China and several Central Asian countries have agreed to develop a joint satellite constellation to monitor natural disasters, track environmental change and improve regional disaster preparedness through shared remote-sensing data.
The agreement was signed during the 9th China-Eurasia Expo in Urumqi, the capital of China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Named the Tianwu Constellation, the project will initially consist of five satellites designed to monitor shared regional threats, including earthquakes, landslides, agricultural pests and floods caused by glacial melt.
Scientists from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan attended the signing ceremony, describing the initiative as an important step towards strengthening scientific cooperation and environmental resilience across Central Asia.
The project will combine satellite observations with ground-based infrastructure and artificial intelligence (AI) to provide real-time monitoring and analysis of environmental risks.
Satellite data collected across the region will be processed at a computing centre in Xinjiang, where AI models will be developed to improve geological disaster forecasting, detect agricultural pests and monitor glacier retreat.
According to remote-sensing expert Tong Qingxi of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xinjiang and neighbouring Central Asian countries share similar geographical conditions and face many of the same natural hazards, making regional cooperation essential for disaster prevention.
Researchers say the satellite network will also help countries better manage increasingly scarce water resources.
Academician Chen Xi of the International Eurasian Academy of Sciences said glaciers across the mountain ranges linking Xinjiang and Central Asia have shrunk by between 20 and 40 per cent in recent years. More precise satellite monitoring is expected to improve understanding of glacier dynamics, support water allocation and strengthen long-term water security across the region.
Scientists involved in the project say the initiative goes beyond launching satellites, representing a broader framework for scientific collaboration and technological development.
Akobir Mirzorakhimzoda, Vice-President of the National Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan, said advanced technologies such as satellite constellations and artificial intelligence would enable real-time monitoring of environmental indicators and provide governments with more reliable information for decision-making.
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