The document discusses the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) and the Group on Earth Observations (GEO). It provides information on: - GEOSS, which is a global network that coordinates Earth observation data from around the world across nine societal benefit areas including disasters, health, climate and agriculture. - GEO, an intergovernmental group with 89 member countries that aims to develop GEOSS to enhance decision-making. It promotes open data sharing and increased Earth observation data use. - Examples of GEOSS applications including GEOGLAM and JECAM which use Earth observation for global agricultural monitoring.

1. The Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS)
- remote sensing and in situ information resources
Sergio Camacho, Secretary General
Centro Regional de Enseñanza de Ciencia y Tecnología del Espacio para América Latina y el
Caribe (CRECTEALC)
Workshop on Remote Sensing – Beyond Images
Hotel Sevilla, Mexico City, Mexico
14 – 15 December 2013
1/7/2014
1

2. Regional Centre for Space Science and Technology
Education for Latin America and the Caribbean
The Centre, (CRECTEALC):
• Has a Campus in Brazil (Santa Maria, Rio Grade do Sul) and a
Campus in Mexico (Tonantzintla, Puebla), each with a Director
• Has a Secretary General that alternates between Brazil and Mexico
• Has a Governing Board composed by Brazilian and Mexican Govt.
representatives.
07/01/2014
2

3. Regional Centre for Space Science and Technology
Education for Latin America and the Caribbean
• Campuses in Brazil and Mexico
Santa Maria, Brazil
07/01/2014
Tonantzintla, Mexico
3

4. Regional Centre for Space Science and Technology
Education for Latin America and the Caribbean
Resolution 45/72 of the General Assembly of the UN, 1990: “UN
should lead … establishment of Regional Centres ...”
Regional Centres established in:
• Asia and the Pacific (India, 1995);
• Latin America and the Caribbean (Brazil & Mexico 1997) CRECTEALC;
• French-speaking Africa (Morocco, 1998)
• English-speaking Africa (Nigeria, 1998)
• Western Asia (Jordan, 2012)
CRECTEALC was affiliated to the United Nations in 2003
07/01/2014
4

5. Regional Centre for Space Science and Technology
Education for Latin America and the Caribbean
• Aim of the Centre: To provide high-level education and
training that develop skills and scientific knowledge
• The Centre offers postgraduate programmes, workshops,
short-term courses in the core disciplines:
–
–
–
–
Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System
Satellite Communications
Satellite Meteorology and Global Climate, and
Space and Atmospheric Sciences
07/01/2014
5

6. Regional Centre for Space Science and Technology
Education for Latin America and the Caribbean
• The Mexico Campus has a 11-month education programme in
RS/GIS and a 9-month programme in Satellite communications.
• As of September 2014, CRECTEALC will be joining INAOE in a new
space science and technology graduate degree programme,
beginning at the M.SC. Level. – RS/GIS/GNSS
• Carries out short-term courses and workshops on diverse space
applications (1 – 3 weeks)
• Collaborates in international activities such as with the United
Nations SPIDER programme in applications of space technology in
disaster management
• Participates in international initiatives such as with the United
Nations Action Team on NEOs (asteroids, comets)
07/01/2014
6

7. Global Earth Observation System of Systems
Information - Need and Resources
Decision-making in areas of economic and social importance,
including agriculture, requires
• Timely/ accurate information
• This information often needed over large surface areas
This presentation will
• Present an overview of the work of the Group on Earth
Observations (GEO)
• Show how to participate in and benefit from the larger Earth
Observation (EO) community
07/01/2014
7

8. The Group on Earth Observations
GEO - Intergovernmental; 89 countries, EC, 67 organizations
• Created in 2005, to develop a coordinated and sustained:
– Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) to
enhance decision-making in nine Societal Benefit Areas (SBAs);
•
•
•
•
•
DISASTERS
HEALTH
ENERGY
CLIMATE
WATER
WEATHER
ECOSYSTEMS
BIODIVERSITY
AGRICULTURE - JECAM , GEOGLAM
07/01/2014
8

9. GEO Countries
07/01/2014
9

10. GEO Objectives
•
Improve and coordinate observations systems
•
Advance Broad Open Data Policies/Practices
•
Foster Increased Use of EO Data and Information
•
Build Capacity
STRONGLY SUPPORTED By the Committee on Earth Observation
http://www.earthobservations.org/index.shtml
07/01/2014
10

11. GEO’s Data Sharing Principles
•
•
•
07/01/2014
Full and Open Exchange of Data
Data Products at Minimum Time Delay
Free of Charge or at Cost of Reproduction
11

12. Global Earth Observation System of Systems
GEOSS
• An integrating public infrastructure, interconnecting
a diverse, growing array of Earth observing
instruments and information systems for monitoring
and forecasting changes in the global environment
• Supports policymakers, resource managers, science
researchers and other experts for informed decisionmaking for society
• 10-year implementation plan
• 2015: Global, Coordinated, Comprehensive and
Sustained System of Observing Systems
07/01/2014
12

13. Societal Benefits
•Reducing loss of life and property from natural and
human-induced disasters;
•Understanding environmental factors affecting human
health and well-being,
•Improving the management of energy resources,
•Understanding, assessing, predicting, mitigating, and
adapting to climate variability and change,
•Improving water resource management through
better understanding of the water cycle,
07/01/2014
13

14. Societal Benefits
•Improving weather information, forecasting and
warning,
•Improving the management and protection of
terrestrial, coastal and marine ecosystems,
•Supporting sustainable agriculture and combating
desertification, and
•Understanding, monitoring and conserving
biodiversity.
07/01/2014
14

