GEO - "Group on Earth Observations"

GEO

In the wake of the resolutions taken at the Evian G8 summit of June 2003 on measures to improve international cooperation in the field of Earth observation, the first "Earth Observation Summit" took place in Washington on 31 June, 2003. High-level representatives of more than 30 countries had followed the invitation of the US government to discuss a world-wide coordination of Earth observation systems. In a joint declaration, the following basic demands were put forward:

Improved coordination of existing strategies and systems for observation of the Earth and identification of measures to minimise data gaps with a view to moving toward a comprehensive, coordinated, and sustained Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS),

• A coordinated effort to involve developing countries,
• The exchange of observations recorded from in-situ, aircraft, and satellite networks,
• Preparation of a 10-year implementation plan based on existing systems.

Following this, an international working party called Ad hoc Group on Earth Observations agreed on the basic documents concerning GEOSS.. Finally, the third Earth Observation Summit on 16 February 2005 in Brussels adopted the GEOSS 10-year implementation plan. A reference document lays down the implementation details of the GEOSS project.

Meanwhile the initiative has grown considerably. Since its constituent full assembly early in May 2005, the intergovernmental "Group on Earth Observations" (GEO) has been bringing together more than 85 governments and relevant international organisations to coordinate their Earth observation activities. A GEO secretariat was established on the premises of WMO in Geneva. An executive committee runs the organisation’s business between annual full assemblies. Germany is currently one of three European countries to serve on this body.

Since its inception, GEO has created a number of early achievements, such as the GEO Portal, the GEONETCast System, or the GEO Forest Carbon Initiative. In Germany, the political responsibility is with the Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Development. To coordinate Germany’s activities, a national GEO secretariat was put in place, which is hosted by DLR’s space administration division.

You will find further information on national activities at the D-GEO.de website. For regular updates on GEO, you are invited to register with the D-GEO team site. Please contact the national GEO Secretariat to receive further registration details.