Skip to main content
  • Book
  • Open Access
  • © 2017

Satellite Earth Observations and Their Impact on Society and Policy

  • Results from an unprecedented workshop bringing together an international advisory board of experts in science, policy, Earth observation, and innovative industry
  • Presents an up-to-date and unique compilation of the breadth of work in studies on the socioeconomic impact of satellite Earth observation
  • Is relevant to a society that seeks to understand the link between observations and government policies decided in the Paris Agreement and future discussions on climate change
  • Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

Buy it now

Buying options

Softcover Book USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 59.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access

Table of contents (18 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xxv
  2. Background and Introduction

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1
    2. Satellite Earth Observations in Environmental Problem-Solving

      • Oran R. Young, Masami Onoda
      Pages 3-27Open Access
  3. A Study on Methods for Assessing the Impact of Satellite Observations on Environmental Policy (Japan)

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 29-29
    2. Policy and Earth Observation Innovation Cycle (PEOIC) Project (Japan)

      • Yasuko Kasai, Setsuko Aoki, Akiko Aizawa, Akiko Okamatsu, Tomohiro Sato, Masami Onoda et al.
      Pages 31-60Open Access
  4. National and Regional Experiences (U.S., Europe, and Asia)

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 61-61
    2. Benefits Assessment of Applied Earth Science

      • Lawrence Friedl
      Pages 73-79Open Access
    3. ESA’s Earth Observation Strategy and Copernicus

      • Josef Aschbacher
      Pages 81-86Open Access
    4. Earth Observation—UK Perspective and Policy

      • Martin Sweeting
      Pages 87-92Open Access
    5. Chinese Earth Observation Program and Policy

      • Jinlong Fan
      Pages 105-110Open Access
    6. Greenhouse Gas Observation from Space

      • Tatsuya Yokota, Masami Onoda
      Pages 111-117Open Access
    7. Japanese Satellite Earth Observation: Status and Policy Issues

      • Teruyuki Nakajima
      Pages 119-126Open Access
  5. International Initiatives and Studies

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 127-127
    2. The New 10-Year GEOSS Strategy for 2016 and Beyond

      • Barbara Ryan, Osamu Ochiai
      Pages 129-136Open Access
    3. The Value of Global Earth Observations

      • Michael Obersteiner, Juraj Balkovič, Hannes Böttcher, Jetske A. Bouma, Steffen Fritz, Sabina Fuss et al.
      Pages 137-142Open Access
    4. Quantitative Assessment of the Earth Observation Data and Methods Used to Generate Reference Emission Levels for REDD+

      • Brian Alan Johnson, Henry Scheyvens, Hiromitsu Samejima
      Pages 155-169Open Access

About this book

The result of a workshop bringing together an international advisory board of experts in science, satellite technologies, industry innovations, and public policy, this book addresses the current and future roles of satellite Earth observations in solving large-scale environmental problems. The book showcases the results of engaging distinct communities to enhance our ability to identify emerging problems and to administer international regimes created to solve them. It also reviews the work of the Policy and Earth Observation Innovation Cycle (PEOIC) project, an effort aimed at assessing the impact of satellite observations on environmental policy and to propose a mission going forward that would launch an “innovation cycle”. The achievements of such a mission would feed back to innovations in next-generation observation technology, thus contributing to global policy demand for policy-relevant information.


This book is open access under a CC BY  license. 






Editors and Affiliations

  • Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Tokyo, Japan

    Masami Onoda

  • Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, University of California, Santa Barbara, USA

    Oran R Young

About the editors

Masami Onoda is currently the U.S. and multilateral relations interface at the International Relations and Research Department of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Fellow of the Institute of Global Environmental Strategies and Advisor to the space debris start-up Astroscale Pte Ltd. Dr. Onoda has been engaged in international coordination of satellite programs including serving on the Secretariat of the intergovernmental Group on Earth Observations in Geneva, Switzerland, and earlier as the Secretariat of the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites. She has also supported technology transfer to SMEs for a small satellite project. She holds a Ph.D. in Global Environmental Studies and a Master’s degree in environmental management from the Kyoto University Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies, and a bachelor’s degree in international relations from the University of Tokyo.



Oran R. Young is a renowned Arctic expert and a world leader in the fields of international governance and environmental institutions. His scientific work encompasses both basic research focusing on collective choice and social institutions, and applied research dealing with issues pertaining to international environmental governance and the Arctic as an international region. Professor Young served for 6 years as vice-president of the International Arctic Science Committee and was the founding chair of the Committee on the Human Dimensions of Global Change within the National Academy of Sciences in the U.S. He currently chairs the Scientific Committee of the International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Change and the Steering Committee of the Arctic Governance Project.

Bibliographic Information

Buy it now

Buying options

Softcover Book USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 59.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access