** December 2021 News from Sentinel Asia Project Office **- * - * - * - * - * - *- * - * - * - * - * - *- * - * - * - * - * - *Topics:
1. [News] Emergency Observation of Disasters
2. [Event] Summary report of the Sentinel Asia session at the APRSAF-27
3. [Report] Brief Report on Sentinel Asia Training Programme on “Space Technology for Flood
Forecast Modelling” organized by NRSC (ISRO), and IWMI under Sentinel Asia (*article
contribution from ISRO and IWMI)
4. [Report] Sentinel Asia Annual Report 2020 has been published!
5. How to Send an Emergency Observation Request
6. Using the Sentinel Asia Operation System, OPTEMIS- * - * - * - * - * - *- * - * - * - * - * - *- * - * - * - * - * - *1. [News] Emergency Observation of Disasters (as of 27 December 2021)(1) Volcanic eruption influence in the Philippines (GLIDE Number: VO-2021-000191-PHL)
In August 2021, Fukutoku Okanoba volcano, an underwater volcano in Japanese territory,
erupted and ejected a huge amount of pumice stones and debris. These stones floated on the sea
surface and a portion of them reached the Philippine coast.
(https://mb.com.ph/2021/11/23/pumice-stones-debris-spewed-by-japans-underwater-volcanoreach-batanes-shores/)
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) made an EOR to
Sentinel Asia on 24 November. This EOR was escalated to the International Disasters Charter.
PHIVOLCS assumed the role of Project Manager for this Charter activation. Among Data
Analysis Nodes (DANs), the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) provided its
VAPs. Information on the latest response by Sentinel Asia is available at the following link:
https://sentinel-asia.org/EO/2021/article20211123PH.html

Value-Added Product by MBRSC(2) Volcanic eruption in Indonesia (GLIDE Number: VO-2021-000194-IDN)
On 4 December 2021, Mount Semeru volcano in Indonesia erupted and produced a hot cloudavalanche with volcanic materials and heavy ashfall. According to ReliefWeb, the Indonesian
National Board for Disaster Management (BNPB) reported that the number of fatalities had
increased to 15, with 27 people missing and 169 injured. More than 1,700 people weredisplaced across 19 refugee posts, and 5,205 people and 2,970 houses were affected.
(https://reliefweb.int/disaster/vo-2021-000194-idn/)
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) made an EOR to Sentinel Asia on 7
December. This EOR was escalated to the International Disasters Charter. The Asian Instituteof Technology (AIT) assumed the role of Project Manager for this Charter activation. Among
Data Provider Nodes (DPNs), the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), the IndianSpace Research Organization (ISRO), and the National Applied Research Laboratories (NARL)
provided data. Among DANs, the Earth Observatory of Singapore (EOS), Yamaguchi
University, and MBRSC provided their VAPs. Information on the latest response by Sentinel
Asia is available at the following link:
https://sentinel-asia.org/EO/2021/article20211123PH.html

Satellite image (ALOS-2) provided by JAXA

Satellite image (Resourcesat-2) provided by ISRO

Value-Added Product by EOS

Value-Added Product by Yamaguchi University

Value-Added Product by MBRSC(3) Tropical Storm Odette in the Philippines (GLIDE Number: TC-2021-000202-PHL)
Super Typhoon Rai (Odette) made landfall on the Philippines on 16 December 2021.
ReliefWeb reported that according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction andManagement Council (NDRRMC) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development(DSWD), it killed at least 258 people, injuring 568 people and displacing 631,000 people as of
23 December.
Manila Observatory (MO) made an EOR to Sentinel Asia on 15 December anticipating theapproach of the typhoon. Among Data Provider Nodes (DPNs), JAXA, ISRO, NARL, and theGeo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) provided data.
Among DANs, EOS and AIT provided their VAPs. Information on the latest response by
Sentinel Asia is available at the following link:
https://sentinel-asia.org/EO/2021/article20211123PH.html

