Explainer: Space infrastructure for climate resilience — what it is, why it matters, and how to evaluate options

By 2025, space-based climate monitoring systems track over 60% of global greenhouse gas emissions with unprecedented accuracy, yet fewer than 15% of Asia-Pacific enterprises have integrated satellite-derived climate intelligence into their resilience planning. This gap represents both a critical vulnerability and a trillion-dollar opportunity. As extreme weather events cost the Asia-Pacific region an estimated USD 780 billion annually and regulatory frameworks like the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) mandate climate-related disclosures, decision-makers face an urgent imperative to understand how orbital infrastructure translates into actionable ground-level resilience. The economics have shifted dramatically: satellite data costs have declined by 85% since 2019, while resolution has improved tenfold, creating conditions where space infrastructure is no longer a luxury but an operational necessity for climate-adaptive organizations.

Why It Matters

The Asia-Pacific region sits at the epicenter of climate vulnerability and economic transformation. Home to 60% of the global population and generating over 40% of worldwide GDP, the region experienced 127 climate-related disasters in 2024 alone, according to the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). These events displaced approximately 57 million people and caused agricultural losses exceeding USD 35 billion. Traditional ground-based monitoring networks, while valuable, cover less than 30% of the region's landmass with adequate density, leaving vast agricultural zones, coastal areas, and urban peripheries effectively blind to emerging climate risks.

Space infrastructure fundamentally transforms this equation. A single synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite can map flood extent across 250,000 square kilometers in under 24 hours—a task that would require months of ground surveys. The 2024 deployment of JAXA's Advanced Land Observing Satellite-4 (ALOS-4) and the expansion of Planet Labs' constellation to over 200 satellites have created near-continuous coverage of critical Asia-Pacific ecosystems. For enterprise decision-makers, this translates into quantifiable risk reduction: organizations utilizing satellite-based early warning systems reported 40% lower climate-related operational disruptions in 2024 compared to those relying solely on conventional monitoring.

The regulatory landscape amplifies urgency. By January 2025, over 140 jurisdictions globally have adopted or proposed mandatory climate disclosure requirements aligned with the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) framework. Singapore's mandatory climate reporting for listed companies, effective 2024, explicitly references satellite-verified emissions data as an acceptable methodology. Australia's Treasury consultation on mandatory climate reporting similarly acknowledges space-based measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) systems. For multinational corporations operating across Asia-Pacific, space infrastructure offers the only scalable pathway to consistent, auditable climate data across fragmented regulatory environments.

Key Concepts

Space Infrastructure for Climate Resilience encompasses the integrated system of satellites, ground stations, data processing centers, and analytics platforms designed to monitor, predict, and respond to climate-related risks. This includes Earth observation satellites capturing optical and radar imagery, greenhouse gas monitoring instruments measuring atmospheric composition, and communication satellites enabling real-time data transmission to decision-makers. The infrastructure operates across multiple orbital regimes: low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites at 400-800 km altitude provide high-resolution imagery, while geostationary satellites at 35,786 km enable continuous regional monitoring.

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) represents a transformative technology for climate resilience, capable of imaging Earth's surface regardless of cloud cover or daylight conditions. Unlike optical sensors that rely on reflected sunlight, SAR satellites transmit microwave pulses and measure their return signals, enabling detection of ground deformation (subsidence from groundwater extraction), flood mapping through vegetation canopies, and ice sheet dynamics. For Asia-Pacific applications, where monsoon cloud cover obscures optical imagery for 4-6 months annually, SAR provides irreplaceable operational continuity. Current SAR constellations achieve ground resolution of 0.5-3 meters with revisit times under 12 hours.

Scope 3 Emissions Verification through satellite systems addresses the most challenging category of corporate carbon accounting—indirect emissions from value chains. Space-based methane spectrometers like those aboard GHGSat's constellation can detect emissions from individual facilities with sensitivity below 100 kg/hour, enabling verification of supplier declarations that previously relied on estimation methodologies. For Asia-Pacific supply chains spanning thousands of facilities across dozens of countries, satellite MRV offers the only economically viable approach to comprehensive Scope 3 accounting. The cost of satellite-based facility monitoring has declined to approximately USD 500-2,000 per site annually, compared to USD 15,000-50,000 for ground-based audits.

