GEO's Global Initiatives: Strategies for Strengthening Globalization Role

1. Co-Chair Comments – Session 2 Gary Foley, Rick Lawford With inputs from Presenters and Douglas Cripe GEO Work Planning Session Geneva April 28-30, 2014

2. General Impressions • Many different applications – most initiatives have clear users (even though they may not be highlighted in the work plan) • 2. Although the breadth of issues is large some common elements exist: • Model reliability • Ways of disseminating information • Need to upscale and downscale results • 3. Activities are limited by financial and human resources. This limits the people who can be involved and influences the selection of partners. • 4. Many building blocks for global information services exit, however, in addition to data infrastructure, GEO’s strength is its coordination roles. GEO should play to this strength in the next decade. • 5. GEO SBAs have a large untapped potential for synergies – Is • the new GEO IP the time for a large multi-SBA initiative?

3. GEO and Global Approaches for Earth Observations • GEO’s niche is global. • - It builds global data sets by combining satellite data and in-situ data from countries. • The evidence: Global Participation: It has engaged ~90 nations and more than 70 international POs • Builds Global Systems: global coverage, global accessibility, • Provides global applications: provides a way to support decision making on global problems. • Involves global thinking: Provides integration across disciplines, scales (global to local), user types, etc. • 2. UN promotes global systems through national inputs and consensus. GEO is uniquely independent in generating global demonstration projects and systems.

4. Global Initiatives: what should GEO do next? To strengthenitsglobalizationrole GEO should: • furtherdeveloppartnerships in a stragtegicway (withpriority for criticalpartners) • UN agencies, NGOs, privatesector (funding forum), initiatives (e.g. Future Earth) • keep a focus on providingEO for global initiatives • improve global data qualitythrough the application of Data Sharing Principles • makes the GEO framework distinctive and valuable • Use global projects to raisevisibility and funds at multiple levels of government.

5. Session 2 – Global Initiatives:strategies GEO should: • strive for more structured and sustainable relationships with public initiatives • more direct links would be helpful (e.g. H2020) • more actively pursue global mandates with users • seek to activate user engagement and leverage contacts across the globe • be more strategic in positioning itself globally • become embedded in more national research programs, funding groups (e.g. Belmont Forum) • emphasize messages with global appeal: • GEO is cross-cutting, produces benefits across society

6. Potential New GEO Global Initiatives • Geology • mineral exploration; groundwater contamination (arsenic, fluoride) • Globally Monitoring for hot issues • e.g., monitoring and prediction for desertification • SDGs • developing a monitoring system for assessingprogress/compliance Need:Build alliances and engage withpartnerswhocanbenefitfrom global solutions

7. Possible solutions: Implementation of an In-situ Networks Forum: • ProvideSpace to: • - define networks appropriate for individualSBAs • - develop arguments for raisingawarenesswith national governments • share information on best practices, funding, legal aspects of data sharing, • address issues common to all SBAs • Retainflexibility to provide new data types and modern technologies, but withtools to maintainconsistencywithpast records.

8. Housekeeping A number of the data systems/ products mentioned may or may not be in the GCI and the Data Core. We need to make sure the linkages are made. A number of books have been written and noted as GEO outputs. Does GEO promote the distribution and use of these products?

9. Globalization through truly global data services (Resolving global data management issues through the cloud) “Incentivise” Hypothesis: Everyone would be happy to share data if: It was easy It was economical The data were more accurate It provided value outputs for specific tasks It enhances the image of nations and providers • The requirements would include: • No barriers and low maintenance for data entry • Support for a cloud based information system • Guarantee strong security for all participants • Creates need for new expertise (implementers, servicers, educators) • Data plan for migration, tools for analysis, customer advocacy program and capacity building.

10. What are your views of GEO global initiatives?