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As environmental pollution and climate change have shown us, human activities are causing dramatic changes to our planet Earth, which is the very basis for our existence. These impacts have led to the concept that we are witnessing the dawn of a new geological epoch, referred to as the “Anthropocene.” Besides ongoing changes in population structure, plus geopolitical risks and the rise of populism, a chain of diverse threats such as intensifying natural disasters and infectious diseases on a global scale are having an enormous impact on society and the economy.
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With the aim of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the global community today is in the midst of a paradigm shift, a transition toward sustainable society after a period of high economic growth that was driven by science and technology. Expectations regarding science are also changing, from research into the fundamental character of nature and society, toward science that explains the current changes in nature and society and can design the shape of our future.
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To pursue sustainability, from the local to the global level it is necessary not only to integrate diverse scientific disciplines but also to engage in interdisciplinary research and collaborate with a diversity of stakeholders. For this we need an “Earth” that is an overarching information platform constructed in cyberspace and multi-dimensional, has multiple levels of visual resolution and can be displayed in real time. We call this “Digital Earth.” Today at last we have an immense amount of Earth observation information and spatial data and have seen tremendous advances in geographic information systems (GIS) and geoinformatics to utilize that information and data. On top of that we have information and communications technologies on a global scale, plus the rise of citizen science and information from social media being enabled by Internet technology. In essence, the enabling environment for Digital Earth is coming together.
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The International Digital Earth Applied Science Research Center (IDEAS) was established in April 2011 to create Digital Earth, with the aim of focusing on the complex systemic problems facing society today through collaboration among researchers in both the arts and sciences disciplines, and helping to design a sustainable society by visualizing the big picture of problems and identifying interconnections based on scientific evidence. In 2014 we were accredited as a Joint Usage/Research Center by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT).
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We expect Digital Earth to be used not only to solve global environmental problems, but also to think about a sustainable future for the Earth, by serving as a communication platform and as a collaborative lab to solve complex systemic problems that have multifaceted and interconnected aspects such as the environment and disasters. Japan’s Fifth Science and Technology Basic Plan (2016-2020) refers to a human-centered “Society 5.0” that deals with both economic and societal issues using advanced approaches to integrate cyberspace and physical space. (The “5.0” refers to next transformation of society following the first four stages—hunter-gatherer, agricultural, industrial, and information society). We believe that Digital Earth can play a crucial role in this transformation.
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Going forward, we hope to collaborate extensively with researchers, governments and civil society to make significant advances in this research. We appreciate your understanding and support in these endeavors.
Director of Chubu Institute for Advanced Studies,
Director of International Digital Earth Applied Science Research Center (IDEAS), Chubu University
FUKUI Hiromichi
Professor FUKUI Hiromichi, D.Sc.
Director of Chubu Institute for Advanced Studies,
Director of International Digital Earth Applied Science Research Center (IDEAS), Chubu University
After graduation from the Graduate School of Science at Nagoya University, he has held various posts including work at a private think tank, Keio University (professor), and the Science Council of Japan (member), before starting his current position in 2011.
In his field of expertise in global environmental studies and spatial information sciences, he is conducting research for the development of Digital Earth and its applications for disaster prevention and reduction as well as environmental preservation.
Major publications in Japanese include “The Leading Edge of Integrated Policy Studies I,” “Introduction to Global Security,” “GIS and Public Participation,” and “Toward Sustainable Society.”
