About SAFE Project

< Last Update: March 2020 >

In 2018, at APRSAF-25 in Singapore SAFE Project activity was endorsed based on a SAFE Evolution concept. The SAFE project entails multilateral collaboration with space agencies, research institutions, and international organizations in the Asia-Pacific region, developing the achievements of SAFE prototyping. By sharing the earth observation data, application, and knowledge among the organizations, the SAFE project contributes to solving environmental problems in the Asia-Pacific region.

The SAFE Evolution was adopted at APRSAF-24 SAFE Workshop in 2017. This is a new approach that was proposed to move beyond the SAFE Prototype concept toward multilateral cooperation and knowledge sharing for Asia-Pacific regional environmental issues – making the most of the applications and capabilities developed in the SAFE Prototype phase.

The following were recognized as key factors to take into account in the definition of SAFE Evolution:

  • The changing earth observation data landscape – in particular with regard to data policies, internet accessibility and solutions, Big Data, and IoT.
  • The Global Agendas – United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, Paris Climate Agreement, and Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.
  • Possibility of collaboration with donor agencies (e.g., ADB, JICA, ASEAN/JAIF).
  • Operationalization of capabilities.
  • Other emerging regional activities led by space agencies and international organizations (e.g., regional collaborations of ISRO, ARTSA by GISTDA, RESAP by ESCAP, CEOS Chair initiatives, and ASEAN projects).

The SAFE Evolution Executive Board was convened to finalize the new SAFE Terms of Reference, and in parallel work began to define two new SAFE Evolution Projects on:

  1. Agromet Information
  2. Crop Monitoring

Defining a clear path of implementation, performing robust user requirements analyses, ensuring participation of governments for sustainability, and identifying all available resources (data, tools, capacity development opportunities) were recognized as critical to the definition of these projects.

SAFE project