Vojko Bratina European Commission DG Research - Directorate Environment – RTD.I

1. New initiatives and projects sponsored by ECADC 8 meetingBoulder, 22-23 September 2008 Vojko Bratina European Commission DG Research - Directorate Environment – RTD.I Unit I4 - Management of Natural Resources – RTD.I.4

4. GEO activitieswithin FP7 • GEO activities have now visibility as FP7 Research opportunities on Environment • Reference to GEO WP tasks in FP7 WP always present • EC funding strategy in 3 phases so far: • 1st call-2007: Initial minor-medium sized projects selected to cover SBA acitivities (11 projects) • 2nd call-2008: big projects as a major contribution to GEO infrastructure (4 projects)-tasks overseen by ADC • 3rd call-2009: consolidation phase (6-7 projects, tbd)

5. FP7 Call 2007 FP7-ENV-2007-1 22 December 2006 -02 May 2007 Indicative Budget: € 21 000 000 • Research activities focusing on the development and integration of GEOSS in the context of the GEO initiative • Interoperability between observation systems, information management and data sharing • Optimisation of information for understanding, modelling and predicting environment phenomena • A strong emphasis was put on the need to integrate the European Earth Observation related research activities into the global picture.

6. FP7 Call 2007 Sub-Activity 6.4.1 Earth and Ocean Observation Systems and monitoring methods for the environment and sustainable development • ENV.2007.4.1.1.1 Monitoring of the carbon cycle at global level • ENV.2007.4.1.1.2 Contribution to a global biodiversity observation system • ENV.2007.4.1.3.2 Monitoring the ocean interior, seafloor and subseafloor • ENV.2007.4.1.3.3 Development of a Global Soil Observing System • ENV.2007.4.1.4.1 Georesource information system for Africa • ENV.2007.4.1.4.2 Improving observing systems for water resource management • ENV.2007.4.1.4.3 GEONETCast applications for developing countries

7. ENV.2007.4.1.4.3. GEONETCast applications for developing countries • To test, with the collaboration of developing countries, the GEONETCast concept currently developed through GEO by which environmental satellite and in situ data and products from participating data providers within GEO would be transmitted to all users through a global network of communications satellites, using a multicast access controlled broadband capability. • The project should address a limited number of pilot cases through which environmental data transmission and exchange covering some or all of the 9 societal benefit areas of GEO could be operated by using the GEONETCast protocol and involving European projects participants and International Co-operation Partner Countries (ICPC). • Funding scheme: coordination and supporting action • Expected impact: Relevant organisations in the developing countries start using broadcast environment data received through GEONETCast pilot cases and benefit from development of the people capacity in those countries to use GEONETCast in local/national planning and decision making.

8. ENV.2007.4.1.4.3. DevCoCast GEONETCast for and by Developing countries • DevCoCastaims at involving Developing Countries in the GEONETCast initiative, providing reliable and fast access to environmental information. • The DevCoCast project will disseminate existing environmental added-value datasets (both in-situ and satellite based) from various sources in Africa, South- and Central America and Europe in (near) real time and at no cost via EONETCast to a broad range of user communities in Developing Countries • The use of the existing EUMETCast dissemination system will take benefit from the operational infrastructures and from a well developed user base in Africa and South-America. • The project will set up a number of pilot cases in Africa, South- and Central America and Asia and is conceived to have a big impact with a limited budget, by building upon existing production (SPOT-VEGETATION a.o.) and dissemination infrastructures (EUMETCast, FengYunCast), existing research projects (GEOLAND, VGT4AFRICA, MERSEA, GOOS, YEOS a.o.) and servicing all relevant environmental end-user communities.

10. ENV.2007.4.1.4.1. Georesource information system for Africa • Building of an information system containing and making available African Geological resources • The preparatory phase of the project should comply with the objectives of GEOSS and the EU development policy for the use of the Georesource data which are primarily to be shared with the African countries. • Funding scheme: coordination and supporting action • Expected impact: Safeguarding/protecting observation data for Georesources in Africa as well as helping exploiting the relevant observing systems. • AEGOS is a project capable of hosting and providing access to Africa’s geological resources, including groundwater, energy, raw materials and mineral resources. • It will define: i) operational procedures for data management (Spatial Data Infrastructure, metadata and data specification) ii) user-oriented products and services including the preparation of innovative spin off projects based on AEGOS and an evaluation of the input of Interoperability and interdisciplinary in support of GEOSS iii) the African- European partner network iv) a geoscience contribution to GEOSS, in the context of INSPIRE

12. AEGOS project highlights • > Preparatory phase for the building of a pan-African information system on Africa’s geology and related resources: raw material, minerals, groundwater, energy, etc. • > Distributed architecture of national multidisciplinary data sets presently disseminated and managed by African and Europeangeological surveys • > Internet and satellite-based access to public geoscientific metadata and harmonised data • > User-oriented products and services: customized decision-support systems combining georesource information with socio-economic and sustainable development indicators • > Operational procedures and open standards to browse interoperable spatial information: ISO/CEN, OGC (WMS, WFS), IUGS/CGI (GeoSciML) • > Capacity building and training programmes • > Permanent network of institutions and geoscientists to facilitate cross-border and continental overviews

