** May 2021 News from Sentinel Asia Project Office **- * - * - * - * - * - *- * - * - * - * - * - *- * - * - * - * - * - *Topics:
1. [News] Additional Information on Floods, Landslides and Storm in Timor-Leste
2. [News] Emergency Observation of Disasters
3. Interview - Dr. Giriraj Amarnath, International Water Management Institute(IWMI)
4. How to Send an Emergency Observation Request
5. Using Sentinel Asia Operation System, OPTEMIS- * - * - * - * - * - *- * - * - * - * - * - *- * - * - * - * - * - *1. [News] Additional Information on Floods, Landslides and Storm in Timor-Leste(Outline was given in the April 2021 Newsletter)
Tropical Cyclone Seroja hit Timor-Leste on 4 April 2021, which induced floods andlandslides. According to the United Nations, latest official figures showed that a
total of 33,835 households (as of 19 May) have been affected by the floods across thecountry and fatalities counts 44 (as of 21 May).
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) made an Emergency
Observation Request (EOR) to Sentinel Asia on 4 April. This EOR was escalated to
the International Disasters Charter. Among Data Provider Nodes (DPNs), theCentre for Remote Imaging, Sensing and Processing (CRISP), the Geo-Informatics
and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA), the Indian Space Research
Organisation (ISRO), the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the
National Applied Research Laboratories (NARL) provided observation data. Among
Data Analysis Nodes (DANs), the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) and RIKEN
provided their Value Added Products (VAPs). Information on the latest response by
Sentinel Asia is available from the following link:
https://sentinel-asia.org/EO/2021/article20210404TL.html

Satellite image (TELEOS-1) provided by CRISP

Satellite image (THEOS1) provided by GISTDA- * - * - * - * - * - *- * - * - * - * - * - *- * - * - * - * - * - *2. [News] Emergency Observation of Disasters (as of 28 May)
(1) Landslides and Mudflows in Tajikistan
Landslides and Mudflows occurred in Tajikistan on 11 May 2021. According toRadio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RFE / RL), at least 9 people died. Houses andinfrastructures such as roads and bridges were damaged in 15 districts.
(https://rus.ozodi.org/a/31250786.html)
The Central Asian Institute of Applied Geosciences (CAIAG) made an EOR to
Sentinel Asia on 14 May. Among DPNs, JAXA and NARL provided theirobservation data. Information on the latest response by Sentinel Asia is available
from the following link:
https://sentinel-asia.org/EO/2021/article20210511TJ.html

Satellite image (ALOS-2) provided by JAXA

Satellite image (FORMOSAT-5) provided by NARL
(2) Floods and Storm in India
Cyclone Tauktae attacked several states on the western coast of India on 17 May
2021. New Delhi Television Limited (NDTV) said that at least 6 people were killed,
and several people were injured in Maharashtra. Eight people died in cycloneaffected coastal Karnataka. Thousands of people were evacuated in Gujarat,
Kerala, Daman and Diu.
(https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/cyclone-tauktae-live-updates-very-severecyclonic-storm-likely-to-intensify-further-warns-weather-office-2443064)
ISRO made an EOR to Sentinel Asia on 14 May. Among DPNs, GISTDA, JAXA and
NARL provided observation data. Information on the latest response by Sentinel
Asia is available from the following link:
https://sentinel-asia.org/EO/2021/article20210517IN.html

Satellite image (THEOS1) provided by GISTDA

Satellite image (ALOS-2) provided by JAXA

Satellite image (FORMOSAT-5) provided by NARL

(3) Cyclone YAAS in India

Cyclone YAAS attacked West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar and Bengal of India on 27 and
28 May 2021. The Times of India and ABC News said that 2 people died, and morethan 1.1 million people had evacuated.
The Time of India
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/cyclone-yaas-live-tracking-odishawest-bengal-brace-for-severe-cyclonic-storm/liveblog/82962051.cms
ABC News
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-05-26/india-cyclone-yaas-causes-massevacuation/100168472
ISRO made an EOR to Sentinel Asia on 26 May. Among DPNs, JAXA provided
observation data. In addition, NARL has planned to conduct emergency
observations. Information on the latest response by Sentinel Asia is available fromthe following link:
https://sentinel-asia.org/EO/2021/article20210526IN.html

