GEO - Group on Earth Observations

GEOSS logo

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GEOSS climate graphic

Click here to access the GEOGLAM Crop Monitor Report for June

GEO Background Language

GEO is a partnership of governments and organizations that envisions “a future wherein decisions and actions for the benefit of humankind are informed by coordinated, comprehensive and sustained Earth observations”. GEO membership includes 104 Member governments and 109 Participating Organizations comprised of international bodies with a mandate in, and/or use of Earth observations. Together, the GEO community is creating a Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) that will link Earth observation resources world-wide across multiple Societal Benefit Areas - Biodiversity and Ecosystem Sustainability; Disaster Resilience; Energy and Mineral Resources Management; Food Security; Infrastructure & Transportation Management; Public Health Surveillance; Sustainable Urban Development; and Water Resources Management - and make those resources available for informed decision-making.

Below are links to several documents and resources that provide a brief overview of GEO and its activities. As GEO begins its second decade we are looking to deepen our engagement with decision makers in the government, science/research and private sectors, explore the potential value of Earth observations to these sectors, and identify existing gaps in important Earth observation data and information.

GEO Homepage - provides access to detailed information about GEO's eight Societal Benefit Areas and the GEOSS Portal (access to 400-million plus resources provided by GEO's partners).

GEO Strategic Plan 2016-2025: Implementing GEOSS - adopted by the GEO-XII Plenary and Ministerial in Mexico City in November 2015, this document articulates GEO's vision and objectives for its second decade. Other key documents can be found here.

How to Participate in GEO

The Group on Earth Observations (GEO) is a voluntary organization and depends on the interest and energy of the international Earth observations and geospatial communities to reach its goals. There are many ways in which nations, organizations and individuals can contribute to the success of GEO and the establishment and implementation of the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS):

Become a GEO Member

Membership in GEO is open to all member States of the United Nations and to the European Commission. Membership in GEO is contingent upon formal endorsement of the GEOSS 10-Year Implementation Plan. All members belong to a regional caucus.

The regional caucuses nominate members of the Executive Committee. Many of the caucuses also hold regional consultations or organize symposia and other events focused on the regional implementation of GEOSS. The five regional caucuses and their members are listed here. Membership in GEO does not require compulsory annual dues. Members are encouraged to contribute financial resources, to the greatest extent possible, in addition to the human, intellectual and programmatic resources needed to fully implement GEOSS.

To become a Member of GEO, please contact the GEO Secretariat at secretariat@geosec.org

Become a Participating Organization (PO)

GEO's Member governments welcome the engagement of Participating Organizations (PO). The participation of intergovernmental, international, and regional organizations with a mandate in Earth observation or related activities is essential to the success of GEO and GEOSS. Participation in GEO is contingent upon formal endorsement of the GEOSS 10-Year Implementation Plan and approval by GEO Members meeting in Plenary.

Currently, there are 77 Participating Organizations in GEO, which are listed here.

For more information about becoming a Participating Organization, please contact the GEO Secretariat at secretariat@geosec.org.

Become/Provide a Secondee to the GEO Secretariat

Members and Participating Organizations are asked to consider providing secondments to the GEO Secretariat, to work under the direction and guidance of the GEO Secretariat Director. These individuals make a significant impact realizing the objectives of GEO and further development and acceleration of GEOSS implementation through the 2012-2015 Work Plan. Secondees also help develop the next generation of technical, programmatic and/or organizational leaders and advocates of GEO when they complete their tenure in Geneva and return to their home country and/or organization. Length of time for secondments is ideally two years.

For more information about providing a secondment or becoming a secondee, please contact the GEO Secretariat at secretariat@geosec.org.

Become a Member of an Implementation Board

The GEO Plenary has established several Implementation Boards to assess progress toward completion of the GEOSS 10 Year Implementation Plan. The Boards identify issues, gaps, and Target objectives that require additional support from the GEO community and design and conduct actions for addressing these issues and gaps. The Boards report each year to the GEO Plenary. Members are expected to make a steady but manageable investment of time, energy and thought into the work of their respective Board. Implementation Board membership is open to individuals serving as Member or Participating Organization Representatives.

Information on current Boards and their mandates can be found here. (link)

For more information about becoming a member of an Implementation Board, please contact the GEO Secretariat at secretariat@geosec.org.

Become a Member of a Working Group

The GEO Plenary establishes Working Groups to address aspects of GEOSS implementation and provide a mechanism for members of the GEO community to engage full in the work of GEO. Working groups provide high-level review, advice, recommendations and support in the ongoing development and implementation of the GEOSS 10-Year Implementation Plan. Working groups also actively promote the implementation of GEOSS activities described in the annual Work Plan.

Information on current Working Groups and their mandates can be found here.

For more information about becoming a member of a Working Group, please contact the GEO Secretariat at secretariat@geosec.org.

Become Task Coordinator

Task Coordinators are individuals drawn from the Component Leads (see below) involved in a specific Task in the GEO Work Plan. Task Coordinators plan and set the approach for the Task to meet relevant GEOSS 2015 Strategic Targets in collaboration with the Task Team and Component Leads and foster interaction across Components. Task Coordinators look for synergies with other Work Plan Tasks, ensure that Communities of Practice are engaged in relevant Task Components, and represent the Task to the Implementations Boards.

For more information about becoming a Task Coordinator, please contact the GEO Secretariat at secretariat@geosec.org.

Become a Component Point of Contact

A Component Point of Contact (PoC) serves as the single point of contact for all those involved and interested in a Task Component. The PoC facilitates the development of the Component's approach and delivery of results, and reports on progress to the GEO community. The PoC supports coordination of Components at the Task level in collaboration with the Task Coordinator and serves as a liaison with Communities of Practice.

For more information about becoming a Component Point of Contact, please contact the GEO Secretariat at secretariat@geosec.org.

Become a Component Lead

Component Leads work in close collaboration with Component Points of Contact (see below), other Component Leads and contributors to identify key outputs and milestones to help implement GEOSS. Component Leads monitor and deliver progress toward those outputs and milestones, support contributors, and identify gaps and skills needed to support the Component and encourage additional contributions to address these needs. Component Leads communicate with the Component Point of Contact regarding progress made and impediments to implementation of the Component.

For more information about becoming a Component Lead, please contact the GEO Secretariat at secretariat@geosec.org.

Become a Component Contributor

Component Contributors support the implementation of a Task Component through selected activities and projects by providing financial or in-kind resources. Component Contributors assist in recruiting additional Members or Participating Organizations to support the Component, particularly in their own region or discipline, actively engage user communities, and provide advice and information to Component Leads on user requirements and best practices.

For more information about becoming a Component Contributor, please contact the GEO Secretariat at secretariat@geosec.org.

Become a Member of a Community of Practice

Communities of Practice include representatives from GEO Members, Participating Organizations and any other stakeholders that have similar interests or objectives - working closely together as a GEO forum for intelligence and advice for the successful implementation of GEOSS. Each Community of Practice will have slightly different objectives, however common objectives include: identify, gather, and seek agreement on particular user community requirements; provide a forum for cooperation of activities where GEOSS adds value to existing initiatives; identify linkages and opportunities for collaborative strategic and technical projects; and coordinate the delivery of GEOSS Targets to enable the realization of societal benefits.

For more information about becoming a member of a Community of Practice, please contact the GEO Secretariat at secretariat@geosec.org.

News Update

JUNE 2015

Congratulations and welcome. Zimbabwe becomes the 98th member of GEO

UPCOMING
MEETINGS

EARSeL symposium, accompanied by Temporal Analysis and Coastal Zone workshops, Stockholm, Sweden
15 - 19 June

Webinar: Wetlands, biological diversity and the role of Earth observations
18 June

Our Common Future Under Climate Change Conference, Paris, France
7 July - 10 July

Trusted data services to support climate change research, Paris, France
6 July 9am-2pm

Science and the Road to Transformation: Opportunities in the post-2015 global climate regime, Paris, France
6 July 2pm-5pm

International Summer Programme: Sustainable Water Management in an era of big data, University of Tokyo
27 July - 7 August

The 8th GEOSS Asia-Pacific Symposium: Towards the Next Decade of GEOSS in the Asia-Pacific Region, Beijing, China
9 - 11 September

Research Data Alliance Plenary and Climate Change Data Challenge, Paris
23 - 25 September

UNGA high-level plenary Summit to adopt the post-2015 development agenda
25 - 27 September

ISDE 2015: "Towards a One-World Vision for the Blue Planet" Halifax, Canada
5 - 9 October

Earth Observation Open Science 2.0, Esrin, Frascati, Italy
12 - 14 October

Hackathon, Esrin, Frascati, Italy
15 - 16 October

Arctic Circle Assembly, Reykjavik, Iceland
16 - 18 October

GEO-XII and 2015 Mexico City Ministerial Summit
9 - 13 November

Latin America Geospatial Forum, Mexico
10 - 12 November

GEO-XII Plenary & Mexico City Ministerial Summit

GEO short video competition

Filmmakers � make a three minute video on how GEO and Earth observations are helping address global and regional challenges. Three finalists will be screened during the Mexico City Ministerial Summit. Competition closes end September.

Organize a Side Event at GEO-XII Plenary

Last call for meeting rooms available 9-12 November for Side Events at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Hilton Reforma (free of charge).

A GEO Exhibition booth is a great way to showcase achievements to inform decision making. Due to the fact that the Latin America Geospatial Forum is held at the same time in the same venue, this GEO Exhibition has a larger audience than ever before.

Policy Connections

World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction confirms important role of Earth Observations

The Global Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-30 listed development of Earth Observation and its information infrastructure as a priority.

GEO supports 'Our Common Future Under Climate Change' side events in Paris, pre-COP21

Our Common Future Under Climate Change, a four-day International Scientific Conference ahead of the 21st UNFCCC Conference of the Parties (COP21) in Paris will feature two side events on 6 July supported by GEO and hosted by the International Council for Science (ICSU):

(1) 'Trusted data services to support climate change research' is convened by the World Data System.
(2) 'Science and the Road to Transformation: Opportunities in the post-2015 global climate regime' is convened by ICSU.

Integrating Arctic research, Tomayama Conference Statement

Scientists, policy makers and indigenous peoples coordinated plans to better understand and plan for changes in the Arctic environment at the Arctic Science Summit Week in Toyama, Japan in April.

Open Data

174 million resources and counting

GEOSS now has more than 174 million resources discoverable on its Portal thanks to interoperability arrangements with the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (Switzerland), ESA Federated Earth Observation Pilot (European Commission) Chile Geoportal, Geoscience Australia, the National Institute of Geographic and Forest Information in France and Digital Globe (US). Click here for the latest GEOSS brokered capacities report.

Open data policy endorsed at quadrennial WMO Congress

The WMO Congress adopted a new policy for International Exchange of Climate Data and Products to Support the Implementation of the GFCS, recognizing the value of GFCS data and products being made accessible on a free and unrestricted basis. A�new Secretary General was elected; Petteri Taalas�from Finland was elected to a four-year term starting 1 January 2016. He will succeed�Michel Jarraud.

World Elevation Data free of charge

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) will begin publishing elevation sets with a resolution of 30 meters horizontally. First areas are South and South East Asia, expanding to global coverage.

Landsat data just got better

The USGS has improved processing of Landsat data including balancing lighting variance due to time of day or season, improving data consistency and comparability so it is easier to use.