Unit Economics of Satellite Data have reached an inflection point. The cost per square kilometer of medium-resolution (<10m) optical imagery declined from USD 12 in 2018 to USD 0.40 in 2025. High-resolution SAR data costs approximately USD 2-8 per square kilometer depending on acquisition parameters. For enterprise applications, platform subscription models from providers like Planet, Maxar, and Satellogic offer unlimited access to archive imagery for USD 30,000-150,000 annually, with tasking credits for new acquisitions. The economic threshold for positive ROI typically occurs when monitoring requirements exceed 50,000 square kilometers or when climate-related risk exposure exceeds USD 10 million annually.

Climate Compliance Frameworks increasingly reference satellite-derived data as authoritative. The European Union's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), entering full implementation in 2026, accepts satellite-verified emissions data for imported goods. The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) has published guidance recognizing space-based MRV for forest carbon and land-use change monitoring. Asia-Pacific jurisdictions including Japan, South Korea, and Thailand have incorporated satellite monitoring provisions into national climate legislation. Decision-makers must understand that compliance pathways increasingly assume satellite data availability, creating competitive disadvantages for organizations without space infrastructure integration.

What's Working and What Isn't

What's Working

Integrated early warning systems combining multiple satellite data streams have demonstrated measurable impact on disaster preparedness across Asia-Pacific. The ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance (AHA Centre) leverages Sentinel-1 SAR, Himawari-9 geostationary imagery, and ground sensor networks to issue flood and cyclone warnings averaging 72 hours before landfall. During the 2024 monsoon season, this integrated approach enabled evacuation of 2.3 million people across Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam, reducing mortality rates by an estimated 65% compared to historical baselines. The system operates at an annual cost of USD 4.2 million, generating estimated avoided losses exceeding USD 800 million.

Commercial methane monitoring for industrial facilities has achieved operational maturity. GHGSat's constellation of 12 satellites, combined with Kayrros analytics, enabled identification of 847 super-emitter facilities across Asia-Pacific in 2024. Major oil and gas operators including PETRONAS, PTT, and ONGC have integrated satellite monitoring into leak detection and repair (LDAR) programs, with documented methane reduction of 23% across monitored facilities. The unit economics prove compelling: satellite monitoring costs approximately USD 1,200 per facility annually compared to USD 8,000-15,000 for quarterly ground-based surveys, while achieving 40% higher detection rates for intermittent emissions.

Agricultural insurance parametric products leveraging satellite indices have scaled dramatically. The Asian Development Bank's Climate Risk Insurance Initiative, utilizing NDVI vegetation indices and precipitation estimates from GPM satellites, disbursed USD 340 million in parametric payouts to 2.8 million smallholder farmers across India, Philippines, and Indonesia in 2024. Claim settlement times averaged 14 days compared to 90+ days for traditional loss adjustment. Index insurance premiums range from 3-8% of coverage value, with satellite data costs representing less than 0.5% of premium—a unit economics breakthrough enabling profitable extension to previously uninsurable populations.

What Isn't Working

Data integration across organizational silos remains a persistent barrier. Despite satellite data availability, surveys indicate that 73% of Asia-Pacific enterprises store climate intelligence in departmental silos without integration into enterprise risk management or supply chain systems. A 2024 assessment of 200 regional corporations found that satellite data subscriptions were utilized by an average of 1.4 departments despite being procured for enterprise-wide application. The root cause typically lies in middleware gaps: satellite data arrives in geospatial formats (GeoTIFF, NetCDF) incompatible with enterprise resource planning (ERP) and supply chain management platforms without specialized translation layers.

Temporal resolution gaps for fast-onset events constrain effectiveness for certain hazard types. While satellite revisit times have improved dramatically, sub-hourly monitoring required for flash flood prediction and urban heat emergency response remains technically and economically challenging. The cost of tasking commercial SAR satellites for emergency acquisitions ranges from USD 3,000-15,000 per scene with 4-12 hour delivery times—acceptable for slow-onset events but inadequate for phenomena requiring minute-scale situational awareness. Ground-based sensors and weather radar remain essential complements for these applications.

Capacity constraints in analytics and interpretation limit value extraction from available data. The Asia-Pacific region faces an estimated shortage of 45,000 geospatial analysts with climate application expertise. Universities across the region graduate approximately 3,000 qualified professionals annually against demand growth of 15% per year. Organizations frequently procure satellite data subscriptions without corresponding investment in human capital, resulting in underutilization rates exceeding 60%. Machine learning platforms from providers like SpaceKnow, Orbital Insight, and Descartes Labs partially address this gap but require significant configuration for enterprise-specific applications.

Key Players

Established Leaders

Planet Labs (USA) operates the largest commercial Earth observation constellation with 200+ Dove satellites providing daily global coverage at 3-5 meter resolution. Their Asia-Pacific operations center in Singapore serves over 150 regional enterprise clients with specialized agricultural and infrastructure monitoring solutions.

