Group on Earth Observations

The Group on Earth Observations (GEO) was formally established at the Third Earth Observation Summit in February 2005 to carry out the GEOSS 10-Year Implementation Plan. This high-level meeting recognized that international collaboration is essential for exploiting the growing potential of Earth observations to support decision making in an increasingly complex and environmentally stressed world.

GEO is leading a worldwide effort to build a Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) over the next 10 years. GEO activity yields a broad range of societal benefits, including: disasters, health, energy, climate, water, weather, ecosystems, agriculture and biodiversity, as well as 4 Permanent Committees: Architecture and Data, Science and Technology, User Interface and Capacity Building.

GEO’s nine Societal Benefit Areas are:

·     Disaster - Reducing loss of life and property from natural and human-induced disasters;

·     Health - Understanding environmental factors affecting human health and well-being;

·          Energy - Improving management of energy resources;

·    Climate - Understanding, assessing, predicting, mitigating, and adapting to climate variability and change;

·  Weather - Improving weather information, forecasting and warning; 

·  Ecosystems - Improving the management and protection of terrestrial, coastal and marine ecosystems;

·   Agriculture - Supporting sustainable agriculture and combating desertification; 

The first deputy director of SHS, Ms. Pleşca Elina, is the Republic of Moldova GEO Principal.

For more information click www.earthobservations.org