Putting Data to Use

Global Atlas for renewable energy launches pocket-sized tool

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) announces the launch of an app available for smartphones which allows users to plan for renewable energy products and help realize global renewable energy potentials. The app accesses the IRENA Global Atlas data catalogue which is part of the energy community portal Webservice-energy.org developed by MINES ParisTech offering services for the GEO energy community and has been enabled for interoperability through GEOSS.

Copernicus Masters University Challenge

Students and research associates are invited to submit creative ideas on using Earth observation to meet market needs. The University Challenge is supported by GEO. Along with a EUR 1,000 cash prize, winners will receive a consulting package to develop their business case at an ESA Business Incubation Center, satellite data quota and will present the winning service at the GEO-XII Plenary meeting.

Smartphone app competition winners

Smartphone apps using open or crowd-generated data on dark skies, non-native species, allergies and natural hazards are some of the competition winners selected for European Commision funding, for release at GEO-XII in November.

GEO�s capacity building resource portal doubles

The number of resources such as training material, best practices and marketing tool kits registered on the GEOCAB portal have doubled since its launch at the GEO-XI plenary in November 2014.

Addressing the challenges of Big Data

The engineers building the GEO System of Systems describe how Big Data will impact the digital tool�s infrastructure in a recent paper published in Science Direct.

Country-Level Engagement

Strengthening Senegal's Agriculture policy

Senegal's Ministry of Agriculture has been collecting data since 1984 and is now improving data and analysis, consolidating data and creating a model to improve yield forecasting.

GEO�s partners respond to Nepal Earthquake

Satellite and in-situ data are provided by participating organizations for an event supersite in response to the magnitude 7.9 Earthquake and subsequent shocks and earthquakes.

Multiple satellite eyes to track algal threat to U.S. Freshwater

A $3.6 million research project has NASA, NOAA, EPA and USGS collaborating to analyse ocean color satellite data for early warning on algal blooms in freshwater systems, and public health advisories.

Building Knowledge and Capacity

Africa Rising: Mobilising Biodiversity Data for Sustainable Development

Participants from 18 African countries as well as international organizations including GEO BON and GBIF attended the event organized by the South Africa National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) and made a joint statement referencing the importance of Earth observations for biodiversity.

Workshop on Capacity Building and Developing Countries in Post-2015 GEO

A one-day GEO workshop brought together participants for capacity-building on EO including those running programmes for education and producers of data and software tools.

GEO Water Quality Summit in Geneva

GEO�s Coastal and Inland Water Quality Working Group summit set out the requirements for water quality observing system components and developed a plan to implement an integrated, global water quality monitoring and forecasting service.

Even small risks can lead to global disasters

The GEO Community of Practice on Geohazards has produced a community science position paper on the often overlooked impact of low-probability high-impact geohazards, with support from ESF.

GEO in the Media

World Environment Day, 2015, #WEF2015

GEO Secretariat Barbara Ryan, along with Leonardo DiCaprio and Bertrand Piccard, joined the UNEP campaign Seven billion dreams. One planet. Consume with Care stating:

"We dream of a world in which policy makers have easy access to Earth observations for sound decision- making. We pledge to advocate for broad, open data sharing so that all GEO information resources will advance the goals of Eye on Earth worldwide."

Integrating Earth Observations into political decision making

Q&A with Barbara Ryan in the G�ANT project's CONNECT Magazine on the challenges of building GEOSS and the future of the System of Systems for Earth observation.



	CONTACT		STAY CONNECTED

RECENT GEO ACTIVITIES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS

African Ministers for Meteorology Voice Support for GEO/AfriGEOSS

The Third Session of the African Ministerial Conference on Meteorology (AMCOMET-3) recently adopted a Declaration expressing strong support for the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) and AfriGEOSS. The Ministers noted GEO and welcomed the initiation of a partnership between AMCOMET and AfriGEOSS, and encouraged proactive engagement between AfriGEOSS and National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) to advance programmes and activities at the national level. The Ministers encouraged African Member States that are not currently Members of GEO. (Click here to read the full Declaration)

GEO-UN Organizations Note Value of Collaboration in Implementing Post-2015 Development Agenda

The Group on Earth Observations (GEO) Implementation Plan Working Group (IPWG) recently hosted a meeting of representatives of UN Organizations, Specialized Agencies, Programmes and Conventions to discuss how to strengthen the engagement of GEO with the United Nations. The overall objective was to reaffirm the value and improve the use of Earth observations in UN processes, with a special focus on the post-2015 development agenda. The participants agreed that complementarities and synergies between the UN and GEO should be nurtured with the objective of increasing the quality, availability and use of Earth observation data and information for sustainable development. The Summary document and related information is available here.

GEO Starts a Dialogue on Integrating Earth Observations with National Statistical Accounts to Monitor Attainment of post-2015 Development Goals

The Group on Earth Observations (GEO), in collaboration with the UN Statistical Division, Japanese Space Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the Government of Switzerland co-hosted a Side Event, "The Role of Earth Observations in Developing Indicators for the Post-2015 Development Agenda: Starting a Dialogue", during the 46th UN Statistical Commission Friday Seminar at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on February 27th. The Side Event was designed to start a dialogue with National Statistical Agencies on the role of Earth observations in monitoring and achieving the post-2015 development goals.

Implementation Plan Working Group Continues to Develop New GEO Strategic Plan

The GEO Implementation Working Group (IPWG) continues to develop the new GEO Strategic Plan 2016-2025: Implementing GEOSS. The IPWG held its 4th and 5th sessions in Washington, DC (December 2014) and Geneva, Switzerland (February 2015), both of which were preceded by stakeholder engagement sessions. More information on the IPWG's activities is available here.

World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (WCDRR) / Post-2015 Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction

GEO through, its Members and Participating Organizations, has been deeply engaged in the preparations leading up to the World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (WCDRR) to be held in Sendai, Japan on 14-18 March, 2015. The draft Framework includes language recognizing that Earth observations have a clear role in Disaster Risk Reduction. In addition, GEO has been working with a group of global partners to develop a framework for the integration of Earth observation technologies into Disaster Risk Reduction.

MEMBERS AND PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS

Ecuador and Vietnam Join the Group on Earth Observations

The Group on Earth Observations (GEO) is pleased to welcome the Republic of Ecuador (96th) and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (97th) as its newest Members. Congratulations and welcome!

UPCOMING MEETINGS

33rd Session of GEO Executive Committee to Convene 19-20 March 2015

The 33rd session of the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) Executive Committee will convene on 19-20 March 2015, in Geneva, Switzerland.

GEO-XII Plenary and 2015 Mexico Ministerial Summit - 11-13 November in Mexico City

The GEO-XII Plenary and 2015 Mexico Ministerial Summit will be held in Mexico City, Mexico on 11-13 November 2015. The 2015 Mexico Ministerial will occur on Friday, 13 November at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Mexico City. The GEO-XII Plenary will convene on Wednesday-Thursday - 11- 12 November and will be preceded by two days of GEO Board meetings and Side Events (9-10 November). The Plenary, which will also feature an Exhibition, is being held concurrently with the United Nations Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM)-Americas regional meeting and the Latin American Geospatial Forum (LAGF). Detailed information about all of these events will be made available in the next several weeks.

GEOSS Science and Technology Stakeholder Workshop

The 3rd and 4th GEOSS Science and Technology Stakeholder Workshops will be held in Norfolk, VA, USA from 23 to 26 March 2015. More information can be found here.

GEO Water Quality Summit, Geneva - Switzerland

The GEO Water Quality Summit will be held at the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) building from 20 to 22 April in Geneva, Switzerland. The goal of the Summit is to define specific requirements of the water quality observing system components and develop a plan to implement an integrated, global end-to-end water quality monitoring and forecasting system

Draft agenda • Registration • Geneva logistics info • Invitation letter

Workshop on Capacity Building and Developing Countries in GEO Post-2015, 4 May 2015, Geneva, Switzerland

Meeting notice • Registration

GEO OPPORTUNITIES

Short-term (7 months) Communications Manager position.

News Update

OCTOBER 2015

GEO has 100 Members! Congratulations and welcome to Somalia and Kenya who become the 99th and 100th Member of GEO respectively.

GEO is named in the G7 Science Ministers Communiqué. In the Ministers� summary of main action points of the meeting held in Berlin, 8 and 9 October, the following language was included:

"We recognise that the sharing of Earth observation data and information will strengthen science, knowledge, and decision-making in the areas discussed today and in others. We intend to continue to work together through the intergovernmental Group on Earth Observations (GEO) to enable policy makers to better address these environmental, health, and socio-economic challenges."

UN Heads of State Adopt 2030 Global Goals

UPCOMING
MEETINGS

Call for papers is open for the International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS) XXIII Congress in Prague from 12�19 July, 2016. Deadline for papers (double blind reviewed) - 30 November 2015; Deadline for abstracts (reviewed by Chairs) - 13 December 2015

ESA is organizing the first Hackathon on open-source toolboxes for Sentinel missions, 12-14 October, in ESRIN, Frascati, Italy, following the community consultation meeting on Earth Observation Open Science 2.0

The Future of the Commons: Data, Software and Beyond, 18 November 2015, Washington DC

Geography2050: Exploring our Future in an Urbanized World, 19-20 November 2015

2nd International Conference on Geographical Information Systems Theory, Applications and Management (GISTAM) 26-27 April 2016, Rome, Italy; paper submissions by October 30th 2015

Nominations for the IASC Medal Award 2016 International Arctic Science Committee Medals are awarded in recognition of exceptional and sustained contributions to the understanding of the Arctic. Nominations for the IASC Medal 2016 can be submitted to the IASC Secretariat until 31 December 2015

Geospatial World Forum May 23-26, 2016, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Call for papers and workshops is open

GEO BON Open Science Conference, July 4�9 2016, Leipzig, Pre-register now

Mexico City Ministerial Summit and GEO-XII Plenary

The Group on Earth Observations Ministerial Summit 2015 will take place on 13 November 2015 in Mexico City, hosted by the Government of Mexico, with invitations to Ministers from GEO�s 100 Members and High Level representatives from the 87 Participating Organizations.

Side Events at GEO-XII Plenary � Click here for a complete list of the Side Events. Please register in advance! Open sessions include:

Selected Side Events:

Regional relevance

AmeriGEOSS Town Hall, Monday 9 November from 6:30pm to 8pm, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Copernicus and Latin America, Tuesday 10 November from 5pm to 7pm at the Hilton

AfriGEOSS, Tuesday 10 November from 2pm to 6pm at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

AmeriGEOSS Presentations, Tuesday 10 November from 9am to 1pm, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Access to Data & Knowledge and New Technologies

Workshop from Data to Knowledge, Tuesday 10 November, from 2pm to 4pm at the Hilton

Citizen GEOSS, Tuesday 10 November from 9am to 1pm, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Benefits of Data Sharing (with Reception), Tuesday 10 November from 2pm to 6pm at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

GEO Global Initiatives

Land Cover: Harmonized Pathways Towards Policy Needs, Monday 9 November from 2pm to 6pm at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Sustainable Development Goals: Earth Observations in Service of Global Development, Tuesday 10 November, from 9am to 6pm at the Hilton

Towards Enhanced Biodiversity Observations and Products for User Needs (GEO BON), Tuesday 10 November, from 9 am to 6pm at the Hilton

The GEO Global Forest Observations Initiative (GFOI) Progress and Plans, Tuesday 10 November, from 9am to 1pm at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

GEO Water Strategy Implementation, Tuesday 10 November, from 11am to 1pm at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

GEOGLAM Side Event, Tuesday 10 November, from 2pm to 6pm at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Additional information on the Ministerial Summit and GEO-XII Plenary

GEO Short Video Competition open for voting

Latin America Geospatial Forum, sponsored by Geospatial Media: Strengthening Geospatial Collaboration for Sustainable Growth.

