The Executive Committee of the intergovernmental Group on Earth
Observations (GEO) has admitted four new organisations into its fold, reports
NaijaAgroNet.
The Committee during
its 36th meeting recently in Geneva welcomed new participating organizations,
namely the European Association of Remote Sensing Companies (EARSC); Joint
Board of Geospatial Information Societies (JBGIS); Mountain Research Initiative
(MRI); and a new Observer, the Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum
(APRSAF).
The Communications Manager, Group on Earth Observations, Ms
Katherine Anderson in a press
statement made available to NaijaAgroNet quoted the co-chair of GEO, Dr. Kathryn Sullivan, as disclosing this.
She also noted that
the Executive Committee Co-Chairs including Hejun Yin, Vice-Minister, Ministry
of Science and Technology (China); Rudolf Strohmeier, Assistant
Director-General, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (European
Commission); and Philemon Mjwara, Director-General, Department of Science and
Technology (South Africa) were in attendance.
GEO, NaijaAgroNet before now comprised of 102 Member states, including the European
Commission, and 95 participating organizations, even as it strives to improve the world’s observation
systems and provide policy makers and scientists with accurate and useful data to
make informed decisions on issues affecting the planet.
NaijaAgroNet further gathered
that with headquarters in Switzerland, GEO’s primary focus since establishment
in 2005 has been to develop a Global Earth Observation System of Systems
(GEOSS) to enhance the ability of end-users to discover and access Earth
observation data and convert it to useable and useful information.
Isaac Oyimah/GEE
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