The GEOSS Initiative Codata workshop, September 2005

1
The GEOSS InitiativeCodata workshop, September
2005

• Dhesigen Naidoo
• DST, South Africa

2
What is GEO

• It is an international partnership initiative
  with a membership of 58 countries EC and 43
  international organisations
• Includes 29 developing countries and 14 from
  Africa
• Current co-chaired by South Africa, United
  States, PR China and the European Commission

3
Key Objective

• Develop a new comprehensive, co-ordinated and
  sustainable Global Earth Observation System of
  Systems (GEOSS) to support decision-making for
  sustainable development world-wide
• Realisation of a Johannesburg Type 2 initiative

4
Key Objective

• Strengthen cooperation and coordination among
  global observing systems and research programmes
  for integrated global observations, taking into
  account the need for building capacity and
  sharing of data from ground-based observations,
  satellite remote sensing and other sources among
  all countries para 119, JPOI, WSSD,2002

5
Why a GEO

• Indian Ocean Tsunami, Katrina and other natural
  disasters
• Critical role in providing data and information
  services
• Will include all satellite, airborne, terrestrial
  and water-based observations of geophysical
  parameters

6
Earth Observation applications

• Crop yeilds
• Water and air quality
• Weather forecasting
• Climate change
• Disease patterns fauna, flora and human
• Disaster mitigation and management

7
In 10 years weather forecasting has developed
equity in data utilisation
Improved forecasts
8
The Ten Year Implementation Plan
9
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

10
Societal Benefit Areas

• Improving weather information, forecasting and
  warning
• Improving the management and protection of
  terrestrial, coastal and marine ecosystems
• Supporting sustainable agriculture and combating
  desertification
• Understanding, monitoring and conserving
  biodiversity

11
(No Transcript)
12
Meeting the Information challenges

• Accessibility
• Availability
• Inter-operability
• Capacity
• Beneficiation

13
http//earthobservations.org