Member News and Earth Observations

President of Gabon opens AGEOS

The new center for the Gabonese Agency for Study of Earth Observation (AGEOS) was inaugurated on Saturday 29 August.

China launches four Earth observation satellites

The satellites will provide photographs to commercial clients while helping with harvest assessment, geological disaster prevention and resource surveys.

China-Brazil Earth observation satellite operational

The CBERS_04 Earth observation satellite is the fourth to be developed by China and Brazil in a cooperation agreement signed in 1988. It became operational on 13 July following its launch on 7 December.

Himawari-8 geostationary meteorological satellite managed by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) began operation on 7 July capturing Earth images over the Western Pacific region for use in weather analysis, and contributing to prevention and mitigation of disasters.

WMO report on Satellites for Climate Services

The report shows uptake of Earth observation data in decision making processes through the Societal Benefit Areas of GEO and materials presented demonstrate the benefits of Earth observations.

The status of topographic mapping in the world

The results of a survey of UN-wide, large scale mapping at 1:25,000 by UN-GGIM and ISPRS.

Sustainable Development Goals

The 193 Member United Nations General Assembly formally adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development along with a set of 17 Global Goals on 25 September.

Earth observation language is included in the final SDG outcome document

Paragraph 76: We will promote transparent and accountable scaling-up of appropriate public-private cooperation to exploit the contribution to be made by a wide range of data, including Earth observation and geospatial information, while ensuring national ownership in supporting and tracking progress.

Data in the Addis Ababa Action Agenda

At the Financing for Development Conference, held in Addis Ababa in July 2015, Paragraphs 125-128 emphasize the importance of data to achieve sustainable development, stating “Data access is not enough� we need to ensure access to tools to turn data into useful, actionable information.”

Inter-agency and Expert Group on Sustainable Development Goal Indicators (IAEG-SDGs)

Established by the UN Statistical Commission, the IAEG is developing an indicator framework for the monitoring of the proposed Sustainable Development Goals and their Targets. It comprises national statistical offices in open consultation with countries, regional and international agencies, civil society, academia and the private sector. GEO has raised the importance of integrating Earth observations with national statistics to better measure and monitor the SDGs to the IAEG , which is due to submit its recommended indicators to the Statistical Commission on 30 November.

The Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data (GPSDD)

GEO has joined the newly formed, Global Partnership as an Anchor Partner, along with eight Governments (all GEO members: Colombia, France, Kenya, Mexico, Morocco, Senegal, UK and US).� Created as an outgrowth of the UN SDG development process, the Partnership will strengthen country data-ecosystems, fill critical data gaps, improve data literacy and capacity, increase data openness, sharing and leveraging, mobilize and align resources and reinforce and catalyze principles and protocols.

The GPSDD is composed of Private Sector Partners, International Agencies (including three GEO Participating Organizations: the UN Economic Commission for Africa, the UN Economic Commission for Asia and the Pacific and FAO), as well as Statistics/Data/Research Organizations, Civil Society and Foundations.

US Department of State Fact Sheet on the Partnership mentioning GEO

The Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM) report on the role of geospatial information in the Sustainable Development Goals was issued following a meeting in New York on 4 August.

Eye on Earth Second Summit Abu Dhabi

Eye on Earth Alliance Partner GEO co-sponsors Eye on Earth Summit 2015

The Group on Earth Observations recently joined global experts in science, policy-making, research and technology at the Eye on Earth Summit to address complex issues around data-sharing and informed decision-making for sustainable development. �Dr Philemon Mjwara, GEO Co-chair from South Africa delivered an address and participated on a Panel discussing data supply issues.

Eye on Earth Jason Silva video

Open Data

Research data sharing without barriers � RDA Plenary

GEO Secretariat Director Barbara Ryan delivered a keynote address at the RDA Plenary in Paris on 23 September highlighting how brokering methodologies are essential for discovering and accessing Earth observations and how broad, open data policies are good for national economies.

Climate Change

Our Common Future Under Climate Change

GEO participated in the International Scientific Conference held at UNESCO Headquarters in July, the largest science forum in advance of the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties (COP21) to occur in December in Paris. The GEO Secretariat participated in a Side Event hosted by the International Council for Science (ICSU): �Science and the Road to Transformation: Opportunities in the Post-2015 Global Climate Regime�.� GEO has endorsed the Conference Outcome Statement to be published and distributed during COP21. Read the article and watch the video.

GEO joined hydrology and development experts in a session �Let�s talk about water� at the science, technology and innovation event at the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in September in Paris.

Learn more about �the climate component of GEOSS� in the ESA Climate Change Initiative (CCI) Special Issue

Year of Polar Prediction (YOPP)

The YOPP Summit was held at WMO in July with outcomes agreed upon by the Summit Planning Group, including the WMO Integrated Global Observing System (WIGOS).

GEO Community News

Tribute to Len Hirsch

A pioneering force and essential member of the US team that helped establish GEO in 2005, Len Hirsch passed away in June. He will be greatly missed by the GEO community.

GEO BON presents new generation of biodiversity indicators

Technical experts from the Convention on Biodiversity �(CBD) met in Geneva in September to present a new generation of indicators integrating Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBVs).

9th GEO European Projects Workshop in Copenhagen 15 � 16 June

The event was held during the design phase of the new GEO Strategic Plan 2016 � 2025 to build momentum and coherence in Europe around plans for the next decade.

8th GEOSS AP Symposium proceedings

220 participants from 27 countries attended the GEOSS Asia-Pacific Symposium held in Beijing in September.

The GEO Task �Oceans and Society: Blue Planet� held its second Symposium in Cairns, Australia, from 27 to 29 May 2015. The program included presentations, posters, discussion and workshop sessions focussing on the six Blue Planet Components.

International Symposium on Digital Earth

The International Society for Digital Earth (ISDE) Symposium theme “towards a one-world vision for the blue planet”.

SERVIR global network exchange

Best practices shared by the SERVIR community, a joint initiative of NASA and USAID.

CEOS 2015 Strategic Implementation Team Technical Workshop

EUMETSAT hosted the 2015 Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) Strategic Implementation Team (SIT) session in Darmstadt, Germany.

European Earth Observation Networks (ENEON)

A first workshop was held in September at MINES ParisTech addressed the needs for coordination and collaboration on the detection of gaps and redundancies in the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS).

Global High Frequency Radar Meeting

The GEO Global HF meeting coincided with the Seventh Session of the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) Regional Alliances.

GeoBuiz Summit

Pre-conference on 9 August featured a wide variety of speakers, including Secretariat Director Barbara Ryan. See two video interviews: video 1 and video 2

GEO�s Scientific and Technical Officer, Wenbo Chu, elected to RDA Technical Advisory Board

The Research Data Alliance�s Technical Advisory Board provides technical expertise and advice to the Council, assists in developing and reviewing RDA Working Groups and is responsible for the development, maintenance and evolution of the RDA Technical Strategy. Congratulations Wenbo!

ICIMOD awarded Humanitarian GIS Award

GEO Participating Organization, The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, was awarded at the Esri International User Conference in July.

GEO in the Media

Nature: Environmental science: Agree on biodiversity metrics to track from space

GEO BON�s Gary Geller joins colleagues to propose collaboration on a global biodiversity monitoring strategy.

Earthzine highlights knowledge-sharing on the Ocean Color Change Initiative

Planktonologists working with GEO's Blue Planet Oceans initiative have produced the first complete piece of research on seasonal changes to microscopic life forms in the Red Sea. The findings can be used to assess oxygen generation and carbon retention and have been shared with the wider scientific community through the ESA learning platform Learn EO!

The Next frontier in agriculture science: Sentinel-2

Agriculture is a key remote sensing application with high temporal and spatial requirements such as GEOGLAM, as outlined in Fruitworld.



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GEO-XII Plenary Documents, Statements & Presentations

For IISD's full coverage of the GEO Week 2015, click here

Documents

GEO-XII draft report
Agenda (Plenary Document 1)
Recognition and Statements from New Members (Plenary Document 2)
Review of Applications for Observer Status (Plenary Document 3)
Approval of the Draft GEO-XI Report (Plenary Document 4)
Summary Assessment of Progress – Targets and Tasks (Plenary Document 5)
Report of the Sixth and Summative Evaluation of GEOSS Implementation (Plenary Document 6)
Monitoring and Evaluation (Plenary Document 7)
Implementation Boards Considerations (Plenary Document 8)
The Value of Open Data Sharing (Plenary Document 9)
Data Management Principles Implementation Guidelines (Plenary Document 10)
Presentation by theImplementation Plan Working Group (IPWG) of the GEO Strategic Plan 2016-2025: Implementing GEOSS (Ministerial Document 4) and Reference Document (Plenary Document 11)
Transition Plan (Plenary Document 12)
Appointment of the Programme Board (Plenary Document 13)
Revised Criteria for Observers, Participating Organizations and Moratorium (Plenary Document 14)
2016 Work Programme (Plenary Document 15)
Proposed 2016 Budget (Plenary Document 16)
Updates to Rules of Procedure (Plenary Document 17)
2015 Report of the Executive Committee (Plenary Document 18)
2014 Financial Statements and Report of the External Auditor (Plenary Document 19)
Interim Report on Income and Expenditure (Plenary Document 20)
Mexico City Declaration (Ministerial Document 3)
Mexico City Ministerial Programme (Ministerial Document 1)
Mexico City Ministerial Summit Agenda (Ministerial Document 2)
GEO Strategic Plan 2016-2025 as approved at GEO-XII (Ministerial Document 4)

Press release - Mexico City, 13 November, 2015: GEO Commits to unleash the power of open data to address global challenges

Statements by Member Countries and Participating Organizations:

A combination of all GEO-XII statements can be downloaded here for quick searches on a specific topic

Presentations

Presentations can be downloaded from here

Mexico City Ministerial Summit Documents

Documents

Mexico City Declaration (Ministerial Document 3)
Mexico City Ministerial Programme (Ministerial Document 1)
Mexico City Ministerial Summit Agenda (Ministerial Document 2)
GEO Strategic Plan 2016-2025 as approved at GEO-XII (Ministerial Document 4)

Photos taken by Kiara Worth (IISD Reporting Services)

Co-Chairs of the Mexico City Ministerial Summit

Opening Remarks by Carlos Moedas - Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation, European Commission

Opening Remarks and Closing Remarks of GEO Co-Chair Cao Jianlin, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Science and Technology, People's Republic of China

Press release - Mexico City, 13 November, 2015: GEO Commits to unleash the power of open data to address global challenges

Statements by Member Countries and Participating Organizations:

News Update

FEBRUARY 2016

GEO has 102 Members!

Congratulations and welcome to Uruguay as the 101st GEO Member and to The United Arab Emirates as the 102nd GEO Member.

GEO Ministerial Summit in Mexico City outcomes

UPCOMING
MEETINGS

February 1 � 2 TIGER workshop 2016: Looking after Water for Sustainable Development, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Bringing together the African communities for water resources management and Earth Observations to discuss the launch of the Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 missions, the publication of the open-source Water Observation Information System and approval of the 6th Sustainable Development Goal for Water and Sanitation

February 2- 3, GEO Programme Board, Geneva

February 10 � 12, GIM International Summit Update a closer link between society�s needs and geospatial solutions.

March 1 � 3 Research Data Alliance 7th Plenary, Tokyo, Japan. A working meeting that brings together data scientists, librarians, computer and domain scientists, policy makers and strategists.

