orders of magnitude
when subject to a free and open data policy. The European Copernicus
program, for instance, is expected to return benefits to taxpayers valued 10
times higher than the costs.
3. There is a need to develop appropriate institutions in the field of Earth
observation through a process to ensure that the observations and pre-
diction systems are comprehensively exploited for policymaking with full
engagement of all stakeholders and end-users.
– The U.S. (Decadal Survey) and European (Copernicus) experiences provide
fine examples of the benefits of “all-of-government” processes in defining
satellite missions. At the global level, initiatives for greenhouse gases, for-
ests, and other areas are being developed to support contributions to policy.
4. Japan, together with its international partners, should identify and fill
emerging gaps in next-generation space missions to guarantee full real-
izationofallsocietalbenefitsofEarthobservationsderivedfromlong-term
continuity.
– The lack of a systematic, long-term plan for satellite environmental obser-
vation missions by the Japanese Space Plan is of particular concern.
5. There is a changing paradigm for Earth observations, with
non-governmental groups launching satellites, and with the growing pop-
ularity of small satellites, drones and crowd-sourcing/citizen science cam-
paigns,whichareassociatedwiththerapiddevelopmentofdatatechnology
and applications.
– Theincreasingnumberofrapid-response,cost-effectiveandhigh-performance
satellite missions, together with the possibility of exploiting “big-data”,
provides opportunities, as well as challenges, for enhanced global Earth
observations.
AdvisoryBoardandProjectMembers xi
List of Participants
(cid:129) International Advisory Board members:
Oran Young (Chair), University of California, Santa Barbara
Josef Aschbacher, European Space Agency (ESA)
Carlos Dora, World Health Organization (WHO)
Jinlong Fan, China Meteorological Administration (CMA)
Claire Jolly, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
(OECD)
Murielle Lafaye, French National Centre for Space Studies (CNES)
Molly Macauley, Resources for the Future (RFF)
Teruyuki Nakajima, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
Michael Obersteiner, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis
(IIASA)
Ake Rosenqvist, soloEO
Sir Martin Sweeting, Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. (SSTL)
Tatsuya Yokota, National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES)
(cid:129) Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) Strategic Basic Research
Programs(ResearchInstituteofScienceandTechnologyforSociety)“Studyon
Methods for Assessing the Impact of Satellite Observations on Environmental
Policy” Project members:
Yasuko Kasai, National Institute of Information and Communications
Technologies (NICT)
Akiko Aizawa, National Institute of Informatics (NII)
Setsuko Aoki, Keio University
Akiko Okamatsu, Hosei University
Masami Onoda, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
Henry Scheyvens, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES)
and others