The 10th Joint Project Team Meeting (JPTM2025)
at Millennium Airport Hotel Dubai, Dubai, the United Arab Emirates

The 10th Joint Project Team Meeting for Sentinel Asia STEP-3 (JPTM2025) was held in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates from 10 to 12 February 2025. It was jointly organized by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

Number of Participants  : 67
Number of Organization : 36

Meeting Details

Co-Organizer

Agenda

February 10th-12th, 2026
Millennium Airport Hotel Dubai, Dubai, the United Arab Emirates

Day 1: Co-Chair:

Dr. Saeed Al Mansoori, Director, Remote Sensing Department, MBRSC, UAE
Ms. Shiho Taguchi, Acting Executive Secretary of Sentinel Asia, SAOC, JAXA, Japan


[Day 1] February 10th

  Time   Program items                                                             
Opening Ceremony (Chaired by MBRSC)
9:00 9:10 10 min Welcome Remarks: MBRSC (Mr. Adnan Al Rais, Assistant DG - Space Operations and Exploration Sector) and JAXA (Ms. Shiho Taguchi, Acting Executive Secretary of Sentinel Asia)
9:10 9:20 10 min Adoption of agenda
9:20 9:30 10 min Group Photo
 
Session 1 : Overview (Chaired by MBRSC)
9:30 9:45 15 min Recent activities of Sentinel Asia
(Mr. Goro Takei, Deputy Executive Secretariat of Sentinel Asia, Japan)
9:45 10:00 15 min Report on the Steering Committee and APRSAF-31
(Mr. Goro Takei, Deputy Executive Secretariat of Sentinel Asia, Japan)
 
Session 2: New membership (Chaired by JAXA)
Presentation by new members
10:00 10:15 15 min Use of Satellite information for Water Resources Management
(Dr. Morimasa Tsuda, Japan Water Agency (JWA), Japan)
10:15 10:30 15 min NDRRMA and Its Role in Disaster Risk Reduction and Management in Nepal
(Mr. Bal Deep Sharma, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA), Nepal)
10:30 10:45 15 min Toyama University of International Studies
(Dr. Shiro Ochi, Toyama University of International Studies (TUNIS), Japan)
10:45 11:00   Coffee Break
 
Session 2: New membership (Chaired by JAXA)
Presentation by new members
11:00 11:15 15 min Eskisehir Technical University, Institute of Earth and Space Sciences (ESTU-IESS), New Member of Sentinel Asia
(Dr. Onur Kaplan, Eskisehir Technical University, Institute of Earth and Space Sciences (ESTU-IESS), Turkey)
11:15 11:30 15 min National Earth Remote Sensing System Kazakhstan
(Mr. Altair Tleubergenov, JSC National Company Kazakhstan Gharysh Sapary (KGS), Kazakhstan)
11:30 11:35 5 min Organizational Changes of Sentinel Asia members
(Ms. Yuki Tanaka, Sentinel Asia Secretariat, Japan)
 
Latest Research Activities (Chaired by JAXA)
11:35 11:45 10 min IWMI Digital Twin and applications in Disaster Risk Management
(Prof. Ian Overton, IWMI, Sri Lanka)
11:45 12:00 15 min Calibration and Harmonization for Multi-Satellite Utilization
(Prof. Masahiko Nagai, Yamaguchi University, Japan)
12:00 13:00   Lunch
 
Special Session (Chaired by MBRSC)
13:00 14:30 90 min Titled: "From Pixels to Preparedness: Satellite Imagery and AI for Disaster Risk Management in the UAE"

"Moderator: Ms. Khadeijah Al Dhanhani, Vice President of UAESA Youth Council, Strategic Research Specialist, UAE Space Agency (UAESA)"

Panelists from UAE
  • Dr. Yuliya Tarabalka, Vice President - Geospatial Solutions, Space42
  • Eng. Omran Al Hammadi, Senior Manager, Business and Solutions Development Section, MBRSC
  • Eng. Sultan Al Zeidi, Senior Space Projects Development Engineer, UAE Space Agency
  • Prof. Rami Al-Ruzouq, Chair, Civil and Environmental Engineering - University of Sharjah
  • Ms. Mozah Al Zeyoudi, National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority
  • Dr. Khaled Al Arfati, Director, Geospatial Data Division, Federal Geographic Information Center (FGIC)
14:30 14:45   Coffee Break
 