March 2 � 4, Global Climate Observation: the Road to the Future, GCOS Open Science Conference, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. First event of its kind. Registration by 15 February.

March 8 � 9 GEO Executive Committee Meeting, Geneva, Switzerland.

March 10, Data to Decisions: valuing the societal benefits of geospatial information, Paris, France, organizing committee � GEOValue community, in collaboration with OECD, NASA and USGS. Registration closes Feb 8.

March 16 � 17, InterMET Asia 2016 conference, Singapore. Featuring expert sessions dedicated to specific weather affected areas.

See all meetings here

GEO Programme Board

The Programme Board, held in Geneva, Switzerland, 2 - 3 February 2016, has elected three Co-Chairs:

John Matuszak, Senior Policy Advisor - U.S. Department of State (US);
Tim Haigh, Manager - Information Resources, European Environment Agency (EEA);
Pengde Li, Deputy Director-General, National Administration of Surveying, Mapping and Geoinformation (China)

For the first time, Participating Organizations elected as Observers to the Executive Committee are CEOS, GOOS and WMO

GEO-XII Plenary and Ministerial Summit

The intergovernmental Group on Earth Observations (GEO) held its twelfth Plenary session and fourth Ministerial Summit in Mexico City from 11 to 13 November 2015 with commitments to share data on Earth observations at a time of exponential data growth, human development and climate change. Read more...

Participating Organizations gain prominence in GEO through new arrangements that enable them to play a larger role in the next decade of GEO.

GEO-XII Plenary documents, Statements and presentations and Mexico City Ministerial Summit documents.

GEO-XII Side Event on SDGs.

GEO's Global Agricultural Monitoring programme GEOGLAM held its first Advisory Committee meeting.

The Value of Open Data Sharing white paper prepared for the GEO Plenary by the ICSU Committee on Data for Science and Technology (CODATA) shows how shared Earth Observation data brings a multitude of environmental and economic benefits.

GEO and UN-GGIM organized a Land Cover Side Event focusing on harmonized pathways towards policy needs. Data providers and users of land cover data attended and key outcomes, background material and all presentations can be accessed at the event website.

GEO-XII Side Event on AfriGEOSS highlighted the importance of collaboration in Africa in order to use Earth observations to address societal needs. Participants highlighted projects and initiatives they are undertaking.

COP-21 Paris Agreement

195 Member states signed up to the Paris Agreement on climate change adopted by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of the Parties (COP) on Saturday 12 December. It will be open for one year for signature on 22 April 2016 -Mother Earth Day.

GEO is referenced in the UNFCCC Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice SBSTA document circulated prior to COP-21, see paragraphs 8, 19 and 30.

GEO Members, Participating Organizations and the GEO Secretariat participated in various aspects of COP-21 including:

GEO Secretariat Director Barbara Ryan participated in a round table discussion hosted by the U.S. White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Climate Services a Global Public Good: Transboundary Collaboration, Science and Data innovation.

Director Ryan was also a panelist in a session hosted by the Nordic members with the Integrated Carbon Observation System (ICOS) titled Trust but Verify towards a comprehensive Global Observation, Information and Verification System on Greenhouse Gases.

UNFCCC: SBSTA documents Submissions from Observers, SBSTA 43 1 � 4 Dec.

UNFCCC LPAA: Paris Pact on Water and Climate Change adaptation.

UNFCCC: The Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR), partnered by the World Bank; WMO and UNISDR came together to launch the Climate Risk and Early Warning Systems (CREWS) Initiative - to mobilize $100m by 2020 in a trust fund.

UNFCCC: Launch of the UNFCCC Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) Engagement Platform.

CEOS: New Climate Chapter for CEOS Database. Content links to existing comprehensive information on Missions, Instruments and Measurements of CEOS agency EO mission and includes information on Essential Climate Variables (ECVs).

CEOS: CEOS Earth Observation Handbook. The CEOS Earth Observation Handbook presents the main capabilities of satellite Earth observations, their applications and a systematic overview of present and planned CEOS agency Earth observation satellite missions and their instruments.

ESA: Why is soil moisture an essential climate variable.

ICSU and CODATA: "Open Data in a Big Data World" � the publication authored by four organizations led by CODATA/ICSU includes guiding principles on open access to big data.

ICSU: The International Council for Science and Climate Change, 60 years of facilitating climate change research and informing policy. Highlighting the scientific community�s contributions to the development of climate science and ICSU�s role in facilitating collaboration to inform policy. GEO has a one-page description and is referenced for its coordinating role with GCOS.

UNEP: The Adaptation Gap 2014 complementary to the annual Emissions Gap report. Assessment of the gap bringing emissions down to the levels required by 2020.

WMO: The Global Carbon Budget 2015, said that Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions from fossil fuels and industry increased by 0.6% in 2014, with a total of about 9.8 Gigatonnes of carbon emitted to the atmosphere. This is 60% above emissions in 1990, the Kyoto Protocol reference year.

WMO: Satellites for Climate Services, Case Studies for establishing an architecture for climate monitoring from space published by WMO and the European Commission Joint Research Center. Case studies from around the world show satellites can provide a critical baseline for many climate services.

Sustainable Development Goals

GEO has committed to undertake a significant new initiative to integrate Earth observations and geospatial information in the design and implementation of national processes to measure and monitor progress toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The focus will be on GEO creating collaborations between the national GEO community and the National Statistical Officers in individual countries to maximize the potential contributions of Earth observations and geospatial information to their efforts to measure progress toward the specific indicators. The final decision on the number, type and formulation of the indicators in the final proposal of the set of global indicators will be taken by the IAEG-SDG Members. The UN Statistical Commission will review the proposal and submit it to ECOSOC and UN General Assembly for adoption.

GEO is working closely with the UN Statistics Division and the UN Global Geospatial Management Initiative (UN GGIM) to develop this dialogue on a global basis, beginning with a session on "Geospatial Information and Earth Observations: Supporting Official Statistics in Monitoring the SDGs", to be held during the 47th Annual Meeting of the UN Statistical Commission on 7 March 2016.

Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data

GEO continues to contribute to the GPSDD initiative through the participation of the following community members:

Interim Steering Committee: Barbara Ryan, GEO Secretariat Director; John Matuszak, USGEO;

Data Principles and Policies: Catherine Doldirina, European Commission (co-facilitator); Simon Hodson, CODATA

Data Collaboratives: William Sonntag, USGEO

Architecture: Stefano Nativi, Italy

GEO news from Members and Participating Organizations

African Union: an Group on Earth Observations supports Africa Space Policy and Strategy.

China: an International Symposium on Earth Observation for the Silk Road, organized by the International Society for Digital Earth in China highlights the use of EO technology for the Belt and Road Initiative.

European Commission: Sentinel-2 data has been opened online.

Mexico: Dr. Julio A. Santaell-Castell was appointed President of INEGI by its Governing Board and the President of Mexico, Enrique Pe�a Nieto.

South Africa: Science Forum South Africa (SFSA) Science Diplomacy Awards Committee awarded GEO with the SFSA Science Diplomacy Award in the category recognizing "an international science partnership which has made an outstanding contribution to advancing global sustainable development".

United States: USGEO Program�s new draft Common Framework for Earth Observation Data clearly makes reference to GEO Data Management Principles.

United States: Department of the Interior launches new, interactive web tool to show effects of 16-Year drought in the Colorado River Basin, following the White House Roundtable on Water Innovation.

US and EU: Jason-3, a U.S.-European satellite mission, was successfully launched on 17 January to track the rate of global sea-level rise and forecast the strength of tropical cyclones.

Belmont Forum: the Belmont Forum has for the first time adopted an Open Data Policy and Principles. GEO is mentioned as a partner in the implementation of the e-infrastructure initiative.

GCOS: released its report Status of the Global Observing System for Climate (GCOS-195) which was submitted to the 43rd session of the SBSTA, at COP-21. The report can be downloaded here.

International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP) closed at the end of 2015 after almost three decades of coordinating international research on global change. Its work is continued by activities in Future Earth, a Participating Organization in GEO.

ITU: at the World Radiocommunication Conference 2015 (WRC-15) held in Geneva from 2 to 27 November 2015, a the GEO community need to preserve the 5350-5470 MHz frequency range, which is of high importance to the Copernicus Sentinel-series satellites and other Earth observation (EO) missions of GEO Members were incorporated into the WMO position. The use of this radio frequency band was not modified.

POGO: featured in Science magazine�s article New sensors promise better picture of world ocean health.

UNECE: GEO contributed to a Task Force on the Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters in Geneva on December 10.

UNGGIM: Greg Scott of UN-GGIM is awarded Geospatial Ambassador of the Year 2015.

Publications

The Remote Sensing Handbook (CRC Press) is three volumes with contributions from 300 leading global experts. The handbook is a reference for remote sensing students, professors, scientists, professionals practitioners and experts. The technical handbook includes up-to-date examples of successful projects and case studies, and explains in detail, state-of-the-art space-borne, air-borne and ground-based remote-sensing systems.

Spatial Data Infrastructures in Africa: A Gap Analysis, coauthored by UNEP, UNIGE, UNECE and GEO Secretariat (Journal of Environmental Informatics).

Climate Change and Satellites, Knowledge for action, see article by Barbara Ryan and Andre Obregon, GEO Secretariat p.170 (Thales Alenia Space).

GEO in the news � GEO-XII Plenary and Mexico City Ministerial Summit

GEO-XII Plenary and 2015 Ministerial Summit, IISD Reporting Services.

Live coverage of GEO-XII, Earthzine, including the following: • "Environmental intelligence starts with our ability to take the pulse of the planet" NOAA Administrator and GEO Co-chair Kathryn Sullivan and • "Science is fundamental to every decision we make" Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell

European Commission to open Global Earth observation Data

WMO Meteoworld - The Power of Shared Earth Observations.

Free Data from USGS Proves Its Worth for Observing Earth.

South Africa: Minister Naledi Pandor � Group On Earth Observations Fourth Ministerial Summit.

US, Mexico sign deal on sharing satellite data directly.

Making a case for open data, p.7 OpEd, Geospatial World, December 2015 by Prof Arup Dasgupta

GEO in other news

COP�s Half full, Geospatial World November, p52 article quotes GEO Secretariat Director Barbara Ryan

Down to Earth With: GEO Secretariat Director Barbara Ryan, Earth Magazine, 18 December, Barbara Ryan interviewed by Terri Cook on her career and on GEO

Group Pushes for Using Earth observations in Decision Making, EOS magazine, 29 December Barbara Ryan interviewed by Randy Showstack, at the American Geophysical Union.

The GEOSS Portal is featured in the Geneva Data Portal, a collection of information managed by the United Nations agencies, International Organizations and NGOs based in Geneva.

NASA spinoffs: Bringing space tech to Earth, GCN magazine, 7 January, citing GEOGLAM and the Rice Decision Support System.

UAE becomes Group on Earth Observations member, Trade Arabia, 17 January.



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News Update

APRIL 2016

Welcome aboard!

The 36th Session of the GEO Executive Committee welcomed new organizations to GEO:
European Association of Remote Sensing Companies (EARSC), Joint Board of Geospatial Information Societies (JBGIS), Mountain Research Initiative (MRI); as well as the Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF) as an Observer. See also EARSC is now a GEO Participating Organization!

Arctic Observing Summit 2016 � What happens in the poles doesn�t stay in the poles.

UPCOMING
MEETINGS

April 17 � 22, European Geosciences Union, General Assembly 2016, Vienna, Austria.

