On March 27, the China-Kazakhstan Joint Laboratory for Remote Sensing Technology and Applications was officially inaugurated in Almaty, marking the operational start of the joint laboratory.
It is understood that the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (hereinafter referred to as the Xinjiang Institute) and Al-Farabi Kazakh National University signed an agreement in May 2023 to co-establish the China-Kazakhstan Joint Laboratory for Remote Sensing Technology and Applications. The signing of this agreement was included in the list of achievements of the first China-Central Asia Summit, and the construction of the joint laboratory was also listed as a key project of interest by both Kazakhstan and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
According to the Science and Technology Daily sourced from the Xinjiang Institute, once operational, the joint laboratory will address significant challenges such as climate change, ecological degradation, and environmental crises faced by the region. It will leverage the technological advantages of China and Kazakhstan in satellite remote sensing, utilizing remote sensing monitoring, ground observation networks, and integrated drone surveys for verification, to build a regionally competitive ecological and environmental monitoring and early warning system. By pooling resources and sharing achievements, it aims to establish a multidisciplinary, comprehensive, high-level international platform in the field of resource ecology and environment between China and Kazakhstan, and even between China and Central Asia, providing strong scientific and technological support for the advancement of the Green Silk Road and regional sustainable development.
To date, the Xinjiang Institute and Al-Farabi Kazakh National University have jointly invested approximately $400,000, mainly for purchasing necessary instruments and equipment for the laboratory and for foundational infrastructure. The first phase of construction is essentially complete. Moving forward, both parties will rely on the joint laboratory platform to continue in-depth scientific research, technical cooperation, and talent cultivation, aiming to better benefit the peoples of both countries through science and technology.
