© GEO Secretariat

GEOTo Understand Trends, Forecast Changes

and Support Informed Decisions

GEO Data Sharing Principles-Challenges and Opportunities

José Achache, Secretariat Director

© GEO SecretariatWillis et al., 2004

Residual (Residual (2 mm/yr) 2 mm/yr)

Sea level observationsSea level observations

(3 mm/an)(3 mm/an)

Thermal ExpansionThermal Expansion (1 mm/an)(1 mm/an)

© GEO Secretariat

Recognizing the Need to Share

Observations

WashingtonTokyo

Brussels

© GEO Secretariat

GEOSS will serve 9 Societal Benefit Areas

1. Reduction and Prevention of Disasters2. Human Health and Epidemiology3. Energy Management4. Climate Change5. Water Management6. Weather Forecasting7. Ecosystems8. Agriculture9. Biodiversity

© GEO Secretariat

Any Single Problem Requires Many Data Sets

A Single Data Set Will Serve Many Communities

© GEO Secretariat

IKONOS

QuickBird

SPIN-2

SPOT 4, 5

EROS A1

Terra Aqua

Grace

QuikScatSage

SeaWindsTRMM

Toms-EP

UARSLandsat 7

SORCE

ACRIMSAT

EO-1

SeaWiFS

ERBS

Jason

Orbview 2, 3

© GEO Secretariat

Seismic Networks

Argo Float Array

© GEO Secretariat

There is a Need to Share all Earth Observation Data in Standard Interoperable Formats

The Tower of Babel

© GEO Secretariat

GEOSS: A Global, Coordinated, Comprehensive and Sustained System of

Observing Systems

© GEO Secretariat

GEO : The Group on Earth Observations is an Intergovernmental Organization of 66 Member Countries, the

European Commission and 43 Participating Organizations

© GEO Secretariat

GEO should Provide Easier and More Open Data Access

© GEO Secretariat

• Defining Standards for Quality Assurance of Derived Products

• Providing Online Calibration and Validation

• Providing Tools

GEO Web Portal and Clearinghouse

© GEO Secretariat

• Data and Products at Minimum Time delay and Minimum Cost

• Free of Charge or Cost of Reproduction for Research and Education

GEO Data Sharing Principles

• Full and Open Exchange of Data…Recognizing Relevant International Instruments and National Policies and Legislation

© GEO Secretariat

Challenges

© GEO Secretariat

90 m 30 mComparison courtesy of V. Gorokhovich, CIESIN

National Security

© GEO Secretariat

Commercial Imagery

© GEO Secretariat

Exposure

Hazard

Vulnerability

= RISK!

© GEO Secretariat

• Example: Use of Google Earth to help pinpoint households where deaths occurred due to Hurricane Katrina, using data from a generalized map

Paper in press in the International Journal of Health Geographics by A.J. Curtis, J.W. Mills, and M. Leitner, “Spatial confidentiality and GIS: re-engineering mortality locations from published maps about Hurricane Katrina”

Privacy

© GEO Secretariat

Air pollution

measurement station

Emden, Germany

Venice, ItalyIndonesiaUrban

Air Quality

Private Operators of Observing Systems

© GEO Secretariat

Opportunities

© GEO Secretariat

EO Global turnover today:Infrastructures: 2-3 B€

Services: 1 B€

(should be compared with Broadcast:Infrastructures: 5-10 B€

Services: 100 B€)

The value-adding Private Sector

© GEO Secretariat

EMERGINGRE-EMERGING

ZOONOTICVECTOR-BORNE

* Modified from Morens et al. 2004 Nature 430:242

Global Emerging Disease

© GEO Secretariat

Information Providers and

Web Services

© GEO Secretariat

• Developing applications for monitoring renewable energy sources

• Improving forecasting of fluctuationsand intermittency

The Energy Sector

© GEO Secretariat

The Insurance Sector

© GEO Secretariat

© GEO Secretariat

To Provide the Right Information, in the Right Place, at the Right Time, to the

Right People

to Make the Right Decisions.