Satellite image (ALOS-2) provided by JAXA
- * - * - * - * - * - *- * - * - * - * - * - *- * - * - * - * - * - *3. Interview
3. Interview - Dr. Giriraj Amarnath, International Water Management Institute(IWMI)

This interview is also posted on the Sentinel Asia Website:
https://sentinel-asia.org/interview/interview.html
The International Water Management Institute, or IWMI, is a research-for-development (R4D) organization, with offices in 13 countries and a global network ofscientists operating in more than 30 countries, and is a member of the Consultative
Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), whose mandate is “a watersecure world,” and which addresses the water and land management challenges facedby poor communities in developing countries. IWMI promotes demand-based
innovative and scientifically tested water management solutions for sustainable
development and is a longtime member of Sentinel Asia. Dr. Giriraj Amarnath fromIWMI has been one of the leading supporters of Sentinel Asia and won the World
Geospatial Excellence Award in 2020. The Sentinel Asia Secretariat interviewed Dr.
Amarnath about how he has worked with Sentinel Asia and his future plans in the
Sentinel Asia community.

Dr. Giriraj Amarnath, Research Group Leader
Water Risks to Development and Resilience-(Sentinel Asia Secretariat) Please introduce yourself to the readers of Sentinel Asiaand tell us about your experiences with Sentinel Asia:(Dr. Giriraj Amarnath)Thank you for this great opportunity to share my memories about Sentinel Asia. I
recall my first involvement was back in 2009 while I was working for the International
Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) in Nepal. At that time, I
attended my first Sentinel Asia meeting and I developed a great interest in matters,
including the establishment of emergency observation and data transmission via
WINDS satellite* communications for rapid satellite data access. Then, I moved to
IWMI in 2011 and strengthened the use of space technology in Disaster Risk
Reduction with input and support from Sentinel Asia and development partners.
Basically, I lead a research group on water risk and disaster recently, and look after
programs managing floods and droughts in Asia and Africa.

* WINDS, or Wideband InterNetworking engineering test and Demonstration
Satellite, is a satellite to demonstrate high-speed internet technology operated by
JAXA from 2008 till 2019.

-

How do you think Sentinel Asia can contribute to regional collaboration,
particularly in terms of flood management?

When we look back some years ago, Sentinel Asia implemented Step 1 and then Step2.
This is when the Flood Working Group was established. At that time, many colleagues
led this initiative as their responsibility and brought best practices from member
states in Asia and the Pacific. We have to thank the Asia-Pacific Regional Space
Agencies Forum (APRSAF) for this excellent initiative to bring together diverse
stakeholders. Through Sentinel Asia, we can present best practices on disaster risk
management at Sentinel Asia’s JPT (Joint Project Team) meeting, which can help
countries prepare and respond to crisis management. Though the initiatives arevoluntary, they promote innovative knowledge products and tools among member
states in building resilience and managing climate shocks.

-

Could you tell us about the current activities and responsibilities of IWMI?

IWMI is basically a water management institute that promotes a water-secure world.
Crucial areas we work on in our strategic program are Water, Climate Change, andResilience (WCCR), to promote improved climate change adaptation and mitigation
with greater resilience to natural disasters. The projects we lead in Africa and Asia
look at four pillars of Disaster Risk Management, that is: Prevention, Preparedness,
Response, and Recovery, and guiding countries in strategic climate investments. This
is where risk transfer comes into the picture. We have several projects looking at how
we understand the risk, and what levels of disaster risk governance are criticallyimportant to help communities manage the climate crisis. We also look at areas of how
development partners like the World Bank and the Asia Development Bank could
promote evidence-based investment in disaster resilience. In a way, we look at
consolidating research priorities across disaster risk management and aligning theimplementation steps of the Sendai Framework. For example, the project in Sri Lanka
looks at how climate adaptations are critically important in managing droughts andfloods among smallholder farmers and building a resilient economy through the use ofopen access data and disruptive technologies.

-

IWMI covers a broad area of water issues. Could you tell us more details and whatis the main application of your activities?

