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Showing posts with label GEO. Show all posts
Showing posts with label GEO. Show all posts

Monday, March 21, 2016

Four new organisations admitted into GEO



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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Saturday, March 19, 2016

Food insecurity: GEO launches Early Warning Crop Monitoring tool



Arising from its 36th Executive Meeting held in Geneva the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) has launched a new tool to fight food insecurity tagged the Early Warning Crop Monitor (EWCM), reports NaijaAgroNet.

The GEO’s United States (US) Co-Chair, Dr Kathryn Sullivan, affirmed this at the end of the meeting held between March 8 and 9, disclosing that this tool was developed by the group’s Global Agricultural Monitoring Initiative (GEOGLAM), established by the G-20 Agriculture Ministers, under the Early Warning Crop Monitor (ECWM) which provides consensus reports on crop conditions in countries at risk of food insecurity in Central and South America, Africa, the Middle East, and Central and East Asia. 

NaijaAgroNet gathered that the March edition of EWCM bulletin reports that countries in Southeast Asia, and even more so in Southern Africa, face severe droughts attributed to the on-going El Niño.

Also, NaijaAgroNet gathered that Dr. Sullivan who doubles as the Administrator of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) pointed that EWCM, together with the GEOGLAM Crop Monitor for the Agricultural Market Information Service (AMIS), will ultimately monitor crop development in 124 countries, totalling about 94 per cent of the world’s agricultural area. GEO noted that both reports synthesize remote sensing data, field observations and environmental modelling conducted by more than 40 international, regional and national organizations; whereas the monthly reports are made available to decision-makers across the food security community and to the commodities markets.

She said that concerns over food and water security are rising globally, pointing out that "Ensuring that agricultural industries around the world have access to the best science, data, tools and resources is essential as we work to increase food security and mitigate the effects of droughts and floods. The GEOGLAM Early Warning Crop Monitor provides decision-makers with essential information, gathered from satellites, buoys and other observational tools, to be ready, responsive and resilient against extreme weather and water events."
 
+ITRealms DSA
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Saturday, November 14, 2015

100 GEO members reiterate to unleash open data on global challenges



Over 100 members of the intergovernmental Group on Earth Observations (GEO) concluded its 12th Plenary session and fourth Ministerial Summit in Mexico City with reiteration to unleash the power of open data in effort to address global challenges, reports NaijaAgroNet.

This is coming as they have also adopted a 10-year Strategic plans to run between 2016 and 2015 in addition to a Ministerial Declaration that focuses on harnessing critical environmental observations to enable leaders to make better-informed decisions for the benefit of humanity at a time of rapid global change.

Arising from the weeklong meeting of over 400 delegates from 41 GEO governments and 39 partner organizations, and included Ministers of Environment, Science and Natural Resources, held at the Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Geografia (INEGI), Mexico City, the leaders reaffirmed resolve to share data on earth observations at a time of exponential data growth, human development and climate change.

These decisions are coming on the heels of recent adoption of the UN Global Goals for Sustainable Development and an anticipated global agreement on climate change, GEO launched several bold, new initiatives, including “A global Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON), including an Arctic to Antarctic network linking coastal observing centers in the Americas to measure species distribution and habitat.”

Also GEO resolved that AmeriGEOSS, a regional programme to share Earth observation data for agriculture; disaster risk reduction; water; and biodiversity and ecosystem monitoring.

The United States Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said, "As we near the historic Paris climate talks, it’s clear open data and international collaboration are key to countries moving the needle on climate change. We can and should share Earth observation data to help address climate challenges because science and open data are critical to understanding land, water, wildlife & climate change. They must be at the heart of every policy decision - no country can solve it alone."

European Commissioner Carlos Moedas said, "We have reached a tipping-point where GEO has to move its focus towards successful societal delivery. We should not underestimate this formidable challenge. The European Union, through its Horizon 2020 and Copernicus programmes will continue to be a driving force to help GEOSS reach its full maturity – a GEOSS which is designed for and accessible by all contributors and all users."


Communications Manager at Group on Earth Observations, Katherine Anderson informed NaijaAgroNet that GEO welcomed new Members Ecuador, Kenya, Somalia, Viet Nam and Zimbabwe, bringing the number to 100 nations; five new Participating Organizations: the Commission on the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution (BSC), International Research Center on El Niño (CIIFEN), Future Earth, Research Data Alliance (RDA) and The World Bank (IBRD/IDA); and four new Observers:  European Severe Storms Laboratory (ESSL), Inter-Islamic Network on Space Sciences and Technologies (ISNET), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the UN Initiative on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM).


She also said that the Thirteenth GEO Plenary will be held in St Petersburg, Russia in November 2016.
  
Isaac Oyimah/GEE +Remmy Nweke (ITRealms) +Nnenna Nwakanma +Open Data Center Alliance +Naija AgroNet 

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Sunday, May 11, 2014

Earth Observations Group want data into decisions, launches worldwide competition


The Group on Earth Observations (GEO) has launched its ‘Appathon 2014,’ a global competition to develop mobile “apps” to help people make smarter decisions about the environment, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Competitors from over 15 countries NaijaAgroNet gathered are competing for $20,000 in prizes being offered by the United States (US) Agency for International Development (USAID) in support of the contest.

NaijaAgroNet recalls that GEO is a voluntary partnership of governments and organizations that envisions “a future wherein decisions and actions for the benefit of humankind are informed by coordinated, comprehensive and sustained earth observations and information.”

Currently, NaijaAgroNet reports that GEO membership includes 89 nations and the European Commission, and 77 participating organizations comprised of international bodies with a mandate in earth observations.

Isaac Oyimah/GEE
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