Satellite image (ALOS-2) provided by JAXA

Satellite image (Resourcesat-2A) provided by ISRO

Satellite image (Formosat-5) provided by NARL

Satellite image (Theos-1) provided by GISTDA

Value-Added Product by EOS

Value-Added Product by AIT

- * - * - * - * - * - *- * - * - * - * - * - *- * - * - * - * - * - *2. [Event] Summary report of the Sentinel Asia session at the APRSAF-27
The 27th session of the Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF-27) was held
online from 30 November to 3 December 2021. The APRSAF-27 was co-organized by the
Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST), the Ministry of Education, Culture,
Science and Technology (MEXT) of Japan, and JAXA with the slogan “Expand Space
Innovation through Diverse Partnerships.”
On 1 December, a dedicated Sentinel Asia session was organized and hosted by the Sentinel
Asia Secretariat in close collaboration with the Steering Committee members as part of Satellite
Applications for Societal Benefit Working Group (SAWG) of the APRSAF-27. The session
heard the following six presentations:(1) “Sentinel Asia - Trend of Emergency Observation Request” (ADRC)(2) “Sentinel Asia Status Report” (JAXA)(3) “NSPO-NARLabs Engagement in Sentinel Asia” (NARLabs/NSPO)(4) “Integration of Satellite data and Crowdsourced information through a Mobile App for
the Sentinel Asia” (GIC/AIT)(5) “Development of Mirror Target Calibration for Optical Satellite Data” (Yamaguchi
University)(6) “Using Earth Observation to help Pacific countries managing disaster risk reduction
and response” (Pacific Earth Observation Council)
Through the Sentinel Asia session itself and its report by the SAWG co-chair in the high-levelsegment of the APRSAF (Plenary Session), the APRSAF-27 witnessed the development of theSentinel Asia Step-3 system, led by the Technical Team composed of GISTDA,
NARLabs/NSPO with Academia Sinica, and JAXA. The APRSAF-27 noted that the Sentinel
Asia community had significantly upgraded its activities to address the entire disastermanagement cycle, with the contribution to the Sendai Framework in mind. Such activities
included the establishment of “Standard Operating Procedure for making Emergency
Observation Request (EOR) to Sentinel Asia” in several countries, a mobile application forsharing in-situ disaster information developed by AIT, a project by Yamaguchi University
aimed at enhancing the reliability of optical satellite data, and an initiative by the University ofTokyo to extract building map from satellite data. Finally, the APRSAF-27 appreciated that
NARLabs/NSPO had expressed their intention to provide Sentinel Asia with Formosat-8
satellite data after its launch.

