The Group on Earth Observations (or GEO) is coordinating international efforts to build a Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS). It is linking together existing and planned Earth observation systems and supporting the development of new ones where the need exists. The aim is to construct a global public infrastructure for Earth observations that, like the Internet, will consist of a flexible and distributed network of content providers.

Common Earth observation instruments include ocean buoys, meteorological stations and balloons, seismic and Global Positioning System (GPS) stations, remote-sensing satellites, computerized forecasting models and early warning systems. These instruments are used to measure and monitor specific aspects of the Earth’s physical, chemical and biological systems.

Earth observations are vital for policymaking and assessment in many fields. GEO focuses on nine priority areas: natural and human-induced disasters, the environmental sources of health hazards, energy management, climate change and its impacts, freshwater resources, weather forecasting, ecosystem management, sustainable agriculture, and biodiversity conservation.

History and structure

GEO was established in February 2005 by the Third Earth Observation Summit in Brussels at the end of a process that started in 2003 with the First Earth Observation Summit in Washington DC. It was launched in response to calls for action by the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development and the Group of Eight (G8) leading industrialized countries. These high-level meetings recognized that international collaboration is essential for exploiting the growing potential of Earth observations to support decision making in an increasingly complex and environmentally stressed world.

GEO is a voluntary partnership of governments and international organizations. It provides a framework within which these partners can develop new projects and coordinate their strategies and investments. As of January 2008, GEO’s membership includes 72 Governments and the European Commission; in addition, 52 intergovernmental, international and regional organizations with a mandate in Earth observation or related issues have been recognized as Participating Organizations (see lists below). Each Member and Participating Organization is represented by a Principal and a Principal Alternate. Members make financial contributions to GEO on a voluntary basis.

GEO is constructing GEOSS on the basis of a 10-Year Implementation Plan. Adopted by the Third Earth Observation Summit, the Plan runs from 2005 to 2015. It defines a vision statement for GEOSS, its purpose and scope, expected benefits, nine “Societal Benefit Areas” (disasters, health, energy, climate, water, weather, ecosystems, agriculture and biodiversity), technical and capacity-building priorities, and the GEO governance structure.

GEO is governed by a Plenary consisting of all Members and Participating Organizations. GEO meets in Plenary at least once a year at the level of senior officials and periodically at the ministerial level. The Plenary held its first meeting in May 2005 in Geneva, followed by GEO-II in December 2005 in Geneva, GEO-III in Bonn in November 2006, and GEO-IV (plus a Ministerial Summit) in Cape Town in November 2007. Members take decisions at the Plenary by consensus.

GEO Members

Algeria / Argentina / Australia / Bahrain / Bangladesh / Belgium / Belize / Brazil / Cameroon / Canada / Central African Republic / Chile / China / Congo, Republic of the / Costa Rica / Croatia / Cyprus / Czech Republic / Denmark / Egypt / European Commission / Finland / France / Germany / Greece / Guinea-Bissau / Honduras / Hungary / Iceland / India / Indonesia / Iran / Ireland / Israel / Italy / Japan / Kazakhstan / Korea, Republic of / Latvia / Luxembourg / Malaysia / Mali / Mauritius / Mexico / Moldova / Morocco / Nepal / Netherlands / New Zealand / Niger / Nigeria / Norway / Pakistan / Panama / Paraguay / Philippines / Portugal / Romania / Russian Federation / Slovakia / Slovenia / South Africa / Spain / Sudan / Sweden / Switzerland / Thailand / Tunisia / Uganda / Ukraine / United Kingdom / United States / Uzbekistan

GEO Participating Organizations

AARSE: African Association of Remote Sensing of the Environment

ADIE: Association for the Development of Environmental Information

APN: Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research

Cathalac: Water Center for the Humid Tropics of Latin America and the Caribbean

CEOS: Committee on Earth Observation Satellites

CGMS: Coordination Group for Meteorological Satellites

CMO: Caribbean Meteorological Organization

COSPAR: Committee on Space Research

DIVERSITAS

ECMWF: European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts

European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts

The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts is an independent intergovernmental organisation supported by 19 European Member States and 15 Co-operating States...

 

EEA: European Environmental Agency

EIS-AFRICA: Environmental Information Systems - AFRICA

ESA: European Space Agency

ESEAS: European Sea Level Service

EUMETNET: Network of European Meteorological Services/Composite Observing System

EUMETSAT: European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites

EuroGeoSurveys: The Association of the Geological Surveys of the European Union

FAO: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

FDSN: Federation of Digital Broad-Band Seismograph Networks

GBIF: Global Biodiversity Information Facility

GCOS: Global Climate Observing System

GSDI: Global Spatial Data Infrastructure

GOOS: Global Ocean Observing System

GTOS: Global Terrestrial Observing System

IAG: International Association of Geodesy

ICSU: International Council for Science

IEEE: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

IGBP: International Geosphere-Biosphere Program

IGFA: International Group of Funding Agencies for Global Change Research

IGOS-P: Integrated Global Observing Strategy Partnership

IHO: International Hydrographic Organization

IISL: International Institute for Space Law

INCOSE: International Council on Systems Engineering

IO3C: International Ozone Commission

IOC: Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission

ISCGM: International Steering Committee for Global Mapping

ISDR: International Strategy for Disaster Reduction

ISPRS: International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing

OGC: Open Geospatial Consortium

POGO: Partnership for Observation of the Global Ocean

SICA/CCAD: Central American Commission for the Environment and Development

SOPAC: South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission

UNCBD: United Nations Convention on Biodiversity

UNEP: United Nations Environment Programme

UNESCO: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

UNFCCC: United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

UNITAR: United Nations Institute for Training and Research

UNOOSA: United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs

UNU-EHS: United Nations University, Institute for Environment and Human Security

WCRP: World Climate Research Programme

World Climate Research Programme

The World Climate Research Programme was established in 1980, under the joint sponsorship of International Council for Science and the World Meteorological Organization, and has also been sponsored by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO since 1993. It is a component of the...

 

WFPHA: World Federation of Public Health Associations

WMO: World Meteorological Organization

World Meteorological Organization

The World Meteorological Organization is an intergovernmental organization with a membership of 189 Member States and Territories. It originated from the International Meteorological Organization , which was founded in 1873...

External links

Group on Earth Observations (http://www.earthobservations.org)

List of web sites of GEO Participating Organizations (http://www.earthobservations.org/ag_partorg.shtml)

Canadian Group on Earth Observations (http://www.cgeo-gcot.gc.ca/)

German GEO (http://www.d-geo.de/index_en.htm)

European Commission – (http://ec.europa.eu/research/environment/geo/article_2446_en.htm)

Europe GMES (http://www.gmes.info/)

The Netherlands and GEO (http://geo.aardobservatie.nl/)

US GEO (http://usgeo.gov/)

US NOAA (http://www.noaa.gov/eos.html)

GEOSS Best Practices Wiki, entries by the GMES Network of Users (http://wiki.ieee-earth.org/Best_Practices/GEOSS_Transverse_Areas/Work_of_GNU)