Maxar Technologies (USA) maintains the highest-resolution commercial constellation with WorldView Legion satellites achieving 30 cm resolution. Their Vricon 3D modeling capabilities support critical infrastructure resilience planning across major Asia-Pacific urban centers.

Airbus Defence and Space (EU) operates the Pléiades Neo constellation offering 30 cm native resolution with industry-leading revisit frequency. Their OneAtlas platform provides standardized API access utilized by 40+ Asia-Pacific government agencies for disaster response.

JAXA (Japan) as a national space agency operates ALOS-4 and GOSAT greenhouse gas monitoring satellites, providing foundational data infrastructure for regional climate science and policy applications under open data agreements.

ISRO (India) operates the Cartosat and RISAT constellations serving South and Southeast Asian markets with cost-effective medium-resolution imagery, supporting agricultural monitoring programs reaching 50+ million farmers.

Emerging Startups

Pixxel (India) is deploying a hyperspectral constellation enabling detection of crop stress, water quality degradation, and industrial pollution across 150+ spectral bands. Their 2024 Series B raised USD 36 million to scale Asia-Pacific agricultural applications.

Synspective (Japan) operates a SAR constellation optimized for infrastructure monitoring and land subsidence detection, with particular focus on Southeast Asian coastal cities experiencing rapid development and climate vulnerability.

Satellogic (Argentina/USA) offers high-frequency, affordable multispectral imagery with aggressive Asia-Pacific expansion, targeting agricultural commodity trading and supply chain verification applications.

GHGSat (Canada) specializes in high-precision methane monitoring, with facilities across Asia-Pacific's oil and gas sector now representing 35% of their global monitoring portfolio.

LeoLabs (USA) provides space situational awareness services ensuring constellation sustainability, with their New Zealand ground station enabling critical Asia-Pacific orbital tracking.

Key Investors & Funders

Temasek Holdings (Singapore) has deployed over USD 400 million into space and climate technology ventures, including significant positions in Planet Labs and regional analytics platforms.

SoftBank Vision Fund maintains investments exceeding USD 600 million in Earth observation and space infrastructure companies, with particular focus on India and Southeast Asian applications.

Asian Development Bank (ADB) provides concessional financing and technical assistance for satellite-based climate resilience programs, with USD 2.1 billion committed to regional space applications through 2030.

Green Climate Fund (GCF) has approved USD 180 million for satellite-enabled climate adaptation projects across Pacific Island developing states and least developed countries in Asia.

Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) funds satellite ground station infrastructure and capacity building programs across Southeast Asia, with USD 340 million deployed since 2020.

Examples

Philippines Department of Agriculture SARAI System: The Smarter Approaches to Reinvigorate Agriculture as an Industry (SARAI) program integrates Sentinel-2, Landsat-9, and MODIS satellite data to provide crop monitoring across 4.8 million hectares of agricultural land. Implemented in partnership with the University of the Philippines and DOST-ASTI, the system delivers 10-day composite NDVI maps, drought stress indices, and yield forecasts to 890,000 registered farmers via mobile application. Documented outcomes include 18% reduction in crop losses during the 2024 El Niño event compared to the 2015-2016 baseline, with estimated value preservation of USD 420 million. Platform operating costs total USD 2.8 million annually, representing a cost-benefit ratio of 150:1.
Tokyo Metropolitan Government Urban Heat Island Monitoring: Since 2023, Tokyo has operated an integrated monitoring network combining Landsat thermal imagery, Sentinel-3 land surface temperature products, and 3,000 ground-based sensors to map urban heat exposure at 100-meter resolution. The system identifies heat vulnerability zones and triggers cooling center activation protocols. During the August 2024 heat emergency, satellite-derived alerts enabled targeted intervention in 23 high-risk wards, with documented 34% reduction in heat-related hospitalizations compared to model predictions. The program cost USD 4.1 million to implement with annual operating expenses of USD 890,000.
Mekong River Commission Flood Early Warning: The MRC's regional flood forecasting system integrates Sentinel-1 SAR flood mapping, GPM precipitation estimates, and hydrological modeling to provide 5-day forecasts across the Lower Mekong Basin affecting 60 million people across Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam. Automated satellite-triggered alerts reach district authorities within 4 hours of flood detection. During the 2024 monsoon season, the system issued 1,247 warnings with 89% accuracy, enabling evacuation of 840,000 people and preventing an estimated USD 1.2 billion in agricultural and infrastructure losses. Total system cost of USD 18 million over 5 years yields cost-benefit ratio of 67:1.

