How European Community FP7 projects support GEOSS

By the GEO Staff of DG Research, Unit I.4

The 7th Framework Programme of the European Community (EC) for Research, Technological Development and Demonstration Activities (2007-2013) (in short: FP7) is one of Europe’s most important instruments for funding research activities that support the development and integration of GEOSS. This is reflected in the fact that the EC decision establishing FP7 provides explicit support to the GEOSS initiative.

As detailed in a recent interview with Earthzine by Zoran Stančič, Deputy Director-General of the European Commission's Research Directorate-General and one of the four GEO Co-Chairs, FP7 puts a strong emphasis on the need to integrate European Earth observation research activities into the nine GEO Societal Benefit Areas at both the European and global scales.

In a second Earthzine interview, Mr Stančič describes the European Union's substantial contributions to GEO and the benefits that GEOSS is bringing to Europe. One of FP7’s key contributions to GEOSS is the development of GMES (Global Monitoring for Environment and Security).

In addition, the first research activities resulting from the 2007 Call for Proposals under the Environment Theme of the FP7’s Cooperation Specific Programme are now being implemented. Supported with around €20 million of FP7 funding, these projects address several GEOSS priority areas. These are:

• monitoring the ocean interior;
• building a geo-resource information system for Africa;
• developing GEONETCast applications for developing countries;
• improving observing systems for water resource management;
• monitoring of the carbon cycle at global level;
• contributing to a global biodiversity observation system;
• developing a global soil observing system; and
• implementing water column, seafloor and sub-seafloor observatories.

The following projects selected from the 2007 Call have started, or are just about to start:

• ACOBAR (ACoustic technology for OBserving the interior of the ARctic Ocean) will investigate the Arctic Ocean interior by setting up an observing system based on underwater acoustic methods. This will include tomography, data transmission and communication to and from underwater platforms, and the navigation of gliders. ACOBAR projects will contribute to GEOSS development, filling gaps in the global ocean observing system. Methods for underwater data collection presently used in other projects will be extended and improved.
• AEGOS (African-European Georesources Observation System) contributes directly to the 2009-2011 Work Plan sub-Task CB-09-05d on Geo-resources Services for Africa. The sustainable use of georesources requires knowledge based on data, information and expertise. AEGOS is designed to build an observation system for hosting and providing access to Africa’s various geological resources, (e.g. groundwater, energy, raw materials and mineral resources). It will serve as a geo-scientific contribution to GEOSS in the context of INSPIRE (Spatial Information in the European Community). The AEGOS Project represents one of the "flag-ship" projects of the European Community in the GEO capacity-building domain. It recently held a successful kick-off meeting in February in Cape Town, South Africa that was hosted by the Council for Geoscience of South Africa. The AEGOS consortium reaffirmed its commitment to establishing a long-term cooperation based on the exchange of best practices, capacity building and technological transfer between Europe and Africa, and particularly between Geological Surveys. The cooperation between African and EU countries and the transfer of know-how will be made possible via the AEGOS partner network.
• DevCoCast contributes directly to sub-Task AR-09-04a on GEONETCast by bringing developing countries into the GEONETCast initiative. Available environmental data (both space- and ground-based) related to Africa, South and Central America, and Europe will be disseminated through GEONETCast to enlarge the potential user base in developing countries and promote and support the use of these tools. The project sets up a number of pilot cases in Africa and South and Central America by building on existing production and dissemination infrastructures and existing research projects and servicing all relevant environmental end-user communities. Project activities include training, workshops, networking and outreach.
• CEOP-AEGIS (Coordinated Asia-European long-term Observing system of Qinghai–Tibet Plateau hydro-meteorological processes and the Asian-monsoon systEm with Ground satellite Image data and numerical Simulations) contributes directly to sub-Task WA-06-02b on Impacts from Drought, sub-Task WA-08-01e on Water Cycle Data Integration, and a number of other tasks under the Water SBA. The project promotes an improved understanding of the hydrology of the Tibetan Plateau, from which the seven major rivers of Southeast Asia originate. The observation system based on the integrated use of satellite and ground observations will serve as an Early Warning system on droughts and floods.
• COCOS (COordination Action Carbon Observation System) contributes directly to sub-Task CL-09-03a on Integrated Global Carbon Observation. The challenge of understanding and managing the global carbon cycle for mitigation and adaptation activities can only be met through a coordinated set of international actions. COCOS will contribute to the implementation and improvement of global carbon observing systems; monitoring the carbon cycle at global level as recommended by GEO and the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS). The research and harmonization work developed in this proposal will contribute significantly to building an integrated global approach that promotes close collaboration with the international carbon cycle research community.
• EBONE (European Biodiversity Observation Network) is designing and testing a biodiversity observation system that is integrated in time and space. It contributes directly to sub-Task BI-07-01a on the Biodiversity Observation Network (GEO BON) as well as to other biodiversity and ecosystem Tasks. Its main goal is to develop a cost-effective observation system for biodiversity data at the regional, national and European levels. It will provide added value to the currently independent data sources of in-situ and remotely-sensed Earth observation data. The outcome of the project will form the foundation for an integrated monitoring system based on key biodiversity indicators operating at the European level.
• e-SOTER contributes directly to sub-Task US-09-03c on Bio-geophysical, Soil & Land Surface Data. This project answers the need for a global soil and terrain database. As the European contribution to a Global Soil Observing System, it will build a web service on soil information to be used by decision makers and managers. Methodologies and applications will also be available through this tool.
• EuroSITES is integrating and enhancing key existing European deep-ocean observatories and thus contributing directly to sub-Task AR-09-03c on Global Ocean Observation System. EuroSITES intends to link various observatories that are currently measuring biological, chemical and physical variables autonomously in the oceans around Europe. Nine deep-ocean (>1000m) observatories will be brought together to establish an integrated and coherent European network. At the same time, EuroSITES will also be supporting a small number of specific science missions that will, in the future, form the basis for a greatly improved and novel monitoring capability, and will promote links with other existing international observation networks.

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