April 20 � 22 Fourth High Level Forum on United Nations Global Geospatial Information, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

April 26 � 27, 2nd International Conference on Geographical Information Systems Theory, Applications and Management (GISTAM), Rome, Italy.

April 26 � 27, GeoBuiz Summit, Maryland, US.

April 27 � 29 AfriGEOSS Symposium, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.

May 2 � 4 GIS for users of EO for decision making, Geneva, Switzerland.

May 2 - 4, GEO Work Programme Symposium, Geneva, Switzerland.

May 4 Open Data driving Sustainable Development for business, government, civil society, Cape Town, South Africa.

May 9 � 13 ESA Living Planet Symposium, Prague, Czech Republic.

May 16 � 17 International Symposium on Earth Observation for one belt and one road, Beijing, China.

May 23 � 26 Geospatial World Forum, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

May 23 � 27 Sustainable Innovation Expo at the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA), Nairobi, Kenya.

May 25 � 26, International Symposium and Workshop on Impact of Geospatial Information on Society and Economy, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

May 26 � 27, 42nd G7 summit, GEO targeting Science Ministers and Heads of State communiqu�.

May 30 � June 3, Fourth edition of European Space Solutions, The Hague, The Netherlands.

May 31 � June 2nd 9th GEO European Projects Workshop (GEPW), Berlin, Germany.

See all meetings here

Earth Observations for the Africa We want

The AfriGEOSS symposium 27 � 29 April attracts participants from across the continent and beyond - African Heads of State adopted the Africa Space Policy and Strategy, at the 26th African Union (AU) Summit held in January, 2016. In the resolution of adoption, the Heads of State called on AfriGEOSS, GEO�s coordination programme for Africa, to work to mobilize the Earth observation community to contribute to the implementation of the Space Policy and Strategy. For more information and to register for the AfriGEOSS symposium click here.

What happens in the poles doesn�t stay in the poles

Arctic Observing Summit 2016 - The Arctic changing fast and needs an observing system that harnesses indigenous knowledge � according to The Arctic Observing Summit 2016 Statement. GEO presented at the Third Biennial Arctic Observing summit, held in Fairbanks Alaska in March

Article: What happens in the poles doesn’t stay in the poles

Statement: See the Statement on the GEO Cold Region Initiative (GEOCRI).

White Paper: See the GEO-co-authored White Paper Advancing Arctic observing within the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) through a focus on Community-Based Monitoring.

Videos

GEO Secretariat Director Barbara Ryan describes the importance of international and national strategies for sustained support of long-term Arctic observing:
https://youtu.be/92i8tpErSG0?t=1h22m
GEO expert on Cold Regions, Dominique Berod summarizes discussions on international collaboration on Arctic Observations in the context of Global Observing Initiatives:
https://youtu.be/tDdrKGhl_4Q?t=1h18m

Open Data

Earth Data Available At No Cost. Earth imagery from a Japanese remote sensing instrument operating aboard NASA�s Terra spacecraft since late 1999 is now available at no cost.

Take part in the Data Revolution � endorse the report �Open Data in a Big Data World�, attend the Digital Earth Summit, international Data Week or the international Open Data Conference.

USGS Partners with European Space Agency to deliver data. Landsat and Sentinel combine to deliver data in a practical way.

New assets for GEOSS from China GEOSS and the Arctic Data Archive System bring the running total to around 200 million data sets.

GEO Earth Observation Capacity Building resource facility Portal - organizations supporting GEOCAB Portal signed an MOU.

Earth as Art: A Fusion of Science and Art from USGS.

Earth Observations for the 2030 Development Agenda

Supporting Implementation of the 2030 Agenda Through Knowledge, Data and Information. GEO UN and IO roundtable outcomes.

Geospatial Information and Earth Observations: supporting official statistics in Monitoring the SDGs side event at the 47th Session of the United Nations Statistical Commission 7 March in New York.

IAEG forms geospatial information subgroup at the Inter-agency and Expert Group on Sustainable Development Goal Indicators meeting in Mexico City, 30 March � 1 April. The proposal was supported by GEO Members Mexico, Philippines, Senegal and Sweden.

GIS for users of Earth observations for decision making on the Sustainable Development Goals - GEO, UNOSAT and Esri to host a 3 day conference on May 2 � 4 in Geneva, Switzerland.

Work Programme attendees are kindly invited to the reception hosted by ESRI - GIS for a Sustainable World Conference Symposium (Campus Biotech, Geneva). If you would like to attend this reception, please register here

Early Warning Crop Monitor confirms conditions in southern Africa continue to deteriorate for food production. GEOGLAM�s second edition of this monthly tool reveals food insecurity in several countries

The latest Early Warning Crop Monitor and Monthly Crop Monitor (for March 2016).

Mapping Mining to the Sustainable Development Goals - A Preliminary Atlas: The Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment (CCSI), UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the World Economic Forum have released a new report.

Global Forest Initiative operations highlighted on International Day of Forests. Measuring forests and carbon stocks using Earth observations.

Mountain Forests and the Sustainable Development Goals: The Mountain Research and Development(MRD) is seeking papers that assess experiences of how to manage forests so that they can provide services that analyze the state of mountain forests as well as those that help identify future research or policy in support of sustainable mountain forestry.

Geospatial Information and the Sustainable Development Goals, Deliver2030 website editorial Alvin K. Leong, Fellow, Pace Global Center for Environmental Legal Studies. A description of the kinds of contributions Earth observations can make to the SDGs.

Marine Biological Diversity was debated at the 1st Session of the Preparatory Committee regarding the Law of the Sea Convention on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction.

Member and Participating Organization News

China: 35 global change/earth sciences Journals will share research. Journals have issued a common understanding to publish data openly.

Israel: Free access to Israel Meteorological Service Data. From 2012, the Israel Meteorological Service started to provide free access to real-time data and historical observations. A recent article shows that new funding frameworks based on free and open access can provide a wide range of benefits to public and private sectors.

US: Blue Economy Study demonstrates the value of Earth observations for Ocean Enterprise. The first study to look at business aspects of Earth observation measurements in oceans and water bodies.

US: NASA Sea Level Change website keeps track of sea level change and its causes from space. Find out about how NASA satellite observations help our understanding of this complex topic.

EARSC: European Earth Observation company of the year award, through ConnectinGEO, Entry deadline: 15 May 2016.

EC: ERA-PLANET launched to promote use of Earth Observations in policy-making. Designed to strengthen EO in coherence with Copernicus and European contributions to GEOSS.

IRENA Celebrates its 5th Anniversary. 4th April marked the 5th anniversary of IRENA�s formal creation as a fully-fledged intergovernmental organization.

OECD: report on Water Governance in Cities was launched at the Cities and Water Conference, in the Netherlands in February. Read the report on line or Download it for free through the OECD I-Library (Username: gov-oecd2016 - Password: oecd2016-ilibrary).

WMO: Hotter, Dryer, Wetter: WMO Statement on the status of the global climate in 2015. The year 2015 will stand out in the historical record of the global climate in many ways. Modern records for heat were broken: 2015 was a record warm year both globally and in many individual countries.

Opportunities and training materials

The GEO Secretariat is calling for expressions of interest for a short-term Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist.

The following training activities relate to the GEO Work Programme, Community Activity - 32:

GlaSS training material on the use of EO data for lake water quality allows students and professionals in fields as aquatic ecology, environmental technology, remote sensing and GIS to learn about the possibilities of optical remote sensing of water quality, by using the Sentinel-2 and Sentinel-3 satellites and Landsat 8. The material has been registered in the GEOCAB Portal.

CODATA is holding an International Training Workshop in Big Data for Science in Beijing 4 � 17 July. Applications should be submitted by 18 April.

The CODATA-RDA Research Data Science Summer School Trieste, Italy, 1-12 August. The first full introductory course is supported by ICTP and from The World Academy of Science, as well as CODATA and RDA.

GEO in the news

South African corn withers amid worst drought on record, Reuters/Financial Times, 10 February (requires you to be signed into the FT website). Synopsis: South Africa�s farmers are battling the worst drought on record, as crops fail and livestock perish. And it is not just South Africa. The whole southern African region has been hit by an intense drought since early 2015 that was brought on by the El Ni�o weather phenomenon. Countries such as Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique and Madagascar will also be in need of food aid, says GEOGLAM, a group that works with international organisations to monitor crop conditions in countries at risk of food insecurity.

Combining citizen and satellite biodiversity data, EC Research and Innovation website, 11 March, mentions EU BON.

Free Data Proves Its Worth for Observing Earth, A comprehensive articulation of the worth of free EO data, USGS blog, updated March 2016: Free data for earth observation) is a public good - along with public education, public roads, and public parks.

Conmemoran mañana el centenario del Observatorio de Izaña (Tenerife). La Agencia Estatal de Meteorología (Aemet) conmemora este año el centenario del Observatorio Meteorológico de Izaña, ubicado en la isla de Tenerife a 2.373 metros de altitud, en un acto que se celebrará mañana en el propio Observatorio de Izaña.



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News Update

JULY 2016

GEO has 103 Members!

Congratulations and welcome to Mongolia.

Examples of how Earth observation data and information are being used for better decision making are visible in an interactive story map

UPCOMING
MEETINGS

30 July - 7 August 2016, The 41st Scientific Assembly of the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) will be held in Istanbul (Istanbul Congress Center).

11 - 13 September 2016, �SciDataCon 2016: Advancing the Frontiers of Data in Research� conference will take place at the Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel, Denver, Colorado, USA, as part of International Data Week (11-16 September 2016), convened by CODATA, the ICSU World Data System and the Research Data Alliance.

12 - 14 September 2016, United Nations / Austria Symposium on Integrated Space Technology Applications for Climate Change.Organized jointly by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs and the Government of Austria -with the support of the European Space Agency (including Keynotes on their Climate Change Initiative and Copernicus programme by Mr. Aschbacher) - the Symposium will be held at the Space Research Institute of the Austrian Academy of Sciences.

14 - 16 September 2016, �GEOBIA 2016: Solutions & Synergies� will take place at the Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC) of the University of Twente, in Enschede, The Netherlands.

26 - 30 September 2016, �The 66th International Astronautical Congress: Making Space Accessible and Affordable to all Countries� will be held at the Expo Guadalajara in Guadalajara, Mexico.

3 - 6 October 2016, iPRES 2016,13th International Conference on Digital Preservation, Bern - Switzerland.

10 - 11 October 2016, ConnectinGEO Workshop on Gap Analysis and Prioritization will be held in IIASA Laxenburg, Austria.

12 - 13 October 2016, ENEON Plenary Workshop will be held in IIASA Laxenburg, Austria.

18 - 20 October 2016, The International Conference & Exhibition on Advanced Geospatial Science & Technology (TeanGeo 2016) is scheduled to take place in Tunis, Tunisia.

24 - 28 October 2016, The 11th International Conference of the African Association of Remote Sensing of the Environment (AARSE 2016) will be held in Kampala, Uganda.

28 November - 1 December 2016, Pacific Islands GIS & RS User Conference 2016 theme for this year is "Improved Data, Improved Maps". It will be held in Suva, Fiji.

See all meeting here

GEO-XIII Plenary

The GEO-XIII Plenary and related events will take place at the Park Inn in St Petersburg, Russian Federation, 7-10 November, 2016.