- * - * - * - * - * - *- * - * - * - * - * - *- * - * - * - * - * - *3. [Report] Brief Report on Sentinel Asia Training Programme on “Space Technology for Flood
Forecast Modelling” organized by NRSC (ISRO), and IWMI under Sentinel Asia (*article
contribution from ISRO and IWMI)
Background
Sentinel Asia is an international cooperation platform in which space agencies, disastermanagement agencies, and international organizations collaborate to combat natural disasters in
the Asia-Pacific region on voluntary basis by using earth observation satellite data and WebGIS technologies. Towards building a disaster-resilient society, the Sentinel Asia community
has envisaged capacity-building programmes in strengthening of Sentinel Asia activities. To
address such need, at the Joint Project Team Meeting in Bangkok in 2019, a specific Training
Workshop was organized for the first time in which member organizations mutually train with
their respective expertise and knowledge. In the Training Workshop, Indian Space Research
Organisation (ISRO) and International Water Management Institute (IWMI) conducted training
programmes on “topological and hydrological modelling”, and “emergency response mapping
using multisource satellite data”. During the Sentinel Asia steering committee (SC) meetingorganised in 2020 in Hyderabad, India, further discussions took place on strengthening thecapacity-building programmes under Sentinel Asia. Following the SC meeting in 2020, ISROand IWMI jointly proposed to expand the achievements, by volunteering themselves inproviding capacity building for the benefit of the Sentinel Asia community. To begin with, thefollowing capacity-building programmes were envisaged under Sentinel Asia:(1) Space Technology for Drought Risk Management by National Remote Sensing Centre(NRSC)/ISRO, India in association with IWMI during 19-20 July, 2021
(2) Space Technology for Flood Forecast Modelling by NRSC/ISRO in association withIWMI during 27-28 October, 2021
(3) Emergency Response Mapping and Crisis Management by IWMI in association with
ADRC and NRSC/ISRO in February 2022 (TBC).
Following the successful completion of the first capacity-building programme, the second Asia
Pacific webinar on Space Technology for Flood Forecasting has been jointly organised by
NRSC/ISRO and IWMI. About 80 participants from 13 Sentinel Asia countries/regions
including ISRO and IWMI have participated in the programme. The training programme wascoordinated by the Sentinel Asia Secretariat.
Flood Forecasting and Space Technology
In recent decades, flood damage trends have been increasing exponentially across the globe.
This is a consequence of change in climatic conditions, changes in upstream land use and acontinuously increasing concentration of population and assets in flood-prone areas. A varietyof mitigation measures can be implemented to minimize the impact of flooding. Satellite
technology can provide vital information on the hydrology and topography of the catchmentthat plays a major role in spatial flood early warning. Flood forecasting is one of the best nonstructural methods of flood damage mitigation being adopted globally. Remote sensing
satellites provide key data for monitoring floods and cyclones in near real time. While spatial
flood forecast modelling forms the keystone during the preparedness phase, flood forecasting
provides an edge by proving the information well before the occurrence of the event. This flood
forecasting is one of the best non-structural methods of flood damage mitigation methods thatcan give spatial flood alerts well in advance of the event. Due to the availability of highresolution digital terrain models, as well as advanced hardware and software, early warnings
and alerts for spatial floods are gaining importance in recent years. Satellite technology canprovide vital information on the hydrology and topography of the catchment that plays a majorrole in spatial flood early warning.
Scope of the training programme
Capacity building is a powerful tool in disaster risk reduction and a very important element
towards building a disaster-risk-resilient society. The objective of the programme has been to
appraise the participants from Sentinel Asia member countries/regions on the potential andcurrent status of EO technologies in operational flood forecast modelling and spatial floodinundation modelling using hydrological and hydrodynamic modelling techniques.
The programme has consisted of expert presentations/lectures and an interactive session to
make it more impactful. The scope for augmenting applications of technology, research data
gaps, its limitations and information-sharing opportunities were planned and documented forthe future course of action towards promoting the technology for flood disaster risk reduction.
Proceedings of the 2-day training programme (27-28 Oct 2021)
This webinar brought together a total of around 80 experts and practitioners from different
Sentinel Asia member countries/regions. The inaugural Session of the training Programme
included a welcome by Dr. V. V. Rao, Deputy Director, Remote Sensing Applications, NRSC
and brief remarks by (a) Mr. Miyoshi Takanori, Sentinel Asia Secretariat, (b) Dr. Mark Smith,Director General, IWMI, and (c) Dr. Raj Kumar, Director, NRSC. The 2-day webinar was
conducted for the Asia Pacific region during 27-28 October, 2021. This is the second webinar
conducted by ISRO in association with IWMI in continuation to the Drought Webinar as part ofthe capacity-building event of this kind in which Sentinel Asia members mutually help build
capacity with their respective experience and expertise. In this inaugural session, it was stressedthat the Sentinel Asia community would continue to support and foster mutual capacity
building among members through cooperation. The inaugural session was completed with aformal vote of thanks by Dr. K H V Durga Rao, NRSC, ISRO.