Action Checklist

FAQ

Q: What is the minimum investment required to begin utilizing satellite data for climate resilience? A: Entry-level access to satellite-derived climate intelligence starts at approximately USD 5,000-15,000 annually through platforms like Google Earth Engine (free for research), Planet Explorer (USD 4,500/year for basic access), or Copernicus Data Space (free Sentinel data with commercial analytics overlays). For enterprise-grade applications with custom analytics, dedicated support, and guaranteed service levels, organizations should budget USD 75,000-250,000 annually depending on geographic scope and required resolution. The critical consideration is total cost of ownership including internal analytics capacity or managed services, which typically equals or exceeds data subscription costs.

Q: How do satellite monitoring capabilities compare to ground-based sensor networks? A: Satellite and ground-based systems offer complementary rather than competitive capabilities. Satellites excel at broad spatial coverage (continental to global), consistent measurement methodology across jurisdictions, and access to remote or hazardous areas. Ground sensors provide superior temporal resolution (minute-scale versus daily), direct measurement of parameters requiring physical sampling (air quality particulates, water chemistry), and lower latency for real-time applications. Optimal climate resilience architectures integrate both: satellites for spatial context and regional situational awareness, ground sensors for high-frequency local monitoring and calibration validation. Cost-per-measurement favors satellites beyond approximately 100 measurement points for equivalent geographic coverage.

Q: What are the key technical specifications to evaluate when selecting satellite data providers? A: Decision-makers should assess five primary technical parameters: spatial resolution (pixel size, ranging from 30 cm to 30 m for common commercial products), temporal resolution (revisit frequency, ranging from sub-daily to 16 days), spectral capabilities (visible, near-infrared, shortwave infrared, thermal, SAR), radiometric quality (bit depth and calibration accuracy affecting quantitative analysis), and delivery parameters (latency from acquisition to delivery, format options, API availability). For climate resilience applications, SAR capability is often essential given cloud cover constraints, while thermal bands enable heat monitoring applications. Minimum viable specifications for enterprise use typically include <5 m resolution, <5 day revisit, and <24 hour delivery.

Q: How should organizations approach Scope 3 emissions verification using satellite data? A: Satellite-based Scope 3 verification is most mature for methane emissions (oil and gas, waste, agriculture), land-use change (deforestation, agricultural expansion), and large industrial point sources. Organizations should begin by identifying Scope 3 categories with highest materiality and satellite observability—typically categories 1 (purchased goods), 4 (upstream transportation), and 15 (investments) for asset-intensive industries. Engage specialized providers like GHGSat for methane, Pachama or Chloris for forest carbon, and Kayrros for multi-pollutant industrial monitoring. Expect 6-12 month implementation timelines for pilot programs with 18-24 months to production-scale verification. Current satellite MRV typically achieves 15-30% uncertainty bounds compared to 50-200% for estimation-based methodologies.

Q: What regulatory developments should decision-makers monitor over the next 24 months? A: Priority regulatory developments include: the European Union's CBAM full implementation (January 2026) accepting satellite-verified emissions data; SEC climate disclosure rules implementation timelines and any satellite data safe harbor provisions; ISSB standards adoption across Asia-Pacific jurisdictions with varying satellite data acceptance; and emerging carbon market integrity initiatives (ICVCM, VCMI) that may require or preference satellite-based monitoring for offset verification. Additionally, monitor space sustainability regulations that may affect constellation operations and data continuity, including the FCC's 5-year deorbit mandate and potential ITU spectrum allocation changes affecting SAR frequencies.

Sources

United Nations ESCAP (2024). "Asia-Pacific Disaster Report 2024: Climate Risk and Resilience." Bangkok: United Nations.
International Sustainability Standards Board (2024). "IFRS S2 Climate-related Disclosures: Application Guidance for Satellite-Derived Data." ISSB Staff Paper.
Planet Labs PBC (2025). "2024 Annual Report and Form 10-K." San Francisco: Planet Labs.
Asian Development Bank (2024). "Space Technology for Climate Resilience in Asia and the Pacific." Manila: ADB Publications.
GHGSat Inc. (2024). "Global Methane Emissions Report: Asia-Pacific Industrial Sector Analysis." Montreal: GHGSat.
World Meteorological Organization (2024). "State of Climate Services 2024: Early Warning Systems." Geneva: WMO Publications.
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (2024). "ALOS-4 Mission Status and Climate Applications." JAXA Technical Report.