GEO 37th Executive Committee Meeting

The 37th GEO Executive Committee Meeting was held in Geneva from 6 - 7 July � eight new Participating Organizations have joined GEO, which now has 103 Participating Organizations! Welcome to: Association of Geospatial Industries (AGI); African Regional Centre for Space Science and Technology Education-English (ARCSSTEE); Arab States Research and Education Network (ASREN); Global Flood Partnership (GFP); Humanitarian Open Street Map (HOT); Integrated Carbon Observation System (ICOS); World Ocean Council (WOC); and World Health Organization (WHO)

GEO Work Programme Symposium and Programme Board

The GEO Work Programme Symposium was held in Geneva from 2-4 May with more than 143 attendees

The second Programme Board was held 5-6 May to manage the GEO Work Programme with the main outcomes available here

AfriGEOSS Symposium in Zimbabwe

The first AfriGEOSS symposium explored the critical role of Earth observations across Africa, with 110 participants from 23 countries and regional associations

GEOSS Updates

New data providers were brokered in the GEOSS Common Infrastructure (GCI) including the Arctic Data System (ADS), the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF), the Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS), the Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD), and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR)�s Operational Satellite Applications Programme (UNOSAT) and the UNOSAT Flood Portal

Carbon monitoring: GFOI Web Application to Help Countries Develop National Forest Monitoring Systems through launched REDDcompass, a web application to help countries develop national forest monitoring systems and procedures to measure, report and verify associated greenhouse gas emissions

G7: The G7 Environment Ministers and the G7 Science and Technology Ministers have included several Statements relating to GEO/GEOSS and the importance of Earth observations in addressing global challenges (open science, climate change and oceans) in their respective Communiques issued at the conclusion of their 2016 meetings held in Japan in May

Landcover: Summary of the key points and outcomes of the Rotterdam Land Cover workshop held in May

GEO Cradle: Establishing a network and data hub for Earth observation in MENA and the Balkans

GPSDD: Call for Proposals on Collaborative Data Innovations for data production, dissemination and use, primarily in low-income countries and lower-middle-income countries , for sustainable development generally and linked to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in particular.

Member News

Australia: ESA and Australia's national geological survey, Geoscience Australia, today agreed to cooperate to ensure data from the EU�s Sentinel satellites are accessible in Southeast Asia and the South Pacific

Chinese Academy of Sciences and CSIRO: Research has looked at historical information on ocean temperatures in an effort to correct bias

European Commission: Open innovation, open science, open to the world, European Commission, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, featuring GEO at pages 68 and 69

Copernicus Masters 2016 calling all innovators: competition seeks applications leveraging data from space, until 25 July

Japan: ASTER: substantial increase in orders of Earth observation images as a result of free and open data policy

Morocco: Africa�s first High Frequency Radar System operational in Morocco, named SeaSonde, the system produces information about currents and waves

United States: Landsat thermal band for evapotranspiration and water-use mapping for improved water management

Participating Organization News

Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF): The Arctic is changing faster than anywhere else on Earth and CAFF is measuring the effect on plants and animals

EARSC: Carried out a survey on Public Service Bodies using EO data and services to construct a complete and accurate picture of the public organisations in Europe that use EO data and services, documenting key aspects such as their involvement in, and awareness of, Copernicus and their engagement with external EO providers

UNEP: Report mapping Multilateral Environmental Agreements to the SDGs

UNGGIM: The Addis Ababa Declaration on Geospatial Information Management Towards Good Land Governance for the 2030 Agenda was issued at the High level forum held 20 � 22 April 2016, Ethiopia.

WCRP and GCOS:Established an International Data Prize, awarded annually to honour achievements in (climate) data product generation, data management, data preservation, data monitoring, and other data relevant activities by an early- to mid-career researcher. Nominations of suitable candidates should be forwarded to WCRP and GCOS), and must be received by 1 October 2016.

World Bank: Earth Observation for Water Resources Management: Current Use and Future Opportunities for the Water Sector

GEO in the news

New tool to fight food insecurity, Meteoworld, WMO

News from the Group on Earth Observations (GEO), leading the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) Earth observations for the Africa We Want, Meteoworld, WMO

Earth observations to support ecosystems, International Innovation magazine, 9 June, 2016. Nine images show how satellite imagery can contribute to better decision making for the benefit of society

The 15th Global Spatial Data Infrastructure World Conference, GSDI 15 welcomes Ed Parsons as a keynote speaker

GEO: unleashing the power of Earth observations to address global challenges, Open Science EU (pages 76 - 78)

GEO Secretariat Director visit to China�s MOST

AfriGEOSS in the news

African remote sensing

The Herald, Zimbabwe

GIS caf�



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News Update

DECEMBER 2016

GEO now has 103 Member governments and 106 Participating Organizations, congratulations to three new organizations for officially joining:

International Long Term Ecological Research Network (ILTER)
Logistic Management Institute (LMI)
Sahara and Sahel Observatory (OSS)

GEO-XIII Plenary and GEO 38th Executive Committee Meeting, St Petersburg, Russia

2017-2019 GEO Work Programme approved.
Programme Board - Recommendations for the functions, duties, members and observers to the Programme Board were approved.
Commercial Sector - Sub group reinforces further engagement.
Statements - read Member and Participating Organization Statements to GEO-XIII Plenary.

ISS sends message to GEO during GEO-XIII Plenary.

Investments in open Earth observation data set to grow - Government investments in satellite and in situ Earth observations make up around 65 percent. Companies not only contribute in terms of hardware; they also stimulate provision of services.

Welcome to the Thirteenth GEO Plenary, by Barbara Ryan, Secretariat Director, GEO.

All presentations: available here.

All photos are available here.

NEW! Blog "Observations"

UNFCCC Earth Info Day and open Earth observation data - ICOS represents GEO at the UNFCCC COP 22 in Marrakech.

GEOSS

New look GEOSS Portal for better access to Earth observation data � a complete transformation unveiled.

First GEO DAB API virtual workshop � protocols to build GEO DAB software applications shared with participants from across the world.

Climate

GEO supports the Partnership for Resilience and Preparedness (PREP) to enhance access and use of data and information to help communities build climate resilience.

Partnership for Resilience and Preparedness fact sheet: Launching New Public-Private Partnership and Announcing Joint Declaration on Leveraging Open Data for Climate Resilience.

SDGs

Geospatial Information, Key to Achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, commissioned by DigitalGlobe and produced by Geospatial Media & Communications, supported by knowledge partners GEO and UN-GGIM.

Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data.

Draft paper framework for understanding SDG interactions, ICSU, 2016.

Earth observation and geospatial information are enablers for the SDGs � video interview with GEO Secretariat Director, Barbara Ryan.

Biodiversity & Ecosystems

New tool to visualize marine life unveiled by NOAA Administrator: Ecological Marine Units developed through GEO BON presented at the IUCN World Conservation Congress.

New paper published on the policy forum of the Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation summarises conditions for a collective engagement of space agencies.

Remote sensing of species dominance and the value for quantifying ecosystem services by Stephanie Pau and Laura Dee.

Urban

Atlas of the Human Planet 2016, published to coincide with Habitat III, based on GEO�s Global Human Settlement Layer.

Regional GEOs

GEONETCast-Americas 50 stations across 12 countries in the Americas and still expanding.

Survey on Earth Observation Capability for the African Union � contribute to the AU Space Programme Earth Observation Capability Audit.

An inventory of the African private EO and Geospatial industry, published by AARSE, the African Association of Remote Sensing of the Environment in cooperation with EARSC supported by the European Commission and Spacetec Partners.

Video demonstration of some of the capabilities of the Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON) portal.

GEO Community

Partnering for a more accessible future: Belmont Forum and the Group on Earth Observations, Erica Key, Executive Director, Belmont Forum Secretariat.

Leveraging Earth Observations for a food secure world from Satellite to soil. Barbara Ryan�s talk at the Royal Society in June.

ASREN Accredited as a Partner Organization for the Group on Earth Observations, Abu-Ghazaleh.

Call for papers

International Journal of Digital Earth Special Issue, Arctic and High Altitude Mountain Cold Regions: Sustainable Earth Observations and Climate Change.

Opportunities

H2020 EO Big Data Shift, call for proposals exploiting Big Data to a downstream service industry.

H2020 Africa Remote Sensing, call for proposals for Earth observation services for the monitoring of agricultural production in Africa.

H2020 Climate Services, call for proposals exploiting the added value of climate services.

US call for proposals for the GEO Work Programme 2017-19.

Call for nominations for the Ocean Observations Panel for Climate (OOPC), a scientific expert advisory group to the Global Ocean (GOOS) and Global Climate (GCOS) Observing Systems and the World Climate Research Program (WCRP).

Upcoming events

See GEO's website for upcoming events.

To subscribe to the GEO newsletter please write to secretariat@geosec.org



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see GEO-XIII outcomes pages

News Update

APRIL 2017

GEO now has 104 Member governments and 109 Participating Organizations, congratulations to four new organizations for officially joining:

Read the Press Release on how these organizations plan to work with GEO.

GEO Plenary-XIV: save the date, 25-26 October, 2017 in Washington DC.

The GEO Work Programme Symposium will be held in Tshwane, South Africa on 12 and 13 May 2017. See the meetings page for more information.

GEO Data Providers Workshop, Florence, Italy, 20-21 April, 2017

More than 95 organizations engaged in discussions on provision of open EO data.
New datasets in the GCI include ICIMOD and ESA Climate Change Initiative.
GEOSS users and Data Provider Workshops to benefit from GEOSS enhancements.

GEO Programme Board

6th Programme Board, May 23-24, Athens.
Members' views on the first GEO Programme Board of 2017 from Japan, Ghana and Canada.

Observations Blog

Sanctuaries for biodiversity monitoring, Frank Muller Karger
Development Seed, “a timely conversation” at the Data Providers Workshop, Ian Schuler
Understanding changes in cold regions, Yubao Qiu
Atlas of the Human Planet assesses vulnerabilities to disaster, Martino Pesaresi
Multi-hazard Early Warning at Global Scale, Eliot Christian
GPSDD announces funding for data projects, Claire Melamed
Mapping and monitoring settlements in South Africa, Naledzani Mudau, SANSA
EO for ecology in CAR, Padou Lambert
Open Geospatial Standards, Mark Reichardt
GEO Value at the AGU, Francoise Pearlman
Farewell to Giovanni, Alex Held
CBD COP-13, Laetitia Navarro
MY GEOSS, Max Craglia
Building a Great Green Wall Across Africa, Nabil Khatra

SDGs

New report illustrates how EO supports Sustainable Development through Case Studies.

Climate

UNFCCC SBSTA Information Note references GEO, paragraphs 32-34 within the section on key partners alongside GCOS, IPCC, WCRP, and WMO.

Disaster Risk Reduction

New Zealand Government thanks ChinaGEOSS, CODATA and IRDR for their help following the Kaikoura Earthquake.
GEO is part of the Marketplace at the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GPDRR) Cancun, Mexico May 22-26, come and talk to us. Opportunities for lightning talks are available.

Biodiversity

GEO handbook on Biodiversity Observation Networks downloaded more than 74,000 times.
A new map of global ecological marine units, an environmental stratification approach, booklet launched at the American Association of Geographers annual meeting in Boston, by USGS and Esri.

Regional GEO

The 9th GEOSS Asia Pacific Symposium.
AfriGEOSS Symposium, 13-15 June, Sunyani, Ghana, register now.
China ready to release massive amount of geographic data to the public.

Commercial Sector

Global Geospatial Industry Outlook Report launched at the Geospatial World Forum, 2017, which had almost 3,000 participants .