During the key remarks, experts emphasized that floods are an important hydro-meteorologicaldisaster causing huge economic losses with cascading effects, hence the need for using spacebased inputs as a solution coupled with institutional partnership and the importance ofcommunity awareness in bringing effective flood disaster risk reduction was highlighted. The
ever-increasing flood frequency and magnitude of disastrous flood events especially in South
Asia and Southeast Asia is a major cause of concern. Therefore, this current training
programme was quite relevant to develop understanding among the participants of the nature ofdisasters and the scope for new technologies to minimise/mitigate losses from such disasters
using space technology for predicting and forecasting flood events in advance to enablesufficient lead time to respond. All the speakers in the inaugural Session have indicated theneed for organising flood management-related capacity-building programmes, more frequently
for the benefit of Sentinel Asia member countries/regions.

Fig 1: Inaugural Session of 2-day Webinar on Space Technology for Flood Forecasting &Modelling on Oct 27, 2021 (Virtual Mode)
Technical Session – 1: In this session, four presentations were given. It started with a briefpresentation on “Hydrological Modelling” by NRSC, setting the base for the rest of thepresentations. The presentation highlighted the importance of flood forecasting, different
methods of flood forecasting, routing methods and deriving the hydrological and hydrodynamic
parameters for flood forecasting using space-based inputs.
The second presentation in this Session was a demo on Flood Forecasting Modelling by NRSC,
ISRO. The demo was addressed in introducing the participants to Hydrological Modellingusing open-source modelling software of HEC-HMS (Hydrological Engineering CentreHydrological Modelling System) and its utility. Topographic parameter extraction using
satellite-based inputs like DEM (Digital Elevation Model), LULC (Land Use and Land Cover),and Soils were demonstrated. Preparation of meteorological models and integration with basinmodels was discussed. Flood forecast hydrograph computation, its calibration and validation
were also demonstrated.
The third presentation in this Session was on Flood Inundation Simulation Modelling using ahigh-resolution Digital Terrain Model (DTM) by NRSC, ISRO. The presentation highlighted
the stark differences between satellite-based flood mapping and flood inundation simulation
using hydrological and hydrodynamic inputs with DEM as a primary input. It has brought out
the need for flood inundation simulation and different models being used globally for deriving
inundation simulation followed by the data requirements. The presentation also brought out theadvantages and disadvantages of both 1D and 2D approaches and their relevance for simulation
under different flow conditions.
Day 1 of the technical session concluded with a demo on flood inundation simulation using
open-source software (HEC-RAS) by NRSC, ISRO. The demo showcased the creation of aterrain model, geometric mesh, boundary conditions and running the simulation in 2D unsteadyflow condition for one of the reaches of Sabari River, India, as a case study. The demo
concluded with results showing the water depth, velocity, etc. and an animation showing theflood progression and recession in an interactive session with the participants.
Technical session 2: In this session, there were six presentations. The day started formally witha recap of Day 1 and a discussion on the various presentations delivered on Day 1 by Dr. K H V
Durga Rao. Subsequently, the first presentation of Day 2 was an invited lecture on
Cyclogenesis, Forecasting Systems and Extreme Rainfall events by an expert speaker from theIndia Meteorological Department. The presentation gave good insight into the approaches
followed in India and elsewhere on genesis, formation, prediction of landfall and dissipation of
cyclonic systems and various aspects related to cyclone-based impacts on weather systems. The
presentation highlighted technical elements related to forecasting systems on cyclones andstorm surges and the impact of extreme rainfall events on land processes.
The second presentation in this session was on flood forecasting and early warning system inthe cloud framework by IWMI Sri Lanka. The presentation focused on the importance of cloudbased services for flood forecasting and early warning systems for large basins and theirimportance in reducing computation time and storage requirements. Further, the presentation
showcased the success stories of risk transfer/flood insurance in the Bagmati basin of Nepal
and has ascertained the importance of flood insurance as a land-use regulation practice andincentivising people. It also showcased the success story of the Zambezi basin case study inWest Africa.
The third presentation in this session was an invited lecture on urban flood modelling by Indian
Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay. The presentation discussed at length the concepts ofhazard, risk and vulnerability in urban floods. It clearly brought out the different types ofvulnerabilities and how to derive various parameters to derive flood risk maps. The
presentation concluded with case studies of urban flood modelling of Mumbai city, deriving offlood risk assessment maps for the Mithi river and part of the Mahanadi basin, Odisha State,
and also introduced the participants to various models that can be implemented to address
urban flood modelling.
The fourth presentation of the day was on an operational flood early warning system - casestudies by NRSC, ISRO. The presentation covered the development of spatial flood forecast
model for the Tapi and Godavari River Basins, India, using space-based inputs. It also covered
spatial flood inundation simulation models using a high-resolution digital terrain model andweb-enabled spatial flood early warning system. Real-time operation using IMD rainfall data
was presented during the session.
In the brief session on interactive presentations, there were two presentations by participantsfrom the Philippines and Singapore. The presentation by the Philippine AtmosphericGeophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) showcased the disasterprofile of their country, frequency and magnitudes of floods and cyclones, measures for
mitigating / responding to various disasters, disaster management in their country, satellitederived ready-data products, flood inundation modelling, etc.
The presentation by Earth Observatory of Singapore (EOS) included a brief presentation on
microwave data analysis for flood response and intricacies in analysing the microwave data toderive flood inundation layers. The presentation also comprised case studies related to flood
mapping and monitoring in their country.
Some of the participants interacted with the experts on specific aspects of drought occurrencein their regions and the scope for developing customised information products.
Concluding remarks
The Sentinel Asia Secretariat extended its gratitude to ISRO and IWMI for organizing thiswebinar, by reiterating the significance of capacity-building activities and recalling the previous
webinar on drought management conducted by ISRO and IWMI in July 2021. He expressed his
wishes and continued support to expand this endeavor for the benefit of the Sentinel Asia
community.
ISRO and IWMI indicated that with the availability of open-access satellite data and easilyaccessible advanced techniques such as cloud platforms, it is possible to develop robust flood
monitoring and management systems for timely action to reduce flood risks. It was also
concluded that a regional cooperation mechanism among the Sentinel Asia member
countries/regions needed to be established further to share the analysis-ready flood-related data,
knowledge and expertise for enhancing flood disaster risk-reduction capabilities.