As an example, in South Asia, we have laid a foundation for promoting and integratinga drought management program, and innovations in promoting drought monitoring
and an early warning system using multi-mission satellite data aided by the cloud
platform. We use subseasonal and short-term weather forecast data from Global
Forecast System (GFS) data of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration(NOAA) and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) to provide drought
forecasts. Then, we use satellite data such as MODIS data from NASA’s Terra andAqua satellites and Sentinel satellite images from the European Copernicus
Programme to monitor the drought and flood situation. We monitor water bodies using
Sentinel-1 data and share the data through a bulletin. The bulletin is being used by anagriculture extension and agrarian development agencies to promote timely drought
response strategy among farming communities. Importantly, we are working in Sri
Lanka with the UN World Food Programme (WFP) to prepare a joint bulletin with all
members and departments. The information is not limited to disaster management, it
is being used across different sectors as well. Space technology is very beneficial inbuilding a regional drought monitoring system that counties can share and utilize thedata. IWMI’s significant contribution in this field led to the recognition of the World
Geospatial Excellence Award in 2020.

-

Congratulations on winning the World Geospatial Excellence Award in 2020! Could
you tell us the story? What was the situation when the system started and what
was the key point to winning?

We really take pride in having done this work in South Asia since 2005. When we
established it, we had a lot of challenges on access to satellite data, information
processing, limited computation capabilities and institutional coordination. In 2014, in
collaboration with World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the Global Water
Partnership (GWP) through the Integrated Drought Management Programme (IDMP),
Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) and the CGIAR
Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE) highlighted the importanceof a regional drought mechanism in South Asia. IWMI initiated regional efforts withgovernment partners in South Asia to promote access to drought knowledge products
for timely early warnings for early action. Today, the platform is being used bymember states in South Asia as well as by various institutes, not just for knowing
about the drought situation but also about how we promote drought resilient amongagricultural systems against climate change. The key point is that the monitoring
system has been continuing as of today, and we have been ensuring that countries get
the right information to make timely decisions at the field level, some information isused practically even at the farmer level. With the success in South Asia, we are
expanding the activities in Africa through the Water Secure Africa Initiative (WASA)
and Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa (AICCRA). We are
getting quite good recognition from African stakeholders to promote broader drought
resilience initiatives among drought-affected communities. We are also implementing
a similar framework in the Middle East and North Africa. Lastly, our recent activities
include developing a drought risk profile among the southern African region withassistance from the World Bank to promote wider drought investment for better
preparedness among various sectors.

Dr. Amarnath and his team © IWMI-

Drought contains three meanings, Meteorological, Hydrological, and Agricultural.
Do you cover all of them?

Yes, drought is a very complex phenomenon. It is difficult to quantify the impact from
one type of drought, for example, understanding the rainfall and soil moisture deficit
and the crop condition can help policymakers determine the extent of severity fordrought relief and provide a guide for timely drought response plans. We developed
the first Google Cloud-based early warning system for Afghanistan with assistancefrom the World Bank to promote a near real-time drought early warning tool (AFDEWS) for more than 35 drought indices across meteorological, hydrological, andagricultural droughts. We would like to share such knowledge products in our Sentinel
Asia platform so that member countries can develop a low-cost early warning system
without the need for larger investment in hardware and physical-based computers in
the future.

-

How about your recent activities in IWMI under COVID-19? How do you sustain
your key businesses to keep each project and component active?

In my opinion, COVID is not a never-ending problem, but it is a very challenging issue
today in addition to the climate crisis. Last year, during the time of COVID, we had amajor cyclone called “Burvei” that caused a few casualties and severe damage.
Therefore, we requested support from Sentinel Asia and the International Disasters
Charter via Sentinel Asia to prepare a response map. We all worked online due totravel restrictions and used social platforms like WhatsApp and Twitter to share what
was happening. We used weather forecast data on likely landfalls to ensure the spacecommunity can provide satellite images of the target areas for damage analysis. Thesedays, we have increasingly seen how digital platforms are quite innovative andhelpful. A crisis can always be managed if we work collectively as a team and use
digital tools successfully.

-

As you mentioned, dialogues with member countries of Sentinel Asia are one of the
key points, but communication is sometime not easy. Do you have any cases inwhich member countries request from you more information than the data you
provided?

We are looking at working with partners in disaster management, meteorology,
agriculture, and water resources in all those countries. We did need an assessment to
identify gaps and constraints regarding the Sentinel Asia Step 3 implementation on
the four priorities of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. One of theinitiatives we looked at was using satellite data information with field validations tobring more ownership on how we they interpret our knowledge products and how wemake use of the data in drought management and measures. We are doing a lot of
trials, I would not say they are completely successful, but we are co-designing withstakeholders including farmers.

