Group on Earth Observations (GEO)

The intergovernmental Group on Earth Observations () is leading a worldwide effort to build a Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) over the next decade. GEO was set up following calls for action by the G8 after the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, which highlighted a need for coordinated observations relating to the state of the planet to support decision making.

The group is a voluntary partnership of governments and international organisations – current membership includes 86 governments and the EC, as well as 61 intergovernmental, international and regional organisations which have “Participating Organisation” status (including EUMETSAT).

GEO provides a framework within which these entities can coordinate to develop new projects and work towards the key objective of the group: global access to affordable Earth observation data, which is being implemented through the creation of the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS).

GEO is constructing the GEOSS on the basis of a 10 Year Implementation Plan for the period 2005-2015.

GEOSS will work with and build upon existing national, regional and international systems to provide comprehensive, coordinated Earth observations from thousands of instruments worldwide. The collected data will be transformed into vital information for society, concentrating on nine “Societal Benefit Areas”:

• Reducing loss of life and property from natural and human-induced disasters.
• Understanding environmental factors affecting human health and well-being.
• Improving 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.
• Improving weather information, forecasting and early warning of severe weather.
• Improving the management and protection of terrestrial, coastal and marine ecosystems.
• Supporting sustainable agriculture and combating desertification.
• Understanding, monitoring and conserving biodiversity.

EUMETSAT is contributing to GEOSS through the development of the GEONETCast infrastructure with systems developed in cooperation with CMA, NOAA and Roshydromet. In addition a number of projects including the AMESD and MESA projects, developed in collaboration with the African Regional Economic Communities, the African Union and the European Commission (EC), the DAWBEE project and a number of FP7 projects are supporting the use of GEONETCast.