During the ERIM Symposium in San Jose, Costa Rica in April 1980 a group of Asian remote sensing enthusiasts made a bold decision to start an Asian conference to share the knowledge of the new technology in Asia and the result was to organize the first symposium in Bangkok, Thailand. This was even before forming the Asian Association on Remote Sensing. In the following year the ACRS conference was held in Beijing, China and the Asian Association on Remote Sensing (AARS) was established and the bylaws enacted. This was in 1981. The following year ACRS conducted in Bangladesh and it was the start that gave the AARS council members the confidence to make the conference as an annual global event.
Since then ACRS conferences were conducted in Asia in many cities with the voluntary participation of the host country and researchers, educators, students coming from all over the world.
The objective of AARS is to promote Remote Sensing through exchange of information, mutual cooperation and international understanding and goodwill amongst the member countries of Asia-Pacific Region. Participation in the conference as a presenter or an attendee could bring a wealth of information and more importantly provide ample opportunities to shake hands and develop network with people who are working on same technology for scientific development and practical application for better society.