EARTH OBSERVATION APPLICATIONS FOR GOAL 14: IMPROVING MARITIME DOMAIN AWARENESS USING SYNTHETIC APERTURE RADAR IMAGING WITH AUTOMATIC IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM IN THE PHILIPPINES

Abstract

The Philippines has acquired access to the NovaSAR-1 satellite developed by Surrey Satellite Technology, Ltd. (SSTL) for the implementation of its project Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and Automatic Identification System (AIS) for Innovative Terrestrial Monitoring and Maritime Surveillance, which will provide simultaneous S-band SAR imaging with AIS data for applications targeted on improving maritime domain awareness. The country has inherent challenges in this field due to its archipelagic nature, with earth observation seen as a potential solution as it provides an immediate and wide coverage over designated priority areas. This contributes toward achieving Sustainable Development Goal 14: Life Below Water by providing objective information in support of data-driven decision and policymaking, closing knowledge gaps in monitoring Philippine waters.