Group on Earth Observations – GEO Global Forum 2025 & GEO-20 Plenary

As one of the founders of the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) and a long-time supporter of its vision, Japan has played a leading role in GEO governance, working groups and multiple Work Programme activities. These efforts are grounded in advanced science-based initiatives that draw on Japan’s strengths in long-term and continuous Earth observations. Japan works closely with a wide range of partners to ensure these efforts generate a socio-political impact and contribute to local, regional, national, and global actions for resilience and sustainable development.

Japan highlights the following achievements.

Formulation of the New Implementation Policy for Earth Observations for 10 Years

In January 2025, Japan formulated its Second Implementation Policy for Earth Observations for 10 years.

Ten years after the formulation of the first policy in 2015, this new policy sets out the fundamental strategies and directions for international cooperation in promoting Japan's Earth observations and utilizing the results.

Under the theme of “Creating Earth Intelligence”, the new policy promotes the realization of a “Data Value Chain for Earth Observations”; a framework that involves the creation of Earth observation data, its integration and analysis with social science data, evaluation and valuation of outcomes, end-user application, and feedback to improve future observations.

Aligned with this new policy, Japan remains committed to continuously contributing to GEO and advancing the utilization of Earth observation data to support the creation of Earth Intelligence.

Empowering People Through Earth Observation Data and Information

As the most disaster-affected region in the world, effective disaster preparedness and response remains a top priority for the Asia-Oceania region. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) addresses these needs through Sentinel Asia, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2025. Sentinel Asia is an international collaboration framework that brings together regional space agencies, disaster management authorities and international organizations to support disaster response in the region through remote sensing and Web-GIS technologies. As the executive secretariat and data provider node for Sentinel Asia, JAXA works with member agencies to provide space-based insights to enhance regional disaster resilience. In 2024, Sentinel Asia conducted emergency observations and provided flood inundation maps in response to Tropical Cyclone YAGI and the Southwest Monsoon, a deadly and extremely destructive tropical cyclone that caused widespread damage in Southeast Asia in early September 2024. This information enabled the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance (AHA Centre) to deliver timely aid to the affected communities in Lao PDR, Myanmar, the Philippines and Vietnam. Sentinel Asia received a letter of appreciation from the AHA Centre for its contributions.

Japan also supports capacity development programs through the online platform, Online Synthesis System for Sustainability and Resilience (OSS-SR) on the Data Integration and Analysis System (DIAS). A series of e-learning courses are provided via the OSS-SR to empower local stakeholders in addressing water hazards. For example, in the Philippines, more than 110 professionals received e-training, and they are now equipped to use the data system to issue official water-related early warnings and alerts, conduct risk analyses, and create hazard maps. They are assigned to city districts or communities to lead discussions and implement urban planning and design initiatives. These trained experts serve as “facilitators”, by bridging the gap between the science community and society, and supporting policymaking and public investment decisions through the use of Earth observation data and scientific knowledge from the OSS-SR to accelerate local climate-adaptation actions.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is currently implementing a project to combat illegal deforestation in partnership with the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources. Running from July 2021 to July 2026, this project addresses the critical issue of deforestation in Brazil.

As home to the Amazon, the world’s largest tropical forest, Brazil plays a vital role in global environmental health. The Amazon basin contains approximately one-third of the world’s remaining tropical rainforests and is often referred to as the “lungs of the Earth” due to its contribution to global oxygen production. However, the region has suffered severe deforestation, losing approximately 92.37 million hectares over the last 30 years necessitating urgent measures.

This project focuses on the Brazilian Legal Amazon region and aims to strengthen efforts to combat illegal logging. By using radar satellite technology in collaboration with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), the project enhances deforestation detection. AI-based prediction tools, developed in partnership with the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), are also being introduced to anticipate deforestation trends. These efforts are expected to significantly advance forest conservation efforts in the Amazon region.

In addition, a monitoring system that uses the ALOS-4 satellite launched in July 2024, is also under development to bolster forest protection efforts.

In the Western Balkans, summer forest fires are a recurring issue, and there are growing concerns about their increasing severity due to factors such as rising temperatures and increasing dryness.

In Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, and North Macedonia, under the Western Balkans Cooperation Initiative launched by the Government of Japan, Japan is supporting the development and operation of early warning systems, the National Forest Fire Information Systems. These systems integrate satellite imagery, ground-based meteorological data, and other inputs to enable a more coordinated regional response for forest fire prevention and management.

JICA has also been conducting technical cooperation projects to build capacity and promote the utilization of the National Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS) in emerging and developing countries. CORS are reference points that continuously receive positioning signals from the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS).

