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CONTENTSCommentary---This page
Committee on Earth Observation Satellites(CEOS)
CEOS Working Group Structure
Review of Past Activities: The CEOS Dossier
CEOS Activity Plan for 1993
CEOS Data Exchange Principles
Resolutiom of Satellite Data Exchange Principles in Support of Global Change Research (Draft) 18 May 1993
Summary of CEOS Ad Hoc Data Policy Meeting
Summary of User Requirement Workshop
1993 CEOS Meeting Calender
Earth Observation Satellites to Help Resolving Global Environmental Issues
Toshihiro Ishii
Director-General, Research and Development Bureau,
Science and Technology Agency of Japan
- Global environment issues such as the global warming, depletion of
the ozone layer, and deforestation have received much attention lately.
Increasingly, mankind is turning to science for the resolution of these
issues as well as global climate change phenomena such as el Nino.
As pointed out in "Agenda 21", an action plan developed at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development(UNCED) held in Brazil, June, 1992 and in the communique issued by the Munich Summit in July, 1992, global satellite observation and monitoring systems are among the most effective means for understanding and resolving these issues. There is thus already a world consensus regarding the important of using Earth observation satellites to help resolve global environmental issues.
To support these monitoring and observation efforts, Japan is currently operating Marine Observation Satellite (MOS)-1/1b and Japanese Earth Resources Satellites (JERS)-1. Japan has also developed the Advanced Earth Observing Satellite (ADEOS) for a 1996 launch. In addition, Japan has been cooperating in a joint program with the United States to develop the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) for launch in 1997. In the area of policy, STA made the "Long-Term Scenario for developing future Earth observation satellites by 2010" and the "Ground System Concept" as national strategies in May 1993 to satisfy needs in various fields such as disaster monitoring.
The Committee on Earth Observation Satellite (CEOS) was created in 1984 as an outgrowth of the G-7 Versailles Summit in 1982. Since then, CEOS has contributed to the activities of space agencies worldwide by reviewing each Earth observation satellite program, establishing satellite information networks, and utilize space-derived data effectively. We are confident that CEOS activities will become more and more important and that expectations for CEOS will continue to grow.
In the future, it will be necessary for nations world-wide to cooperate in and share the benefits of Earth observation satellite programs. Specific areas of cooperation include establishing ground systems including a global information network and facilitating data utilization by developing standards and requirements. In this regard, Japan presented its concept of a "Global Satellite Observation and Information Network" and proposed a feasibility study for the establishing the concept at the CEOS Data Policy Meeting held in Tokyo in May 1993.
The publication of the CEOS Newsletter is both timely and welcome-timely in that it addressed global issues of current interest and welcome in that it will publicize the concept and aspirations of the CEOS. It is therefore a distinct pleasure and honor for me to have had the opportunity to present my comments in this inaugural issue.
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