Session 3: User’s Session (Chaired by JAXA)
Presentation on good practices of Sentinel Asia or expectations of Sentinel Asia
14:45 15:05 20 min 2025 GLOF and Landslide Events in the Kyrgyz Republic: Validation Results and Good Practices
(Mr. Ulan Abdybachaev, CAIAG, Kyrgyz)
15:05 15:25 20 min Beyond Mapping: Integrating Sentinel Asia Data with Global Exposure Datasets for Flood Impact Assessment
(Mr. Imran Khan, Institute of Water Modelling (IWM), Bangladesh)
15:25 15:45 20 min Rapid Flood Mapping for Emergency Response: Insights from the 2024 Bangladesh and Nepal Floods
(Mr. Kabir Uddin, International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), Nepal)
15:45 16:00   Coffee Break
 
Session 3: User’s Session (Chaired by MBRSC)
Presentation on good practices of Sentinel Asia or expectations of Sentinel Asia
16:00 16:20 20 min Extreme Rainfall in the UAE: Flood Impacts of the April 2024 Storm
(Eng. Naseeb Albakri and Eng. Leena Elneel Research Assistant, MBRSC Lab, UAE)
16:20 16:40 20 min Response operation using satellite data and lessons learned for earthquake in Türkiye
(Ms. Seher Turan, AFAD, Türkiye)
16:40 17:00 20 min Utilizing satellite imagery data and supporting products from the Sentinel Asia system in monitoring and recovery efforts following major floods in Vietnam in 2025
(Mr. Vu Huu Liem, MAE, Vietnam)
17:00     Adjourn
 
      Networking reception including facility tour of MBRSC will be hosted by MBRSC
17:00 17:30   Leave Millennium Airport Hotel Dubai for MBRSC *Take a chartered bus
17:30 18:30   Technical Tour at MBRSC
18:30 19:30   Networking Reception at MBRSC
19:30 20:00   Leave the MBRSC for Millennium Airport Hotel Dubai *Take a chartered bus

Day 2: Co-Chair:

Dr. Saeed Al Mansoori, Director, Remote Sensing Department, MBRSC, UAE
Ms. Shiho Taguchi, Acting Executive Secretary of Sentinel Asia, SAOC, JAXA, Japan


[Day 2] February 11th

  Time   Program items                                                             
Session 3: User’s Session (Chaired by JAXA)
Presentation on good practices of Sentinel Asia or expectations of Sentinel Asia
9:00 9:20 20 min Operationalizing satellite data for humanitarian response
(Mr. Michael Manalili, WFP)
9:20 9:40 20 min Multiscale Satellite Analysis of the 2025 Sumatra Floods: A Report on Sentinel Asia Training and Multi-Party Collaboration
(Dr. Yenni Vetrita, BRIN, Indonesia)
9:40 10:00 20 min Value of Satellite Data from Sentinel Asia in Supporting Disaster Response Activities in the Philippines
(Mr. Julius Morales Judan, PhilSA, the Philippines)
10:00 10:20 20 min Application of Geo-informatics and Hydrological Modeling for Generating Emergency Response Information: A Case Study of Hat Yai, Thailand
(Ms. Thitawadee Suvachananonda, GISTDA, Thailand)
 
Training Workshop I: How to activate Sentinel Asia and escalate to the International Disaster Charter (Chaired by JAXA)
10:20 10:50 30 min Trend of past requests and steps to make smooth EORs
(Dr. Makoto Ikeda, Asian Disaster Reduction Center (ADRC), Japan)
10:50 11:00   Short Break
 
Training Workshop II: Data Analysis Method on Flood (Chaired by MBRSC)
*Hands-on training
11:00 13:00 120 min Flood Mapping Using SAR Satellite Data in QGIS
Hands-on Training on Flood Analysis Using SAR Images
(Dr. Surya Deb Chakraborty, MBRSC, UAE)
13:00 14:00   Lunch
 
Training Workshop III: Data Analysis Method on Flood (Chaired by MBRSC)
14:00 14:45 45 min Urban Flood Mapping Using SAR and Validation Insights from Recent Floods in Southern Thailand
(Mr. Syams Nashrrullah Suprijatna, AIT, Thailand)
Training Workshop IV: Data Analysis Method on Flood (Chaired by MBRSC)
14:45 15:05 20 min Optimization of demographic and spatial data to calculate population exposure using Google Earth Engine
(Mr. Udhi Catur Nugroho, BRIN, Indonesia)
15:05 15:20   Coffee Break
 
