Synspective Starts SAR Demo in Guatemala for Disaster Prevention 

A look at Synspective’s Land Displacement Monitoring (LDM) service. Photo: Synspective

Japanese satellite company Synspective has begun a demonstration for a disaster prevention management system in Guatemala. Synspecitve is working with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) on this pilot project, announced Thursday. 

Synspective provides Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery, which can capture data through cloud and darkness. The company is testing its Land Displacement Monitoring (LDM) service which can observe subsidence and landslides caused by earthquakes. Synspective said it is being used in Guatemala City to contribute to survey operations and detect potential risk at latent stages. The demonstration started in August and is expected to continue to January 2022. 

“By using LDM, it is possible to identify displacement disasters and take measures to prevent building and home collapse, ensuing financial losses, as well as protect residents. In addition, by introducing a platform service that features analytical results from SAR satellites, the service will lead to disaster monitoring and preventive maintenance through continuous use,” Synspective said in a news release. 

The company also noted that this use case is applicable to Japan as well, because it is also prone to earthquakes.