Across Asia-Pacific, satellites are becoming practical climate infrastructure. They are watching forests, farms, coasts, cities, air quality and disaster risks from above, turning environmental change into data that can be acted on.
This week's signal is that space technology is moving closer to everyday climate decisions: monitoring carbon stocks, detecting urban rhythms, supporting disaster response, mapping marine conditions and building the connectivity layer that keeps remote sensing useful on the ground.
China launched the HY-2E oceanographic satellite to strengthen marine monitoring, adding observations of sea-surface conditions that support weather forecasting, ocean science and climate-risk analysis.
India's SatSure has secured a US$26 million grant to build AI-powered Earth observation models, showing how satellite data is being converted into decision tools for agriculture, infrastructure, climate risk and financial services.
JAXA has started releasing observation data from AMSR3 aboard GOSAT-GW, expanding access to measurements of water vapour, precipitation, sea-surface temperature, sea ice and other variables used in climate and water-cycle monitoring.
Kazakhstan plans to launch three domestically developed satellites in 2027, strengthening national capacity for Earth observation, communications and space-based services.
Blue-carbon satellites and digital MRV systems are changing how mangroves, seagrasses and tidal marshes are measured, making coastal carbon projects easier to verify and potentially more bankable for communities.
South Korea's first satellite dedicated to agriculture and forestry has entered orbit, giving the country its own imagery for crop monitoring, forest management, disaster response and climate analysis.
China and Central Asian partners plan to launch a disaster-monitoring satellite network, strengthening regional capacity to track floods, droughts, wildfires and other climate-linked hazards from orbit.
Satellite observations are being used to detect the "urban pulse" of major cities, turning patterns of activity, growth and infrastructure use into measurable signals for planners and climate-risk analysis.
Disclaimer: Climate Tech Pulse compiles web-based news and information on climate technologies across Asia and the Pacific. Linked content reflects the views of its original authors or publishers and does not necessarily represent the views or positions of APCTT or UN ESCAP.