15. Agriculture: Strategic Target
Improve the utilization of Earth observations and expanded
application capabilities to advance sustainable agriculture,
aquaculture, fisheries and forestry in areas including early warning,
risk assessment, food security, market efficiency, and, as appropriate,
combating desertification
Achieved, in part, through projects such as:
•
GEOGLAM, the GEO GLobal Agricultural Monitoring initiative
was initially launched by the Group of Twenty (G20) Agriculture
Ministers in June 2011
•
JECAM, the Joint Experiment of Crop Assessment and
Monitoring
07/01/2014
15

16. Agriculture: Strategic Target
GEOGLAM,
•
The initiative forms part of the G20 Action Plan on Food Price
Volatility, which also includes the Agricultural Market Information
System (AMIS) and will contribute to generating reliable, accurate,
timely and sustained crop monitoring information and yield
forecasts.
•
JECAM, the Joint Experiment of Crop Assessment and
Monitoring in the framework of GEO Global Agricultural Monitoring
(GEOSS Task AG0703 a) and Agricultural Risk Management (GEOSS
Task AG0703 b) has the overarching goal of reaching a convergence
of approaches, develop monitoring and reporting protocols and best
practices for a variety of global agricultural systems
http://www.jecam.org/
07/01/2014
16

17. How to participate in or with GEO
• Member countries and participating organizations are
encouraged to participate in Ministerial, Plenaries,
• Working Groups and other GEO activities
• Non-member countries and organizations are
encouraged to participate in Ministerial, Plenaries,
Symposia, Working Group and other activities
• Additional member countries can join by
– Formally agreeing to the value of GEO
– Identify Principal and Alternate point of contact
– Contact GEO Secretariat members for more information,
secretariat@geosec.org
07/01/2014
17

18. Purpose of the EOPOWER project
• Project funded under FP7 of the EU
• To create conditions for sustainable economic
development through the increased use of Earth
Observation (EO) products and services for
environmental applications.
• This purpose serves the higher-level goal of effective
use of EO for decision making and management of
economic and sustainable development processes.
07/01/2014
18

19. Thank you
CRECTEALC
Luis Enrique Erro No. 1
Santa María Tonantzintla
San Andrés Cholula, Puebla
C.P. 72840, México
Tel: + (52 222) 266 3100 Ext. 2317
Fax: + (52 222) 266 3100 Ext. 8302
Web: http://www.crectealc.org/
07/01/2014
19

20. Purpose of EOPOWER achieved through
Among others:
1. Roadshow activities to promote the increased use of EO products &
services for environmental applications including Capacity Building
2. Portfolio of potential EO applications;
3. Enhancement of the resource facility on CB in the GEO web portal;
4. Establishment of local focal points (nodes) that actively promote
and provide capacity building on the use of EO;
07/01/2014
20

21. Specific actions of WP 12
(from: DOW 21-05-2013)
This work package focuses on natural disaster reduction
1) Roadshow activities to promote the increased use of EO products and services
for environmental applications, including capacity building;*
2) Capacity building for local communities and authorities, in order to use
environmental EO information and products for natural disaster monitoring and
reduction;
3) Portfolio of potential EO applications for economic development and
environmental management;*
4) Maintenance of the capacity building web part of the GEO web portal; *
5) Establishment of local focal points (nodes) that actively promote and provide
capacity building on the use of EO for environmental applications, with
emphasis in natural disasters monitoring and reduction, effectively and at low
cost;*
6) Creation of a sustainable and permanent technology transfer structure among
the members/countries in the region.
* Common with EOPOWER General Action Plan
07/01/2014
21

22. Specific actions of WP 12
(from: DOW 21-05-2013)
Task T12.1- Promotion of increased use of EO products/services for natural
disasters monitoring and reduction
1) Promotion activities (to be determined)
2) Demonstration of best practices through a CRECTEALC/others’ web application
3) Support to, and promotion of, capacity building activities already taking place (in
LAC organizations, GEO, UN-SPIDER, CEOS-WGCapD, SERVIR, others)
Task T12.2- Promotion of EO applications for economic development
1) Delivery of up-to-date information and uptake of scientific and technical reports
(best practices of EO applications for natural disasters monitoring and reduction)
2) Delivery of up-to-date information on the use of EO for natural disaster
monitoring and reduction through the website of the Mexico Campus of CRECTEALC
3) Establishment of local focal points (nodes) in partnership with policy makers, civil
defense and space agencies
07/01/2014
22

23. Specific actions of WP 12
(from: DOW 21-05-2013)
Task T12.3- A sustainable and permanent technology transfer structure for the
members/countries in the region
1) Three dissemination/capacity building seminars
(at least one to be held at the Mexico Campus of CRECTEALC; will look for cosponsors to hold one in Central America and one in South America)
2) Establishment of a portfolio of potential EO applications for economic
development, environmental management and climate change adaptation
07/01/2014
23

24. Necessary activities to support T12.1, T12.2 and
T12.3 and ensure coherence among them
1) Review of existing resources from previous projects, programmes, platforms
carried out in the LAC region
2) Establishment of contacts with regional and global disaster management
entities (e.g. UN-ISDR)
3) Look for synergies with disaster reduction on-going projects in LAC (UN-SPIDER,
CATHALAC, VI Space Conference of the Americas)
4) Survey of LAC institutions/individuals that can be beneficiaries/promoters
5) Enriching/creating a comprehensive database for LAC (use of Permanent
Networking Facility from the BalkanGeoNet project or adapting the Mexico
Campus database to become a web-based tool)
6) Determination of data availability for LAC from GEOSS (disaster prevention and
mitigation), Charter on Space and Major Disaster (emergency response) other
sources, possibly private sector for rehabilitation.
07/01/2014
24