AIBD/CFI Terra Asia Launches Regional Training in Kuala Lumpur

By Naing Naing Aye

Kuala Lumpur, 21 November 2025: A regional training, “Harnessing Satellite Imagery to Transform Environmental Storytelling,” was organized under the Terra Asia project—a collaboration between Canal France International (CFI) and the Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD), with support from the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs. The event took place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from November 17 to 20, 2025.

Following earlier country-focused national-level trainings on AI, digital innovation, and fact-checking, sixteen participants from public media outlets across the Indo-Pacific, representing the Philippines, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Fiji, gathered for the first time. This regional workshop provided a crucial platform for them to collaborate, compare challenges, and refine story ideas.

During the opening session, CFI trainer and media expert Mr. Robert Bourgoing, CFI regional coordinator Ms. Tatine Faylona, AIBD Programme Manager Ms. Naing Naing Aye, CFI MEAL experts Mr. Silviu Kondan and Ms. Rowena Symss made opening and welcoming remarks.

Led by trainer Mr. Robert Bourgoing, the four-day program enabled journalists to gain practical expertise in the use of freely available satellite data and mapping platforms. They explored tools such as Google Earth Pro, the Copernicus Browser, Global Forest Watch, Global Fishing Watch, and the Allen Coral Atlas, learning not only to interpret the imagery but also to compose compelling narratives using timelapses, animated GIFs, and interactive maps.

Mr. Bourgoing explained the project’s mission: “Arguably, the two most important and urgent global challenges we face are climate change and AI-fuelled disinformation. The CFI Terra Asia program is designed around these two: training participants in covering environmental stories while combating misinformation and disinformation.”

Through hands-on exercises, attendees learned to track deforestation, expose illegal fishing, monitor coastal erosion, and document climate-induced displacement. They also practiced geolocation and fact-checking using satellite imagery, which is important for verification where on-the-ground access is limited. Throughout the workshop, the participants engaged in a dynamic blend of theory and practical application, gaining proficiency with cutting-edge geospatial tools.

The immediate application of their new skills is assured through the project’s support structure. “A significant part of the Terra Asia program includes a grant to support the production of in-depth stories that put into practice the knowledge and skills acquired by the trainees,” Mr. Bourgoing noted. “Each participating media organization is committed to producing and disseminating at least 10 stories… They will benefit from additional mentoring by me throughout the production stage until June 2026.”

At the closing session, the participants presented detailed story concepts they aim to develop using satellite data and other skills acquired throughout the program. Starting in October 2025, a ten-part series of online thematic training sessions is being offered to all interested parties of AIBD member organizations to make Terra Asia as inclusive as possible. The online training series will run until May 2026, and it may still be possible to attend it by emailing to [email protected].

For more information about the Terra Asia project, visit: https://cfi.fr/en/project/terra-asia