Training Workshop V: Latest Tools/Systems at preparedness phase (Chaired by JAXA)
15:20 15:50 30 min Overview of AWARE Platform
(Dr. Giriraj Amanath, IWMI, Sri Lanka)
Training Workshop VI: Demonstration of rainfall monitoring systems (Chaired by JAXA)
15:50 16:20 30 min Precipitation monitoring by GSMaP and introduction of GSMaP Local Integration tool with gauges (G-LINT)
(Dr. Nao Yoshida, JAXA, Japan)
Training Workshop VII: Use case of rainfall monitoring systems (Chaired by JAXA)
16:20 16:40 20 min Use case of GSMaP and GSMaP-IF for Flood Management
(Dr. Morimasa Tsuda, JWA, Japan)
16:40 16:50   Short Break
 
Training Workshop VIII: Demonstration of flood monitoring/forecasting systems (Chaired by JAXA)
16:50 17:20 30 min Introduction of "Today’s Earth": Global Hydrological Simulation System
(Mr. Keisuke Yoshida, JAXA, Japan)
Training Workshop IX: Demonstration of flood monitoring/forecasting systems (Chaired by MBRSC)
17:20 17:35 15 min Information System “Tasqyn” - Flood Forecasting in Kazakhstan
(Ms. Gulnara Bissenalina, KGS, Kazakhstan)
Latest activities by UNOOSA (Chaired by MBRSC)
17:35 17:45 10 min Achieved and Planned Activities supported by Japanese Government/Industries regarding GeoAI and Digital Twin
(Mr. Jumpei Takami, UNOOSA, Vienna)
17:45     Adjourn

Day 3: Co-Chair:

Dr. Saeed Al Mansoori, Director, Remote Sensing Department, MBRSC, UAE
Ms. Shiho Taguchi, Acting Executive Secretary of Sentinel Asia, SAOC, JAXA, Japan


[Day 3] February 12th

  Time   Program items                                                             
Latest activities by IWMI (Chaired by MBRSC)
9:00 9:10 10 min Progress on White Paper on the integration of STEP3 with EW4ALL and Sendai Framework
(Dr. Giriraj Amanath, IWMI, Sri Lanka)
Training Workshop X: Feedback on tailor-made trainings (Chaired by MBRSC)
9:10 9:30 20 min Feedback on SAR data analysis method training held in Türkiye
(Dr. Fatma Canaslan Çomut, AFAD, Türkiye)
9:30 9:50 20 min Review and Feedback on the Disaster Assessment Map Workshop in the Pacific
(Ms. Natsumi Ueda, JAXA, Japan, and Ms. Ofa Mariwawa, NDRMO, Tonga)
9:50 10:10 20 min Feedback on GLOF monitoring training including the floods and GLOF events in Nepal, 2025
(Mr. Joshan Maharjan, DHM, Nepal)
10:10 10:25   Coffee Break
 
Training Workshop XI: Data Analysis method (Chaired by JAXA)
*Lecture and hands-on training
10:25 11:25 60 min EVAP Concept Overview and Workflow in QGIS
(Ms. Claire Hung, TASA)
11:25 11:30   Short Break
 
Training Workshop XI: Data Analysis method (Chaired by JAXA)
*Lecture and hands-on training
11:30 12:30 60 min EVAP Concept Overview and Workflow in QGIS
(Ms. Claire Hung, TASA)
12:30 13:30   Lunch
 
Training Workshop XII: Data Analysis method (Chaired by MBRSC)
*Lecture and hands on training
13:30 15:00 90 min AI for Resilient Infrastructure: Vision Transformers in Earthquake Damage Mapping
(Ms. Amulya Sri Pulijala, ISRO, India)
15:00 15:15   Coffee Break
 
Training Workshop XII: Data Analysis method (Chaired by MBRSC)
*Lecture and hands on training
15:15 16:15 60 min AI for Resilient Infrastructure: Vision Transformers in Earthquake Damage Mapping
(Ms. Amulya Sri Pulijala, ISRO, India)
16:15 16:45   Break
 
16:45 17:00 15 min Summary of JPTM 2025 (Sentinel Asia Secretariat)
17:00 17:10 10 min Announcement of next JPTM host organization
17:10 17:20 10 min Closing Remarks
(Dr. Saeed Al Mansoori, Director, Remote Sensing Department, MBRSC, UAE)
17:20     Adjourn