Group on Earth Observations

An Overview

Group on Earth Observations

An Overview

January 2005

Group on Earth ObservationsGlobal Earth Observing System of Systems

An Overview

Earth Observation Summits I & II

Outcomes:

– Established GEO

– Adopted Declaration

– Adopted Framework Document

– Agreed to Outline for 10-year Plan

Outcomes:

– Established GEO

– Adopted Declaration

– Adopted Framework Document

– Agreed to Outline for 10-year Plan

AD HOC INTERGOVERNMENTAL GROUP ON EARTH

OBSERVATIONS (GEO)• 54 Countries + EC and 33 International Organizations • Plenary• Secretariat• 5 Subgroups

– Architecture– Capacity Building– Data Utilization– International Cooperation– User Requirements and Outreach

• Implementation Plan Task Team

GEO FOCUS: BENEFITS OF OBSERVATIONS

NINE AREAS OF SOCIETAL BENEFIT Disasters – Reducing loss of life and property from natural and

human-induced disasters Health – Understanding environmental factors affecting human

health and well being Energy – Improving management of energy resources Climate – Understanding, predicting, mitigating and adapting to

climate variability and change Water – Improving water resource management through better

understanding of the water cycle Weather – Improving weather information, forecasting and

warning Ecosystems – Improving the management and protection of

terrestrial, coastal and marine resources Agriculture – Supporting sustainable agriculture and combating

desertification Biodiversity – Understanding, monitoring, and conserving

biodiversity

Key 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.

GEO MEMBERS (53+EC)Algeria

European Commission*

Luxembourg South Africa*

Argentina Finland Mali Spain

Australia France Mexico Sweden

Belgium Gabon Morocco Switzerland

Belize Germany Mozambique Thailand

Brazil Greece Nepal Ukraine

Cameroon Guinea-Bissau Netherlands United Kingdom

Canada Indonesia New Zealand United States*

Central African Republic

India Niger Uzbekistan

Chile Iran Nigeria*Represents GEO Co-Chair

China Ireland Norway

Croatia Israel Portugal

Cyprus Italy Republic of Congo

Denmark Japan* Republic of Korea

Egypt Kazakhstan Russian Federation

Mali Sudan

PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS (33)

• 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)• Federation of Digital Broad-Band Seismograph Networks (FDSN)• 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)• International Association of Geodesy (IAG)

PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS (contd.)

• International Council for Science (ICSU)• International Geosphere-Biosphere Program (IGBP)• International Group of Funding Agencies for Global Change Research (IGFA)• International Institute for Space Law (IISL)• 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 Convention on Biodiversity• United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification• 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)

What is GEOSS?Global Earth Observing System of Systems

• GEOSS is a distributed system of systems built on current international cooperation among existing Earth observing and data management systems

• GEOSS enables the collection and distribution of accurate, reliable Earth Observation data, information, products, and services in an end-to-end process

The Global Framework

A distributed system of systems– Improves coordination of

strategies and observation systems

– Links all platforms: in situ, aircraft, and satellite networks

– Identifies gaps in our global capacity

– Facilitates exchange of data and information

– Improves decision-makers’ abilities to address pressing policy issues

Attributes of an Integrated Global Observing System

India INSATIndia INSATU.S. GOESU.S. GOES

• Sustained

• Integrated

• Comprehensive

• Global

Benefits Focus

Natural & Human Induced

Disasters

Human Health & Well-Being

Energy Resources

Climate Variability &

Change

Water Resources

Weather Information,

Forecasting & Warning

Ecosystems

Sustainable Agriculture &

Desertification

Oceans

Why GEOSS?GEOSS-Global System To Meet Societal Needs

– Interdisciplinary focus

– An integrated international system using remote sensing & in situ systems

– Foundation for sound decision-making: global, regional, & local level

Social, Economic, & Science Concerns– More than half the world’s population lives within 60 km of the

shoreline, & this could rise to 3/4 by the year 2020

– More than 90% of natural disaster-related deaths occur in developing countries

– 25% of Earth’s biological productivity & an estimated 80-90% of global commercial fish catch is concentrated in coastal zones

– Worldwide agricultural benefits of better El Niño forecasts are conservatively estimated at $450-$550M/year

Societal Benefits

Climate Variability and

ChangeOcean

Resources

Disasters

Energy

HealthAgriculture

EcosystemWater Resources

Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS)

Global Observing Systems

GCOSGOOSGTOS

WHYCOSWorld Weather

IGBPIOOSCEOSIGOS

Global Observing Systems

GCOSGOOSGTOS

WHYCOSWorld Weather

IGBPIOOSCEOSIGOS

National/Multinational Observing Systems

Satellites

Surface Obs.

Radar

Aircraft

Ocean Observations

Paleo-data

National/Multinational Observing Systems

Satellites

Surface Obs.

Radar

Aircraft

Ocean Observations

Paleo-data

Private Sector Observing Systems

Satellites

Mesonets

Lightning

Commercial Aircraft

Private Sector Observing Systems

Satellites

Mesonets

Lightning

Commercial Aircraft

Ongoing Analysis of the Climate System

Weather

Implementation Approach

Data Management System for Earth Observations

• Data Management Needs– New Systems mean 100-fold

increase in data– Current systems already face

challenges– Development of browser and

visualization systems— underpinned by core geospatial technologies

– Interoperability through protocols and standards

Global Earth Observing System of Systems

Global Earth Observing System of Systems

United States– Integrated Earth Observation System

European Commission– Global Monitoring for Environment and Security

Asia– Asian Monsoon Observation Initiative

Africa– New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD)

Environment Initiative

United States– Integrated Earth Observation System

European Commission– Global Monitoring for Environment and Security

Asia– Asian Monsoon Observation Initiative

Africa– New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD)

Environment Initiative

Near Term Opportunities

• Improved Observations for Disaster Warnings

• Global Land Observing System

• Sea Level Observing System

• National Integrated Drought Information System

• Air Quality Assessment and Forecast System

• Data Management System for Earth Observations

Coming Soon…Earth Observation Summit III

• Brussels, Belgium, February 16• Agreement on Implementation Plan and

Resolution• Set up new GEO Structure and Secretariat

– WMO offer to host

• Near-term Opportunities Include: – Data Management System for Earth Observations– Improved Observations for Disaster Warnings– Global Land Observing System

Challenge

Transformation of the Earth Observation System into the Earth Information

System

Earth Observation Info...

Intergovernmental ad hoc Group on Earth Observations

http://earthobservations.org