Singapore

ST Engineering has launched its first polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (PolSAR) satellite, TeLEOS-2, in partnership with Singapore's Defence Science and Technology Agency. The satellite is capable of capturing high-resolution day and night images under all-weather conditions, with full polarimetry for a wider range of satellite data applications, offering enhanced and wider coverage of major shipping routes and disaster-prone regions. TeLEOS-2 weighs 750kg and was successfully launched at 4.50 pm Singapore time from Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota, India.

TeLEOS-2's PolSAR payload allows the satellite to penetrate clouds and precipitation, enabling it to capture images under all weather conditions, making it ideal for monitoring, mapping and quantification, as well as multiparameter details of different surfaces. With the launch of TeLEOS-2, ST Engineering aims to strengthen Singapore's space industry and enhance its position in the global space market.…

On the occasion of the launch of the Smart Nation initiative, Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong stressed the necessity to provide open geospatial data to the country.

The innovative approach aims at spreading the spirit of innovation and technology advancement in Singapore and at understanding new ways to employ technology for making societies more responsive to people's needs, thereby building a "smart nation".

In order to implement this vision within a ten years time frame, a Smart Vision office has been established, headed by the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan.

Mr Lee emphasized the fact that the extensive and systematic use of geospatial data can be essential to address challenges such as traffic incidents, potential hazards and location services.

Moreover, he gave information about the development of the Virtual Singapore project, consisting of 3D datasets of buildings, built-up spaces…

Singapore is about to launch its first climate satellite, the VELOX-CI, by the fourth quarter of 2015. This is according to Nanyang Technological University (NTU), the institution in charge of the project. The satellite is funded by the Singapore’s Economic Development Board and it will be used to study tropical climates.

The 130kg satellite is about the size of a mini-fridge. It will adopt some of the technologies of the satellites VELOX-PII and VELOX-I. Both of them had been constructed by NTU students and research staff.

Using a technique known as radio occultation and advanced algorithms, VELOX-CI will be able to obtain weather data such as upper atmospheric temperature, humidity and pressure, which are useful for long-term climate studies.

Singapore is setting up a new regional disaster relief centre that will facilitate the coordination among military responders in Asia serving as an information clearing house. This was reported by the website Channel News Asia. The Changi Regional Humanitarian and Disaster Relief Coordination Centre (RHCC) will be operational round-the-clock from next year. In the event of a large scale disaster, up to 50 experts from the Singapore Armed Forces will be staffing the centre.

"Today, military coordination is met on an ad hoc basis. Whenever disaster happens, certain militaries will step up and they will respond and they even step up to take a leading role to do the coordination," said Brigadier-General Desmond Tan, Director of Joint Operations at the Singapore Armed Forces. "What we're trying to do is to set up a more permanent structure that will allow the militaries to have a single point of contact - a focal point."

Singapore is getting ready to launch its TeLEOS-1 Earth Observation satellite. TeLEOS-1 will be the first Singapore-made commercial satellite. The launch is planned for the end of 2014 on board of the Indian Space Research Organization’s Polar satellite launch vehicle. The satellite will carry an electro-optical camera with 1m ground resolution.

The potential use for these images includes disaster response, environmental monitoring, maritime security and urban planning. TeLEOS-1 was developed by ST Electronics. ST Electronics announced its collaboration with SPOT Asia and Satrec Initiative regarding the distributing of the imagery. It is expected that first images will be available in 2016.

This project is expected to be the first of many as the Singapore government is currently supporting eleven space projects with a budget of around US$12 million.

Future.gov reported that the 10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have formally agreed to adopt the haze monitoring system and share satellite data to help locate fires.

The $100,000 monitoring system developed in Singapore will be implemented in Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei and Thailand. By comparing high resolution imagery with land use and concession maps of fire-prone areas, the system will help locate fires.

The Singapore Land Authority (SLA) recently launched “OneMap Crowd Sourcing Tools” to provide organisations with map facility to locate interactive activities and information. OneMap Crowd Sourcing Tools is a beta set of map-based tools that community, and organisations or Non-Governmental Organisations can use to facilitate crowd sourcing and create a function on their websites where OneMap will serve a map for users to tag the locations of crowd-sourced information.

OneMap is the first major application of an integrated map system for government agencies to deliver location-based services and information. It is a multi-agency collaboration with many government agencies currently participating and contributing information. It is managed and operated by the SLA. “The benefit of OneMap extend beyond just the sharing of information by the public sector. Businesses and…

The theme for GSDI 12 was "Realizing Spatially Enabled Societies." The conference organizers set out to encourage collaboration to help create an enabling environment that enhances outcomes in societies, economies and the global environment. A peer-reviewed book on this topic was launched during the conference. It focuses on research, emerging trends and critical assessment and it showcases examples of spatial enablement serving societal needs. More than 100 countries are actively developing spatial data infrastructures, and with over 650 attendees who shared knowledge, attended workshops, traded experiences and listened to experts speak on a wide range of topics including technology, standards, and spatial law and policy. The UN Permanent Committee on GIS Infrastructure for Asia and the Pacific (PCGIAP) held its 16th regional meeting and the International Geospatial Society, the new arm of the GSDI Association for individual members, held its inaugural meeting.
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National Environment Agency

Contact Person
Keng Gaik Lam
Tel: +65 6542-2863
Email: lam_keng_gaik [at] nea.gov.sg
Web: http://www.nea.gov.sg/

About National Environment Agency
To ensure a sustainable quality environment in Singapore.

We will accomplish this by working in partnership with the community through:

Facilitating and providing excellent environmental and meteorological services;
Promoting environment-related industries;
Training and public education.

Understand Risk is a global community of 8,000+ experts and practitioners active in the creation, communication, and use of disaster risk information. Members share knowledge and experience, collaborate, and discuss innovations and best practice in risk assessment. The community convenes every two years at UR Forums – five-day events that highlight groundbreaking work, facilitate nontraditional partnerships, and showcase new technical know-how in disaster risk identification.

UR2020 will take place on 18-22 May 2020 at the Singapore EXPO Convention and Exhibition Centre. More than 1,000 representatives from all over the world are expected to participate. The five-day event is divided into three days for the main conference and two days dedicated to side events led by the community. The Forum features technical sessions, interactive workshops, and multimedia exhibits, as well as space for bilateral meetings.…

Consists of:

• Heat and Fire Expo Asia
  • "The Heat and Fire Expo Asia is the innovative exhibition and conference designed to support the mitigation for one of the most costly natural disasters in the World by showcasing the latest revolutionary global solutions."
• Earthquake Expo Asia
  • "The Earthquake Expo Singapore is the most innovative exhibition and conference dedicated to supporting the mitigation of one of the world’s most devastating natural disasters."
• Flood Expo Asia
  • "The Flood Expo Asia is the ultimate innovative exhibition and conference designed specifically to support the mitigation of the most costly natural disasters in the region, by showcasing the global solutions available today that will…