DBAR: AN INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE PROGRAM FOR REGIONAL SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

The “Silk Road Economic Belt” and the “21st Century Maritime Silk Road” initiatives (abbreviated to “Belt and Road”) are a global breakthrough in international cooperation. The Belt and Road is a long-term, complicated, arduous systems engineering feat covering a wide geographical range and long-time periods, and crossing into many fields of study. Earth observation technologies have macro-level capabilities that enable rapid, accurate monitoring of Earth. Earth observation represents a new horizon for human beings to understand our planet with a new method for studying Earth’s environment. It will also provide scientific decision-making support for construction and sustainable development in the countries and regions along the Belt and Road. To this end, the “Digital Belt and Road” (DBAR) initiative was launched to facilitate Earth observation and “Big Earth Data” in the Belt and Road region. DBAR has received support from more than 20 international organizations and countries along the Belt and Road. Intercontinental links are an important part of DBAR, allowing for accelerated scientific cooperation in Earth observation. DBAR is bringing new scientific collaboration opportunities for regional and global partners to promote the construction of Earth observation systems and data sharing, and researching the key issues of sustainable development through transnational, synergistic Earth observations.