Earth Observation Takes a Bold Step Forward
- Paper number
IAC-04-P.E.2.02
- Author
Mr. Marc Denis Everell, Meteorological Service of Canada Environment, Canada
- Year
2004
- Abstract
Building upon a charge from the Group of Eight Industrialized Nations at their June 2003 meeting and the commitments in the World Summit on Sustainable Development�s Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, a process is underway to develop a comprehensive, coordinated, and sustained Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS). Ministers and senior representatives of 47 currently participating nations and 27 international organizations have guided this development through Earth Observation Summits hosted by the United States (July 2003) and Japan (April 2004) and an ad hoc Group on Earth Observations (GEO) that has met four times and will meet again in Ottawa in late November. The Tokyo Summit adopted a Framework Document and approved the way forward to develop a 10-Year Implementation Plan for GEOSS that will be based on user requirements and will integrate and build upon existing space-based and in situ systems. The finalized Implementation Plan will be presented for acceptance to ministers at a Third Earth Observation Summit, scheduled for February 2005 in Brussels. The aim behind GEOSS is to maximize the effectiveness of Earth observation by minimizing data gaps, building capacity, and exchanging information as fully and quickly as possible. Involving both developed and developing nations, GEOSS has the potential to be an invaluable resource for global decision makers in helping to improve, for example, weather forecasting, understanding of climate change, and management of natural resources. Participants in the interactive, moderated Plenary Event will address the synergies and dynamics of this visionary initiative that promises to reorder global Earth observation and enhance its role as instrument for sustainable development.
- Abstract document