Webinar brochure with details of technical presentations

- * - * - * - * - * - *- * - * - * - * - * - *- * - * - * - * - * - *4. [Report] Sentinel Asia Annual Report 2020 has been published!
Sentinel Asia’s activity report for the year 2020 has been published. The report features, among
others, (i) a detailed review on EORs conducted in 2020 including good practices. (ii) external
relations such as news, publications, and reports on conferences, and (iii) an analytical survey of
Sentinel Asia’s operations.
In 2020, Sentinel Asia’s annual general meeting “Joint Project Team Meeting (JPTM)” wasforced to be called off due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In this regard, this Annual Reportprovided JPT members with an alternative opportunity to report their Sentinel Asia-related
activities, which would have been provided as part of the JPTM. In response to the invitation by
the Sentinel Asia secretariat team, 24 JPT members contributed their activity reports, which are
printed in the Appendix section of the Annual Report.
The Annual Report is available on the Sentinel Asia webpage athttps://sentinel-asia.org/reports/Reports/SA_Annual_Report_2020.pdf

- * - * - * - * - * - *- * - * - * - * - * - *- * - * - * - * - * - *5. How to send an 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- * - * - * - * - * - *- * - * - * - * - * - *- * - * - * - * - * - *6. Using Sentinel Asia Operation System, OPTEMIS
Sentinel Asia launched a new operation system, OPTEMIS. Please refer to the website on how tocreateanaccount
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