13. FP7 Call 2008 FP7-ENV-2008-1 30 November 2007 - 25 February 2008 Indicative Budget: € 21 000 000 • Research effort to comply with the requirements under the INSPIRE (Infrastructure for Spatial Information in Europe) directive and under the tasks overseen by the GEO Architecture and Data Committee • The INSPIRE Directive 2007/2/EC adopted in March 2007 establishes an infrastructure for spatial information in Europe to improve the accessibility and interoperability of spatial needed for environmental policy making and monitoring. The successful implementation of this Directive will go a long way towards overcoming existing inefficiencies relating to the use and usability of spatial data held by public authorities. • Science necessary to better assess the impact of energy exploitation on the environment, in coordination with similar requirements under the Energy tasks of the 2007-09 Work Plan of GEO • Necessary research to better monitor and observe oxygen depletion in all the components of the Earth System • Research contributing to capacity building efforts towards the new countries of the EU in the domain of Earth Observation

14. FP7 Call 2008 FP7-ENV-2008-1 30 November 2007 - 25 February 2008 Indicative Budget: € 21 000 000 • Research effort to comply with the requirements under the INSPIRE (Infrastructure for Spatial Information in Europe) directive and under the tasks overseen by the GEO Architecture and Data Committee • The INSPIRE Directive 2007/2/EC adopted in March 2007 establishes an infrastructure for spatial information in Europe to improve the accessibility and interoperability of spatial needed for environmental policy making and monitoring. The successful implementation of this Directive will go a long way towards overcoming existing inefficiencies relating to the use and usability of spatial data held by public authorities. • Science necessary to better assess the impact of energy exploitation on the environment, in coordination with similar requirements under the Energy tasks of the 2007-09 Work Plan of GEO • Necessary research to better monitor and observe oxygen depletion in all the components of the Earth System • Research contributing to capacity building efforts towards the new countries of the EU in the domain of Earth Observation

15. FP7 Call 2008 Sub-Activity 6.4.1 Earth and Ocean Observation Systems and monitoring methods for the environment and sustainable development • ENV.2008.4.1.1.1 European Environment Earth Observation system supporting INSPIRE and compatible with the GEOSS • ENV.2008.4.1.2.1 Cross-cutting research activities relevant to GEO • ENV.2008.4.1.3.1 Developing Earth Observation for the monitoring and prediction of environmental impacts from energy resource extraction, transportation and/or exploitation • ENV.2007.4.1.4.1 developing necessary research activities for capacity building relevant to Earth Observation and GEO in the Black Sea basin • 4 winning projects selected

16. ENV.2008.4.1.1.1. European Environment Earth Observation system supporting INSPIRE and compatible with the GEOSS (Global Earth Observation System of Systems) • The project will address scientific and technical feasibility of the European Environment Earth Observation System necessary for the implementation of the INSPIRE directive • The project will take into account the Global Spatial Data Infrastructure (GSDI) needed for the GEOSS (Global Earth Observation System of Systems) architecture described in GEO tasks AR-07-01, AR-07-02, AR-07-03, and AR-07-04 • The project will need as broad as possible participation of international and national initiatives, in particular to harmonise as much as possible European efforts through the INSPIRE, GMES and GEO initiatives. • Funding scheme: collaborative project (large-scale integrating project) in support to Policy • Expected impact: Validated European system for geo-spatial information in Europe contributing to the implementation of the INSPIRE directive and fully compatible with GEOSS.

17. ENV.2008.4.1.1.1. EuroGEOSS European approach to GEOSS • EuroGEOSS demonstrates the added value to the scientific community and society of making existing systems and applications interoperable and used within the GEOSS and INSPIRE frameworks. • A dedicated project funded to see how INSPIRE works within GEOSS • The project will build an initial operating capacity for a European Environment Earth Observation System in the three strategic areas : Drought, Forestry, Biodiversity • An advanced operating capacity is also developed, providing analytical models useable by scientists from different disciplinary domains • The extension of INSPIRE and GEOSS components with concepts emerging in the Web 2.0 communities in respect to user interactions and resource discovery, also supports the wider engagement of the scientific community with GEOSS as a powerful means to improve the scientific understanding of the complex mechanisms driving the changes that affect our planet. • Leading entity: Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières (France) + 22 other partners

18. overall structure of the project and the context within which it is framed.

19. CALL 2009 (September 2008-January 2009) Indicated budget ~ 20 MEUR (cordis.europa.eu) • Area 6.4.1.1 - Integration of European activities within GEO ENV.2009.4.1.1.1 Contribution to observing systems for seismogenic hazards (large scale integrating project) • Area 6.4.1.2 - Cross-cutting research activities relevant to GEO ENV.2009.4.1.2.1 Further structuring the European approach to Earth Observation (supporting action) • Area 6.4.1.3 - Earth Observation activities in emerging areas ENV.2009.4.1.3.1 Contribution to observing systems for environment and health monitoring and modelling (large scale integrating project)ENV.2009.4.1.3.2 Earth observation in support of a sustainable exploitation of mineral resources (small- or medium scale focused research project) SICA • Area 6.4.1.4 - Developing capacity building activities in the domain of Earth Observation in the new EU countries and in the developing countries ENV.2009.4.1.4.1 Action in the domain of EO to support capacity building in GEO; two participants from developing countries are required (supporting action)