-

From the lessons you have learned, do you have any suggestions for Sentinel Asia
to get good feedback from members?

I am very confident that the IWMI initiatives can fit very well with the four prioritiesof the Sendai Framework that also link to the Step 3 implementation of Sentinel Asia.
For example, when it comes to monitoring and early warning about priority one—understanding the disaster risk—if you generate useful disaster information, thepolicymakers and donors can invest in disaster risk reduction strategies. I think thepractical achievements we have done so far at IWMI on various activities cancontribute directly to the users of Sentinel Asia. It is important to promote bestpractices among member states on new innovations, tools and knowledge products sothey find opportunities to build resilient societies. We need to highlight the impact ofclimate change on local communities, urban systems, and improving water resourcesto accelerate action and support adaptation solutions. I think Sentinel Asia members
can adopt our knowledge and solutions to mitigate current and future climate risks. In
summary, I would say we need to communicate more and to build more awarenessamong members in achieving the Sendai Framework as well as SDGs by 2030. With
the Sentinel Asia Secretariat, we should work more with countries to share ourfindings more than we have done to date.

-

Another key word is donors to keep Sentinel Asia activities sustainable as you
mentioned. What kind of activities should the Sentinel Asia community do more toincrease appeal?

I think one of the reasons Sentinel Asia has been successful over years is partnershipand cooperation among member states. It is all about the members actively
participating in Sentinel Asia initiatives. One of my suggestions is to work with newpartners including universities, NGOs, and some private sectors in achieving Step 3
implementation. In times of COVID, people are moving online more, so it would begood to organize more webinars. We need to ensure disaster management
professionals are aware of the usefulness of Sentinel Asia, which is not only the
responsibility of the Secretariat but also of the members. Reporting best practices on
the use of space technology in flood and risk management is critically important forthe success of Sentinel Asia. Guiding countries to promote regional information
platforms might be the next step and reaching out to donors to support such initiatives
in achieving the global commitments. I do not think any other initiative on disasterrisk management exists in the Asia-Pacific region other than Sentinel Asia. Capacity
development is also very important to ensure the future human resources that will
advance in using new technologies. In fact, jointly with volunteer Sentinel Asia
experts including the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Sentinel
Asia Secretariat. we are planning to organize webinars dedicated to Sentinel Asia
colleagues. Particularly, from our part, we will be organizing specific training webinars
on flood and drought monitoring and its application.

-

Do you have any comments on a longer-term perspective?

We need to keep reaching out to Sentinel Asia member states to highlight the role ofspace technologies in disaster risk management. Individuals always think satellitedata are only for emergency mapping. However, for example, we can use the samedata to transfer risks from farmers or local communities to insurance companies inbuilding resilience and sustainable development. Sentinel Asia is a good place topresent best practice including our innovation on Index Based Flood Insurance, which
is being recognized by the Group of Earth Observation (GEO), as we won the 2020
GEO Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Award.

- * - * - * - * - * - *- * - * - * - * - * - *- * - * - * - * - * - *4. How to send Emergency Observation Request
JPT member organizations are entitled to send an Emergency Observation Request(EOR) for disasters in the Asia-Pacific region. Please refer to https://sentinel-asia.org/elearning/Emergency_Observation_Request.html.
EOR Order Desk:
Asian Disaster Reduction Center (ADRC)
HP: http://www.adrc.asia/
E-mail: sarequest@adrc.asia
FAX: +81-78-262-5546,
TEL: +81-78-262-5540- * - * - * - * - * - *- * - * - * - * - * - *- * - * - * - * - * - *5. Using Sentinel Asia Operation System, OPTEMIS
Sentinel Asia launched a new operation system, OPTEMIS. Please refer to the website
on how to create an account for OPTEMIS. https://sentinel-asia.org/elearning/Emergency_Observation_Request.html+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+===+=
Copyright 2021 the Sentinel Asia Secretariat
Sentinel Asia Project OfficeSatellite Applications and Operations Center (SAOC)
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
Ochanomizu Sola City, 4-6 Kandasurugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-8008 Japan
E-mail: Z-SENTINEL.ASIA@ml.jaxa.jp
TEL: +81-3-6435-6785
FAX: +81-3-5777-1580