Group on Earth Observations From Observation to Action

Group on Earth Observations From Observation to Action

Group on Earth Observations From Observation to Action

Helen M. Wood

GEO Secretariat Director

[email protected]

April 2004

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BENEFITS OF OBSERVATIONSBENEFITS OF OBSERVATIONS

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OBSERVATIONS TO INFORMATIONHEALTH—MALARIAOBSERVATIONS TO INFORMATIONHEALTH—MALARIA

Malaria affects 300-500 million people worldwide

Early warning system Temperature Humidity Vegetation Soil Moisture

Possible outbreak prevention

AVHRR

AVHRR-SST

TOPEX-SSA

SeaWiFS-Chl-a

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OBSERVATIONS TO INFORMATIONAGRICULTUREOBSERVATIONS TO INFORMATIONAGRICULTURE

Production tied to healthy environment and sound planning

Contribution of Earth Observation Ability to map vegetation and land use; develop digital terrain

models Understand role of humidity, soil moisture, precipitation, air

humidity

Benefits Help predict and understand droughts, harvests, potential crop

damage Make decisions based on sustainable agriculture practices

Example: Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET)

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OBSERVATIONS TO INFORMATIONNATURAL DISASTERSOBSERVATIONS TO INFORMATIONNATURAL DISASTERS

Earth observations critical to work of disaster community

Previous experience provides opportunity for integrated global system

Key areas in disaster management cycle: preparedness and prediction assessment of hazards and damage response and recovery mitigation and research

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OBSERVATIONS TO INFORMATIONWATER RESOURCESOBSERVATIONS TO INFORMATIONWATER RESOURCES

White Water to Blue Water - WSSD Integrated watershed and marine ecosystem-based

management beginning with the Wider Caribbean Understand and recognize connection among sectors Involves national, UN, international, universities and

private partners Includes strengthening of an ocean observation

system for region Critical for addressing pollution, habitat

degradation, natural disasters Benefit: Healthy, well-managed and productive

marine and coastal ecosystem Basis for economic development and social well-being

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EARTH OBSERVATION SUMMIT IEARTH OBSERVATION SUMMIT I

Washington, D.C.July 31, 2003

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EARTH OBSERVATION SUMMIT I DECLARATIONEARTH OBSERVATION SUMMIT I DECLARATION

Linked to WSSD & G8 outcomes

Affirmed need for: Comprehensive, coordinated, sustained Earth observation

system or systems; Coordinated effort to address capacity-building needs related

to Earth observations; Exchange of observations in a full and open manner with

minimum time delay and minimum cost; and Preparing a 10-year Implementation Plan, building on

existing systems and initiatives

Created the ad hoc Group on Earth Observations (GEO)

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AD HOC INTERGOVERNMENTAL GROUP ON EARTH

OBSERVATIONS (GEO)AD HOC INTERGOVERNMENTAL GROUP ON EARTH

OBSERVATIONS (GEO)

47 Countries + EC and 26 International Organizations

Plenary

Secretariat

5 Subgroups Architecture Capacity Building Data Utilization International Cooperation User Requirements and Outreach

Implementation Plan Task Team

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Key OutputsKey Outputs

The Framework Document A high-level synopsis of the GEO effort for senior policymakers, presenting

the purpose, expected benefits, and broad framework for developing the 10-year Implementation Plan, establishing the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS)

The 10-Year Implementation Plan A 10-Year roadmap for creating GEOSS as a distributed system of systems,

building step-by-step on current cooperation efforts among existing observing and processing systems within their mandates, while encouraging and accommodating new components. The GEOSS will be:

comprehensive, by including observations and products gathered from all components required to serve the needs of participating members;

coordinated, in terms of leveraging resources of individual contributing members to accomplish this system, whose total capacity is greater than the sum of its parts;

sustained, by the collective and individual will and capacity of participating members.

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Working DocumentsWorking Documents

GEO Subgroup Reports A summary of the work accomplished by the GEO Subgroups to

date, providing the core technical elements on the five key aspects to be addressed in the 10-Year Implementation Plan for the creation of the GEOSS

The 10 Year Implementation Plan Outline An annotated outline describing the general shape and content of

the 10-Year Implementation Plan.

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MilestonesMilestones

GEO-4 Meeting in Tokyo - 22-23 April 2004 – Working Documents

Earth Observation Summit II – 25 April 2004 – Framework Document

Earth Observation Summit III– 16 February 2005 – The 10 Year Implementation Plan

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GEOSS: Implications for Space OperatorsGEOSS: Implications for Space Operators

• International agreement on backbone of critical measurements

• Requirement for continuity of observations from space, not only for weather but in all facets of observations (climate, disasters, etc.)

• Improved coordination of mission planning, development, and operations, especially for current research missions addressing critical observational gaps.

• Smoother transition from research to operations

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GEO MEMBERS (47+EC)GEO MEMBERS (47+EC)Algeria Gabon Netherlands United Kingdom

Argentina Germany New Zealand United States

Australia Greece Nigeria Uzbekistan

Belgium Indonesia Norway

Belize India Portugal

Brazil Iran Republic of Congo

Cameroon Ireland Republic of Korea

Canada Israel Russian Federation

China Italy South Africa

Cyprus Japan Spain

Denmark Kazakhstan Sudan

Egypt Mexico Sweden

European CommissionMorocco Switzerland

Finland Mozambique Thailand

France Nepal Ukraine

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PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONSPARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS

Association for the Development of Environmental Information (ADIE)

Central American Commission for the Environment and Development (SICA/CCAD)

Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS)

European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF)

European Environmental Agency (EEA)

European Space Agency (ESA)

European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT)

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

Global Climate Observing System (GCOS)

Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS)

Global Terrestrial Observing System (GTOS)

Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE)

Integrated Global Observing Strategy Partnership (IGOS-P)

Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commissions (IOC)

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PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS (contd.)PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS (contd.)

International Association of Geodesy (IAG)

International Council for Science (ICSU)

International Geosphere-Biosphere Program (IGBP)

International Group of Funding Agencies for Global Change Research (IGFA)

International Steering Committee for Global Mapping  (ISCGM)

International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR)

Network of European Meteorological Services/Composite Observing System (EUMETNET/EUCOS)

Partnership for Observation of the Global Ocean (POGO)

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA)

World Bank (IBRD)

World Climate Research Programme (WCRP)World Meteorological Organization (WMO)

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MORE INFORMATIONMORE INFORMATION

http://earthobservations.org