Announcements

Vacancy notice: GEO Secretariat Director (2018-2020).
Vacancy notice: Strategic Communications and Social Media Specialist.
Copernicus Masters, 2017: applications are open, apply by 30th June.
OECD brochure on Earth observation for decision making.
EU Polar Net Survey.
CODATA is accepting submissions for sessions and papers (by 30 June) for the CODATA 2017 Conference, 'Global Challenges and Data-Driven Science', 8-13 October, 2017.

GEO in the Media

The Ocean Enterprise, GeoConnection International, p26-28 March, 2017
High-resolution mapping of global surface water and its long-term changes, Nature Journal,
EO data, more accessible and investments to rise, GIS Professional magazine (p28-29)
GEANT to advance Earth observation communication networks as part of GEO 2017-2019 Work Programme, GEANT p30-31
Fact-based evidence to tackle global environmental challenges, Impact Publication (p72), January, 2017
Open access to data crucial for a sustainable future, Impact Publication, (p12) March, 2017
Global Push for Earth Observations Continues, Directions Magazine, April 2017
Global Push for Earth Observations Continues, GEOConnexion, April, 2017
GEO Secretariat Director Ryan on the Geospatial Media Hall of Fame

Upcoming meetings

Visit our event pages here

To subscribe to the GEO newsletter please write to secretariat@geosec.org



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Upcoming Events

Copernicus Marine Week

25-29 September 2017 / Brussels, Belgium

RCMRD International Conference

27-29 September 2017 / Nairobi, Kenya

CODATA 2017: Global Challenges and Data-Driven Science

3-18 October 2017 / Saint Petersburg, Russia

GEO Week 2017

23-27 October 2017 / Washington, DC

EuroGeographics Webinar

28 November 2017 / Online

AfricaGIS2017

20-24 November 2017 / Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

International Cooperation Towards Low-Emission and Resilient Societies

22-24 November 2017 / Bonn, Germany

e-AGE2017

3-4 December 2017, Cairo, Egypt

AGU Fall Meeting

11-15 December 2017 / New Orleans, USA

GISTAM 2018

17 - 19 March, 2018 / Funchal, Madeira, Portugal

Climate show palexpo

6-8 April 2018 / Geneva, Switzerland

7th Digital Earth Summit 2018

17-19 April, 2018 / El Jadida, Morocco

IGARSS 2018: Observing, Understanding And Forecasting The Dynamics Of Our Planet

23-27 July 2018 / Valencia, Spain

Publications and Reports

The GEO Handbook on Biodiversity Observation Networks

Report on the 2nd GEO Data Providers workshop

Acclimatise Report: Analysing existing data infrastructures for climate services

Spatially enabling the Global Framework for Climate Services: Reviewing geospatial solutions to efficiently share and integrate climate data & informationt

Earth observations in support of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

What is GEO Week?

On 23-27 October 2017, GEO will convene the Earth observations community in Washington, D.C. for GEO Week 2017. GEO Week, consisting of the GEO-XIV Plenary, Side Events and Exhibition, will highlight and promote the role, applications and opportunities to use Earth observations in delivering "Insight for a changing world". With a focus of delivery and impact, GEO Week will explore the use and applications of Earth observations in both the public and private sectors for the benefit of humankind.

Side Event registration now open

Registration for GEO Week Side events is now open. Space is filling up fast, so be sure to register soon!

Sponsorship opportunities available

GEO Week offers Sponsors the opportunity to showcase their work to the global Earth observation community, engage with potential customers and partners, and identify innovative business development opportunities.

Calling all EO communications professionals!

GEO invites communictors from the EO community to join us during GEO Week for a Communicators Roundtable on Monday, 23 October, to share experiences, ideas, and to form a network in support of our shared communications objectives.

Development Seed to host GEO Week icebreaker

Save the date on Sunday, October 22, and join the Open Data and Earth Observations communities for a GEO Week 2017 icebreaker & networking evening that will explore the impact of Open EO Data on global development challenges.

Download the GEO Week 2017 mobile app

Use this GEO Week 2017 mobile app to navigate the GEO Week schedule and venue, connect with other attendees, share your thoughts and much more! Get it for Android devices here and for iOS devices here.

Leveraging the Cloud and Earth observations for monitoring development in Africa

Open population grid data aids ICRC´s crisis response

An eye on Earth: satellite Earth Observation for agriculture insurance

Distributed Ledger Technology: Blockchain for shared economy of space

Open Data Areas Alberta - Earth Observations for Cumulative Effects and Integrated Resource Management

New leadership revitalizes GEO Health Community of Practice to improve public health outcomes using Earth observations

Blue Planet 3rd Symposium: The role of oceans in Earth’s life-support system

Balkan Peninsula cooperates on Earth Observation services for sustainable development

New report demonstrates how Earth observation data can help to measure the Sendai Framework for DRR

Perspectives on the Nature of Geospatial Information

Geneva innovations

Digital Earth Australia: Big Data for a Big Country

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		NOVEMBER 2017

Upcoming Events

OpenStreetMap GeoWeek

12-17 November, global

COP23 Side Event: NEXGEN Governance Systems for Climate

17 November 2017 / Bonn, Germany

Pecora 20 Symposium – Observing a Changing Planet: Science for Decisions... Monitoring, Assessment, and Projection

13-16 November 2017 / Sioux Falls, SD, USA

AfricaGIS2017

20-24 November 2017 / Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

EoE Webinar: Data Driven Cities for Climate Resilience - Cities and Citizens Take Action by EcoCity Builders

22 November, 2017 / Online

International Cooperation Towards Low-Emission and Resilient Societies

22-24 November 2017 / Bonn, Germany

EuroGeographics Webinar

28 November 2017 / Online

GEOSS Portal Virtual Workshop

29 November 2017 / Online

e-AGE2017

3-4 December 2017 / Cairo, Egypt

AGU Fall Meeting

11-15 December 2017 / New Orleans, USA

Global Landscapes Forum

19-20 December 2017 / Bonn, Germany

Implementing and Monitoring the Sustainable Development Goals in the Caribbean: The Role of the Ocean

17-19 January 2018 / St Vincent and Grenadines

GISTAM 2018

17-19 March 2018 / Funchal, Madeira, Portugal

2nd International Electronic Conference on Remote Sensing

22 March-5 April 2018 / online

2nd Mapping Water Bodies from Space Conference

27-28 March 2018

Climate Show 2018

6-8 April 2018 / Geneva, Switzerland

AfriGEOSS Symposium 2018

25-27 April 2018 / Libreville, Gabon

4th Blue Planet Symposium

4-6 July 2018 / Toulouse, France

IGARSS 2018: Observing, Understanding And Forecasting The Dynamics Of Our Planet

23-27 July 2018 / Valencia, Spain

AmeriGEOSS Week 2018

6-10 August 2018 / São José dos Campos, Brazil

GEO Week 2018

November 2018 TBC / Kyoto, Japan

UNFCCC COP24

3-14 December 2018 / Katowice, Slaskie, Poland

Publications and Reports

GEO Highlights 2016-2017

GEO-XIV Plenary Documents

GEO Week 2017 Outcomes

Over 700 people from diverse geographies, sectors and technical areas came together from 23-27 October 2017 in Washington, DC, to explore the use and applications of Earth observations for the benefit of humankind. Thank you to all the participants, speakers, exhibitors, sponsors and organizers who made GEO Week 2017 a success! Find presentations, documents, videos and photos from GEO Week 2017 online here.

Gilberto Câmara appointed as next GEO Secretariat Director

The Group on Earth Observations is pleased to announce the appointment of Gilberto Câmara as the next GEO Secretariat Director, effective 1 July 2018.

GEO Welcomes new Members and Participating Organizations

The Royal Government of Cambodia and The Sultanate of Oman join GEO as its 104th and 105th members, while 12 new Participating Organizations were approved in 2017, bringing the total to 118:

AGRHYMET Regional Centre
CI: Conservation International
COMIFAC: Central African Forest Commission / Commission des Forêts d’Afrique Centrale
CRCSI: Cooperative Research Centre for Spatial Information
CSDMS: Community Surface Dynamics Modeling System
Earthmind
ECLAC: United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean
EuroGeographics
GODAN: Global Open Data for Agriculture and Nutrition
ISESTEL: Institut Supérieur d'Etudes Spatiales et Télécommunications
The Paul G. Allen Philanthropies
UNICEF: United Nations Children’s Fund
WRI: World Resources Institute

GEO Communicators Network Formed

As an outcome of the GEO Communicators Roundtable at GEO Week 2017, a GEO Communicators Network has been established on Slack. The objective of this network is to bring together communications practitioners from GEO member agencies, participating organizations, partners, flagships, initiatives and community activities, in order to share experiences, knowledge, and coordinate and support communications efforts in support of our shared objectives. For an invitation to join this group, please email mwest@geosec.org.

GEO Week 2017 Videos

Watch GEO Week Side Events and Plenary Sessions online here.

GEO Week 2017 Photos

Access GEO Week 2017 Photo Albums here.

GEO Week 2018: Kyoto, Japan

Japan looks forward to welcoming the GEO community to Kyoto for GEO Week 2018. Watch the official announcement video here.

GEO Week 2017 in the News

GEO at COP23: GEO is at COP23 to highlight the crucial role of Earth observations in the fight against climate change. Vist the GEO at COP23 hub for information on our exhibit, side events and more.

Watch now: GEO featured in new Earth observations documentary video series

New Tool Allows Users to Explore Mountains Worldwide

New on the GCI: Healthsites health care location data for West Africa

Major milestone reached in forest monitoring from space

Join in OpenStreetMap GeoWeek - November 12th-17th

SMURBS: SMart URBan Solutions for Air Quality, Disasters and Urban Growth

China’s SASMAC advances regional cooperation on Earth observations

GEONETCast Mexico: US – Mexico Space Cooperation for Disaster Risk Reduction

Automatic Semantic Enrichment for Intelligent Big Earth Observation Databases

3rd GEO Data Providers Workshop

see GEO Week 2017 outcomes pages

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		FEBRUARY 2018

Upcoming Events

Open Data Cube Conference

12-16 February 2018 / Canberra, Australia

4th UN/Pakistan/PSIPW International Conference on the Use of Space Technology for Water Management

26 February - 2 March 2018 / Islamabad, Pakistan

Cities and Climate Change Science Conference

5-7 March 2018 / Edmonton, Canada

EOOS Forum: Integrated and Sustained Ocean Observing: a European Strategy

8 March 2018 / Brussels, Belgium

43rd GEO Executive Committee Meeting

8-9 March 2018 / Geneva, Switzerland

GISTAM 2018

17-19 March 2018 / Funchal, Madeira, Portugal

GeoInformation for Disaster Management (GI4DM) 2018

18-20 March 2018 / Istanbul, Turkey

Land and Poverty Conference 2018: Land Governance in an Interconnected World

19-23 March 2018 / Washington DC, USA

World Data System - International Technology Office Inaugural Workshop

21-23 March 2018 / Victoria BC, Canada

2nd International Electronic Conference on Remote Sensing

22 March - 5 April 2018 / Online

Sixth International Conference On Remote Sensing and Geo-Information of the Environment, RSCy2018

26-29 March 2018 / Paphos, Cyprus

2nd Mapping Water Bodies from Space Conference

27-28 March 2018 / Frascati, Italy

Data For Development Festival

28-29 March 2018 / Bristol, United Kingdom

Climate Show 2018

6-8 April 2018 / Geneva, Switzerland

European Geosciences Union General Assembly 2018 - EGU 2018

8-13 April 2018 / Vienna, Austria

Latin America and Caribbean Scientific Data Management Workshop

17-18 April 2018 / Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

7th Digital Earth Summit 2018 (DES-2018)

