Gathering to Commemorate Dr. Lal Samarakoon

On the 21st January 2025, a memorial gathering was held at GISTDA headquarters in Bangkok, Thailand to commemorate the life and contributions of Dr. Lal Samarakoon to the community. The memorial was attended by a large number of participants both domestically and internationally who came together to share their memories of Lal.

The event was moderated by Dr. Shinichi Sobue from JAXA. Tributes were delivered by Dr. Pakorn Apaphant, GISTDA Executive Director; Dr. Suvit Vibulsrest, Former Executive Director of GISTDA, Dr. Manzul Hazarika, GIC Director at AIT, Mr. Keran Wang, Manager at UN ESCAP, and Mr. Nagano from AWS (former SAFE secretariat). Lal’s wife also attended, joining everyone in remembering his energy and spirit. A video tribute from his daughter and grandson was also shared during the event.

Following the memorial, a social gathering was held, providing an opportunity for participants to share their memories and stories about Lal.

We extend our deepest gratitude to all who attended, especially Lal’s family members. We also thank GISTDA for generously hosting the event.

Dr. Lal Samarakoon, the former director of Geo-Informatic Center of Asian Institute of Technology, former co-chair of the steering committee of Sentinel Asia, and the former co-chair of SAFE organizing board passed away on 12 July, 2024. Dr. Lal dedicated many years to promoting the use of Earth observation satellite data across Asia Pacific region. Through his passion and efforts, numerous projects were successfully completed, impacting many friends and colleagues deeply. He received the APRSAF special award for long-term contribution to the Sentinel Asia and SAFE project.