Japan

Statement of Japan

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 through our advanced science-based initiatives that make use of Japan’s strengths in long-term and continuous Earth observation. Japan works collaboratively with multiple partners to bring about a socio-political impact from these activities and contribute to local, regional, national, and global actions for resilience and sustainable development.

Japan highlights the following achievements.

Sustaining critical Earth Observations (EO) for addressing global challenges:

Japan has been continuously observing the global 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) in JFY2024 has been decided and approved, and preparations for it are in progress. Measurements of CO2, CH4 and NO2 with high resolution will contribute to improving the Biennial Transparency Report (BTR), which all countries must submit under the Paris Agreement.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) monitors the changes of the Earth from space with six satellites in operation. JAXA conducts analysis/application research of observed data in cooperation with domestic and international organizations. JAXA will promote activities to use satellite data to benefit society, aiming to contribute to addressing climate change and other global issues, disaster management, national resilience, agriculture, forestry, and fisheries.

The National Institute of Polar Research (NIPR) has developed the Arctic Data archive System (ADS) that stores polar observation data and provides data through the GEOSS Portal to disseminate data to researchers and society and to promote responses to climate change. The ADS has been releasing real-time images of sea ice in the Arctic and the Antarctic through the Global Change Observation Mission-Water (GCOM-W) satellite for the purpose of monitoring climate change.

The Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) contributes to the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (UN Ocean Decade).

In the outcomes of the UN Ocean Decade, it is critically essential to make oceanographic observation data FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable). In 2022-2023, to make highly valuable though scattered survey data FAIR, existing stand-alone plankton images archives were connected to the Biological Information System for Marine Life (BISMaL), which was developed by JAMSTEC, as a first trial. Currently, BISMaL publishes a total of about 3,800,000 records (59 datasets in total) containing such connected data.

The BISMaL data is utilized in various ways. For instance, BISMaL provides its data to the Oceanographic Biodiversity Information System (OBIS), a global database for biodiversity observation, to help its database fill the data gap in the Northwest Pacific region. Its data has also been used in the Asia Pacific Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (AP-MBON) and has contributed to the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biology and Ecosystem Services (IPBES).

The National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Resilience (NIED) has an integrated observation network of 2,100 stations to provide comprehensive, accurate, and rapid observation and monitoring of earthquake, tsunami, and volcano activity throughout Japan and its offshore areas. The Monitoring of Waves on Land and Seafloor (MOWLAS) data is widely utilized for various purposes: real-time tsunami projection, monitoring of current seismic activity, seismic and tsunami hazard assessments, and earthquake research. The application of real-time observations and processing of MOWLAS data has contributed to disaster mitigation through its earthquake early warning and tsunami warning systems. MOWLAS successfully observed abnormal tsunamis caused by the 2022 huge volcanic eruption in Tonga that traveled much faster than typical tsunamis.

Japan has been continuously creating original global climate models to provide climate change projection data that contributes to various climate change countermeasures to the world for open and free access through the Data Integration and Analysis System (DIAS). Inviting researchers from the Asia and Oceania region, Japan have been working together with other nations to create hazard projection data for the Southeast Asia region utilizing Japan’s original climate models.

JAXA provides free and open access to its satellite data. The data from Earth Observation satellites operated by JAXA, including the Advanced Land Observing Satelite-2 (ALOS-2) ScanSAR data, are available for download from several information systems such as JAXA’s G-Portal, Japanese governmental cloud platform TELLUS, Google Earth Engine, and Amazon Web Service.

Empowering the people through EO data and information:

The DIAS has been working with the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) and Nagasaki University since 2017 to build an innovative data retrieval system and operating platform and develop its user interface for a Malaria Early Warning System. The system enables experts to predict malaria transmission 3-4 months in advance with the Malaria Transmission Prediction model, which is based on climate projection and AI/ML. It integrates climate forecast data with weather forecast data and malaria patient count data provided from local municipalities and medical institutions. The model projections are used to prepare the malaria outlook during November/December, and the information is passed to the Tzaneen Malaria Center and the Infectious Disease Early Warning System (iDEWS) bureau in South Africa for relevant actions such as insecticide spray planning.

Japan engages in capacity development programs with the online platform the Online Synthesis System for Sustainability and Resilience (OSS-SR) on the DIAS. A series of e-learning courses are provided through the OSS-SR-empowered local stakeholders to address water hazards. For example, e-training in the Philippines is provided for more than 90 professionals. They are now capable of utilizing the data system to send out official water-related early warning/alerts, analyze risk, and create hazard maps, and are assigned to city districts or communities to facilitate discussions, and implement urban planning and design. Those experts take on the role of “facilitator”, bridging the science community and the larger society to support policymaking and public investment by utilizing Earth observation data and scientific knowledge from the OSS-SR to accelerate local climate-adaptation actions.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has been conducting a project for capacity development and promotion of the utilization of the National Continuously Operating Reference Station (CORS) Data Center with the Royal Thai Survey Department and the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency since September 2022. CORS are reference points that continuously receive position-related radio signals from the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). The integrated management and operation of CORS networks and the appropriate analysis and distribution of accurate position information and correction information from CORS networks at data centers make it possible to accurately measure positions and elevations on the earth (high-precision positioning). This is used to realize infrastructure development (i-Construction) using accurate location information, automatic operation of agricultural machinery (Smart Agriculture), and industrial promotion using automatic driving technology in Thailand.

JICA is now undertaking a project for improving control of illegal deforestation from July 2021 to July 2026, having the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources as a partner.

 Brazil is a forest powerhouse, with the world's largest tropical forest, the Amazon region, in its vast land area, and the rainforests of the Amazon basin account for about one third of the world's remaining tropical rainforests. While the Amazon region is home to vast forests, the area deforested per year has been on the rise since 2013.

This project targets the Brazilian legal Amazon region (especially the Amazon biome area), which has the world's largest tropical rainforest, and will strengthen the capacity to combat and manage illegal logging through the detection and projection of deforestation using radar satellites and AI technology, thereby ensuring that conservation activities in the Amazon region forests contribute to improvements.

Through grant aid and technical cooperation, JICA has supported the Philippine Atmospheric and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) to improve its capacity for maintenance of meteorological observation equipment, data quality control, and the use of satellite image analysis.

The Philippines suffers from various weather disasters caused by tropical cyclones and the southwest and northeast monsoons throughout the year. The devastating impact on the country's society and economy has been catastrophic. In the Philippines, PAGASA is responsible for monitoring weather phenomena that cause disasters and providing weather-related information within the national disaster management system.

This cooperation will contribute to the enhancement of PAGASA's ability to provide high-quality observations, forecasts, warnings, and information by improving the maintenance and management capacity of ground meteorological observation systems and developing quantitative precipitation estimation and precipitation guidance, which will be widely used at the national and local levels to mitigate weather-related disasters. JICA will also contribute to the widespread use of this information at the national and local levels to mitigate weather disasters.

Strengthening multilateral partnership:

One of Japan’s key contributions to the GEO is hosting the AOGEO Symposium. Organized by Ministry of Education, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) with the GEO Secretariat support, the 16th AOGEO Symposium is going to be held in early 2024. With the theme of “Local Actions for Global Impact”, the AOGEO Symposium will provide the participants an opportunity to reaffirm the importance of AOGEO as a regional collaborative platform and encouraged continued efforts to strengthen the engagement with diverse stakeholders along the EO value chain, through innovative partnerships including countries, civil society, youth, local communities, and the private and finance sector.