17-19 April 2018 / El Jadida, Morocco

ICLEI Resilient Cities Congres

26-28 April 2018 / Bonn, Germany

UNFCCC SBSTA-48

30 April-10 May 2018 / Bonn, Germany

3rd GEO Data Providers workshop

2-4 May 2018 / Frascati, Italy

2018 Understanding Risk Forum

14-18 May 2018 / Mexico City, Mexico

International Conference of Asia-Oceania Global Earth Observation System of Systems (AOGEOSS) & The international training workshop

16-19 May 2018 / Deqing, Zhejiang Province, China

AfriGEOSS Symposium 2018

25-29 June 2018 / Libreville, Gabon

42nd COSPAR Scientific Assembly

14-22 June 2018 / Pasadena, California, USA

Resources for Future Generations: Premier Conference on Energy • Minerals • Water • the Earth

16-21 June 2018 / Vancouver, BC, Canada

Adaptation Futures 2018 Conference

19-21 June 2018 / Cape Town, South Africa

2018 Arctic Observing Summit (AOS)

24-26 June 2018 / Davos, Switzerland

4th Blue Planet Symposium

4-6 July 2018 / Toulouse, France

3rd joint EARSeL LULC & NASA LCLUC Workshop

11-12 July 2018 / Chania, Greece

IGARSS 2018: Observing, Understanding And Forecasting The Dynamics Of Our Planet

23-27 July 2018 / Valencia, Spain

AmeriGEOSS Week 2018

6-10 August 2018 / Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil

2018 CESM Polar Modeling Workshop

13-17 August 2018 / Boulder, CO, USA

3rd ICOS Science Conference

11-13 September 2018 / Prague, Czech Republic

GEO Week 2018

29 Oct - 2 Nov 2018 / Kyoto, Japan

UN World Data Conference

22-24 October / Dubai UAE

1st United Nations World Geoinformation Conference

27-29 November 2018 / Deqing, Zhejiang, China

UNFCCC COP24

3-14 December 2018 / Katowice, Slaskie, Poland

Publications and Reports

Exploring the depths of the global earth observation system of systems

A view-based model of data-cube to support big earth data systems interoperability

Environmental Earth Observation: UK Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology Postnote

Join us from 2-4 May 2018 at the European Space Agency in Frascati, Italy, as we bring together Earth observation data providers and users from around the world to share knowledge and best practice in the management and use of Earth observation data and information, while working together to enhance together the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS). Register today!

Sponsorship opportunities available

As a sponsor of the 3rd GEO Data Providers Workshop, sponsors can reach a highly diverse and engaged community of Earth observation data users and providers from both the private and public sectors.

GEOSS/HACK 2018

Join us online or in person at the European Space Agency for GEOSS/HACK 2018, where developers will compete to create data discovery and access tools that solve global challenges.

Barbara Ryan receives Martha Maiden Lifetime Achievement Award

GEO-C update: GEO Carbon and GHG Initiative drives forward Global Cooperation on Greenhouse Gas Measurements

GEO Advances Priority Efforts at Workshop on the Role of the Ocean for SDGs in the Caribbean & SIDS

GEO participates in Key Global Events on Disaster Risk Reduction

World Bank’s Forest Carbon Partnership Facility joins Global Forest Observation Initiative (GFOI) Leadership

From GCI to GEOSS Platform: a comprehensive response to user needs.

Access videos, photos, presentations and resources from GEO Week 2017

Editorial: The data-user decade

Apply by 9 March: NF-POGO Centre of Excellence in Observational Oceanography at AWI

IISD coverage of GEO's COP23 Side Event 'Integrated Observations for Mitigation and Adaptation & Practical Support to Parties'

GEO participates in Key Global Events on Disaster Risk Reduction

Opinion: How to improve collaboration in Earth observation for impact

More than a workshop: key EO data event approaches 3rd and biggest year

Open Space: The Global Effort for Open Access to Satellite Data

GEO’s Value Highlighted at COP23

Earth Observations: Global Perspectives from the UK

GEO Climate Workshop: Earth Observations for the Paris Agreement

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		MAY 2018

Upcoming Events

6th GEOGLAM RAPP, SDG workshop & African Regional Data Cube Workshop

7 - 11 May 2018 / Nairobi, Kenya

GEOGLOWS Annual Meeting

9 - 11 May 2018 / ECMWF, Reading, United Kingdom

IGWCO Annual Meeting

11 May 2018 / ECMWF, Reading, United Kingdom

2018 Understanding Risk Forum

14 - 18 May 2018 / Mexico City, Mexico

International Conference of Asia-Oceania Global Earth Observation System of Systems (AOGEOSS) & The international training workshop

16 - 19 May 2018 / Deqing, Zhejiang Province, China

Artificial Intelligence for Earth

23 May 2018 / Webinar: 2PM UTC

3rd South-Eastern Europe GEO Workshop

4 - 5 June 2018 / Thessaloniki, Greece

7th Copernicus Czech National User Forum

7 - 8 June 2018 / Prague, Czech Republic

GEO Symposium 2018

11 - 12 June 2018 / Geneva, Switzerland

GEO Paris Climate Agreement Workshop

13 June 2018 / Geneva, Switzerland

9th GEO Programme Board meeting

14 - 15 June 2018 / Geneva, Switzerland

42nd COSPAR Scientific Assembly

14 - 22 June 2018 / Pasadena, CA, United States

GEOCRI at POLAR2018: GEOCRI side event: 19th June at 12:30-14:00

15 - 26 June 2018 / Davos, Switzerland

Resources for Future Generations: Premier Conference on Energy • Minerals • Water • the Earth

16 - 21 June 2018 / Vancouver,BC, Canada

Adaptation Futures 2018 Conference

19 - 21 June 2018 / Cape Town, South Africa

Resource Watch – Monitoring the Planet’s Pulse

20 June 2018 / Webinar: 1PM UTC

AfriGEOSS Week 2018 and Symposium

22 - 29 June 2018 / Libreville, Gabon

2018 Arctic Observing Summit (AOS)

24 - 26 June 2018 / Davos, Switzerland

EO4Alps Summer School: Earth observation and geospatial information: supporting a sustainable use of alpine ecosystems and water resources

24 June - 6 July 2018 / Salzburg, Austria

Global Ocean Summit 2018 (GOS2018)

3 - 5 July 2018 / Qingdao, China

4th Blue Planet Symposium

4 - 6 July 2018 / Toulouse, France

38th Annual EARSeL Symposium: Earth Observation Supporting Sustainability Research

9 - 12 July 2018 / Chania, Crete, Greece

Advanced Webinar: Techniques for Wildfire Detection and Monitoring

12 July 2018 / Webinar (2 identical sessions): 14:00-16:00 & 22:00-24:00 UTC

44th GEO Executive Committee Meeting

18 - 19 July 2018 / Geneva, Switzerland

Advanced Webinar: Techniques for Wildfire Detection and Monitoring

19 July 2018 / Webinar (2 identical sessions): 14:00-16:00 & 22:00-24:00 UTC

IGARSS 2018: Observing, Understanding and Forecasting the Dynamics of Our Planet

23 - 27 July 2018 / Valentia, Spain

Asia and the Pacific Regional Expert Workshop on Ocean Accounts

1 - 3 August 2018 / Bangkok, Thailand

UN-GGIM:Americas side event at the 6th session of UN-GGIM

3 August 2018 / New York, United States

AmeriGEOSS Week 2018

6 - 10 August 2018 / São José dos Campos, Brazil

11th GEOSS Asia-Pacific Symposium

24 - 26 October 2018 / Kyoto, Japan

GEO Week 2018

29 October - 2 November 2018 / Kyoto, Japan

Publications and Reports

Stocktaking Overview of the G20 Global Agricultural Monitoring Initiative

Building an Earth Observations Data Cube: lessons learned from the Swiss Data Cube (SDC) on generating Analysis Ready Data (ARD)

2018 GEO Symposium

Join us from 11-12 June in Geneva, Switzerland for the 2018 GEO Symposium. Participants will contribute to the future of the GEO Work Programme, share knowledge and connect with the global Earth Observation community. Learn more and register.

The 2018 GEO Climate Workshop will take place on 13 June in Geneva, following the GEO Symposium. Learn more and register.

Save the Date: GEO Week 2018

GEO Week 2018 and the GEO-XV Plenary will be held in Kyoto, Japan from 29 October to 2 November 2018. Learn more.

GEO welcomes 8 new Participating Organizations

Eight new Participating Organizations have recently joined GEO, bringing the total to 126. Learn how these organizations contribute to improving the availability, access and use of Earth observations for the benefit of society. Read more.

AfriGEOSS Symposium

The 3rd AfriGEOSS Week and Symposium will take place from 22-29 June in Libreville, Ghana. Learn more and register.

EuroGEOSS call for expressions of intent

Europe-based organizations involved in developing, promoting or deploying Earth Observations derived solutions are invited to submit their Expressions of Intent to the EuroGEOSS Initiative by 30 June. Read more.

Progress on GEOGLAM Crop Monitors highlighted at G20 Agriculture Deputies Meeting

G20 Agriculture Deputies applaud achievements made since the initiative's 2011 launch. Read more.

Earth Observations take center stage at 1st Data for Development Festival

Speakers at GPSDD's inaugural Data for Development Festival demonstrated the value of analysis-ready data systems for achieving the SDGs. Read more.

Harnessing the Potential of Earth Observations for Sustainable Development: Emerging Opportunities

Argie Kavvada of NASA and EO4SDG recaps examples from national governments using Earth Observations to monitor and implement the SDGs. Read more.

Water and the Data Cube Revolution: Analysis-ready satellite data for better decisions

Data Cubes are transforming the way we use satellite data. Learn more about Data Cube technology and how it contributes to better water management. Read more.

Delivering Earth observations worldwide: GEONETCast

With 6,000 users in 169 countries, GEONETCast provides Earth observation data, products and services to people in disaster zones and areas without internet access. Read more.

Contributions from UNIGE/ISE to the Group on Earth Observations and the Global Earth Observation System of Systems

From H2020 GEOEssential to the Swiss Data Cube, the University of Geneva is contributing to the GEO Work Programme and mission in a variety of areas. Read more.

Half of Earth’s satellites restrict use of climate data

Why do some nations choose to restrict satellite data, while others make it openly available? Mariel Borowitz answers this question and more, with highlights from her book 'Open Space'. Read more.

Webinar: Artificial Intelligence for Earth - 23 May 2PM UTC

GEO at the 2018 Climate Show

GEO demonstrates the value of Earth Observations for climate change at Geneva's first International Climate Show. Read more.

Meet James Norris: New disasters expert joins GEO Secretariat

A secondee from Great Britain’s National Mapping Agency has joined the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) Secretariat to coordinate disaster work across the GEO community. Read more.

Armenia benefits from GEO engagement

Maddie West speaks with Shushanik Asmaryan to learn how Armenia is benefiting from their contributions to the GEO Trust Fund and Work Programme. Read more.

Integrated and Sustained Ocean Observing System: A European Strategy

Dina Eparkhina looks back at the 2018 EOOS forum, where 80 ocean science managers, researchers, policymakers and private companies dicussed the value and need for integrated and sustained ocean observations. Read more.

Bringing People Closer to Earth Data: An overview of recent GEOSS Platform upgrades

Natacha Klein outlines recent upgrades to the GEOSS Platform, designed to provide users with more ways to access data. Read more.