Satellite Earth Observations and Their Impact on Society and Policy Satellite Earth Observations and Their Impact on Society and Policy Masami Onoda • Oran R

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 Editors Satellite Earth Observations and Their Impact on Society and Policy Editors Masami Onoda Oran R. Young Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency Bren School of Environmental Science and Tokyo Management Japan University of California Santa Barbara, CA USA ISBN 978-981-10-3712-2 ISBN 978-981-10-3713-9 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-981-10-3713-9 Library of Congress Control Number: 2017936897 © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2017. 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The registered company address is: 152 Beach Road, #21-01/04 Gateway East, Singapore 189721, Singapore 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. Thanks to human ingenuity, we have realized this possibility. While only a select 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 satellites 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 in a number of key areas, as well as the coordination and governance of Earth-observing systems required to maximize their contribution to solving a range of environmental problems. vii viii Foreword Negotiation and compromise are necessary parts of environmental 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. Earth observations provide a unique window and perspective on our world, 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. 1The Advisory Board was convened in support of the project “Study on Methods for Assessing the 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), and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). ix x Advisory Board and Project Members 2. Earth observations should be regarded as critical societal infrastructure. There is strong evidence that publicly open Earth observations are making positive, cost-effective contributions to solving a variety of high-priority environmental and societal problems. – Studies on the socioeconomic benefits of improved global Earth observation 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- ization of all societal benefits of Earth observations derived from long-term continuity. – The lack of a systematic, long-term plan for satellite environmental observation 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, which are associated with the rapid development of data technology and applications. – The increasing number of rapid-response, cost-effective and high-performance satellite missions, together with the possibility of exploiting “big-data”, provides opportunities, as well as challenges, for enhanced global Earth observations. Advisory Board and Project Members xi List of Participants • 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) • Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) Strategic Basic Research Programs (Research Institute of Science

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