In Thailand, a technical cooperation project was implemented to strengthen the accurate analysis and distribution of positioning data from CORS through the networking of 240 CORS stations across the country. It was conducted in collaboration with the Royal Thai Survey Department and the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency from November 2020 to February 2024.

In Cambodia, a technical cooperation project with the General Department of Cadastre and Geography (GDCG), ending in December 2024, focused on capacity development to establish and operate a CORS network. This work supports efficient surveying, maintenance and updating of cadastral maps, and infrastructure development for land management. A follow-up Grant Aid project is also underway to establish a CORS network.

Furthermore, in December 2024, a new technical cooperation project began in Senegal to build CORS utilization capacity in partnership with Agency of National Land Management (ANAT).

Utilization of Earth Observation Data and Information to Address National, Regional, and Global Challenges

JAXA successfully launched the Advanced Land Observing Satellite-4 “DAICHI-4” (ALOS-4) on 1 July 2024. ALOS-4 is the advanced successor to Japan's ALOS-2 satellite, and is designed to play a crucial role in monitoring crustal deformation, disaster situations, environmental changes, and oceans. Equipped with the Phase Array type L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar-3 (PALSAR-3) and the SPace-based AIS Experiment 3 (SPAISE3), ALOS-4 further improves the performance of the previous ALOS-2, offering the world's highest levels of resolution and observation coverage (wide area observation). ALOS-4 has achieved initial calibration and validation and has started its observations based on the Basic Observation Scenario.

Japan has also been observing greenhouse gases (GHGs) since 2009 with the Greenhouse gases Observing SATellite (GOSAT) series. The launch of the Global Observing SATellite for Greenhouse gases and Water cycle (GOSAT-GW) is scheduled for the first half of Japan’s 2025 fiscal year. As part of its contribution to the Paris Agreement, the Ministry of the Environment (MOE) supports GHG emissions estimation using GOSAT data. Additionally, Chuo University is working with partners in Mongolia and Central Asia to improve the transparency in Biennial Transparency Reports (BTR) through emissions estimation methods using GOSAT. Together with other national institutes, the National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES) will establish the Japan GHG Center in 2025, which will provide satellite and research-based GHG data to support efficient applied science, government-wide science-based policymaking and decision-making efforts.

The Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF)/ Space Applications for Environment (SAFE) Agromet Project, is a multilateral collaboration with India, Thailand, and Japan. It supports regional food security through the regular provision of regional Agromet information. This project, known for its Monthly Rice Growing Outlook (RGO) reports, provides validated Agromet information for the ASEAN Food Security Information System (AFSIS), and received a letter of appreciation from AFSIS at the APRSAF-30 in 2024 in recognition of its contribution to regional food security.

The National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Resilience (NIED) operates MOWLAS (Monitoring of Waves on Land and Seafloor) an integrated observation network of approximately 2,200 stations that provides comprehensive, accurate, and rapid observation and monitoring of earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic activity throughout Japan and its offshore areas. MOWLAS data is widely utilized for various purposes, including the monitoring of seismic activity, earthquake and tsunami hazard assessments, and earthquake and volcano research. The application of real-time observations and the processing of MOWLAS data have contributed to disaster mitigation through early earthquake warnings and tsunami forecasts. One recent example is the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake, for which MOWLAS data provided critical insights into the event, including the strong ground motions that caused significant damage, detailed source process, the foreshock activity began in 2020 and the ongoing aftershocks.

Japan continues to develop original global climate models to produce climate change projection data that inform various climate change countermeasures, which are openly available for free access through DIAS. Japan has been working together with other nations to create hazard projection data for the West Africa and Asia regions, using its original climate models.

Strengthening Multilateral Partnerships

A key contribution from Japan to GEO is its role in organizing the Asia-Oceania GEO (AOGEO) Symposium. Hosted by the Ministry of Education, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) with support from the GEO Secretariat, the 16th AOGEO Symposium was held in Tokyo, Japan, from September 3 to 5, 2024.

With the theme of “Creating Earth Intelligence with the Asia Oceania Society”, the AOGEO Symposium provided the participants with an opportunity to reaffirm the importance of creating user-driven, interdisciplinary, integrated, inclusive and innovative Earth Intelligence, extending beyond Earth observations to address the diverse challenges in the Asia Oceania region. The symposium also emphasized the need to expand the Earth observation community to include a broader diversity of perspectives, including those from early-career experts. Enhanced collaboration among the regional AOGEO community, the global GEO network, and other international frameworks is essential for the co-creation and application of Earth Intelligence to address regional challenges.