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2007-2009 WORK PLAN:

TOWARD CONVERGENCE
DRAFT 1 for Technical Review

COVER NOTE The following is the first version for a three-year plan for GEO, 2007 to 2009. The content of the plan is based on (1) an analysis made by the Secretariat on the current status and likely evolution of ongoing activities, (2) needs expressed through initial, informal consultations with various members of the GEO community on desirable changes and possible new activities. The GEO community is invited to provide technical review of this document, and (1) provide comments to the Secretariat on new tasks; (2) express preliminary interest in leading or contributing to the new tasks; (3) propose additional new tasks. Finally, reviewers are asked to provide guidance and feedback on the convergence idea described for the next three years. Please submit comments no later than 17 July 2006 to secretariat@geosec.org. It should be noted that GEO Members and Participating Organizations will be invited, during the official comment period f rom August-September 2006, to express commitment to lead the proposed new tasks. No new task will be incorporated into the final version without such a commitment.

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ACRONYMS
ADM AMDAR AMMA APAN AVHRR CBD CEOS CERN DAPHNE DEM EC EPA EPIDEMIO FAPAR FDSN GEANT GEO GEOSS GIS GMES GOFC-GOLD GOS GPM GSN IGCO IGDDS InSAR INSPIRE IPY ITU MODIS NASA NGO NIEHS SAR SBA SPOT -VGT SST THORPEX UN UNFCCC COP WCRP WHO WIS WMO Advanced Dissemination Method Aircraft Meteorological Data Relay African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analysis Asia-Pacific Area Network Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer Convention on Biological Diversity Committee on Earth Observation Satellites Centre EuropИen pour la Recherche Nucleaire Deployment of Asia-Pacific-Indian Ocean Hazard Mitigation Network Digital Elevation Model European Commission Environmental Protection Agency Earth Observation in Epidemiology Fraction of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation International Federation of Digital Seismograph Networks Gigabit European Academic Network Group on Earth Observations Global Earth Observation System of Systems Geographical Information System Global Monitoring for Environment and Security Global Observation of Forest and Land Cover Dynamics Global Observing System Global Precipitation Measurement Global Seismographic Network Integrated Global Carbon Observation Integrated Global Data Dissemination Service Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar Infrastructure for Spatial Information in Europe International Polar Year International Telecommunication Union Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer National Aeronautics and Space Administration Non Governmental Organisation National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Synthetic Aperture Radar Social Benefit Area SPOT Vegetation Sea Surface Temperature The Observing-system Research and Predictability Experiment United Nations United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of the Parties World Climate Research Programme World Health Organization WMO Information System World Meteorological Organization

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FOREWORD A Three-Year Plan Toward Convergence

In 2006, the first year of GEOSS Implementation, the GEO community has engaged in impressive mobilization of activity around the 97 tasks of the 2006 Work Plan, agreed as a living document by the GEO-II Plenary in December 2005. Although some concerns were raised at the Plenary about the ambitious scale of the plan, it was recognized that the plan had to reflect the ambition of the 247 targets of the GEOSS 10-Year Implementation Plan Reference Document, and of the GEOSS enterprise itself, namely to build a system of systems drawing on the entire community of Earth observation providers and users, encompassing all disciplines of Earth science, to serve society. The observable mobilization reflects the positive response that GEO has received in the Earth observation community at large, and it should be recognized that it was made possible by the large number of tasks comprising the first Work Plan. The GEO 2007-2009 Work Plan presents an opportunity to build on the mobilization of 2006 and, simultaneously, drive the process toward convergence of the large number of independent tasks into less numerous but more encompassing cross-disciplinary actions over the coming three years. This convergence will be achieved progressively, and should be regarded as a three-year goal. Indeed, there will still be a need for additional new tasks to be initiated by GEO Members and Participating Organizations in order to meet all the target s of the 10-Year Implementation Plan. The present plan has been drafted with these views and principles in mind. In each societal benefit area and transverse area, the Work Plan is composed of (1) tasks from 2006 for which activities are expected to continue in 2007 and beyond, and (2) new items which may lead to additional tasks to be initiated during the period 2007 to 2009. The list of continuing 2006 tasks in each area is based on a preliminary assessment by the Secretariat, and details are provided in the 2006 Task Evolution Table at Annex I. In a few cases, (e.g. Agriculture, Ecosystems, Architecture) a reorganization or grouping of some tasks has been proposed. This assessment of 2006 task evolution will, of course, be modified throughout 2006 to reflect task progress and take account of the review process conducted by the GEO Committees. The new items for 2007 to 2009 have been proposed to accomplish two objectives: § Ensure completion of the two -year targets, as well as initiation of activities to meet the six and ten-year targets, identified in the GEOSS 10-Year Implementation Plan; § Provide opportunity for new ideas to complement and refine the existing tasks and for new groups and communities to join GEO and contribute to GEOSS implementation. To facilitate the progressive convergence, the GEO community will: § Endeavour to bring multiple disciplines to activities organized within a task; § Facilitate the merger of task activities where appropriate; § Ensure ongoing, interdisciplinary linkages between related but separate tasks.
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Linkages could be identified across the societal benefit areas, as has been done, for example, in Health task HE-06-03, where climate and biodiversity have been linked to health issues. They may also take place in Architecture and Data Management transverse areas where the need to converge toward a coordinated system of systems serving all disciplines and societal benefit areas, is essential to the success of GEO. Part I of the GEO 2006 Work Plan described a series of "organizational activities," which were considered by the Plenary as supporting activities to be carried out by the GEO Secretariat. In addition, some 17 specific tasks within Part II (the 2006 Work Plan itself) were designated as activities to be led by the Secretariat. Of these 17 tasks, three will be completed by the end of 2006. A review of the remaining 14 tasks (AR-06-08; CB-06-02; DA-06-01; DI-06-10; DI-06-11; HE-0602; HE-06-04; HE-06-05; OR-06-01; OR-06-02; OR-06-03; OR-06-04; OR-06-06; US-06-03), indicates that they also pertain to supporting activities assigned to the Secretariat In the present Work Plan for 2007 to 2009, these activities are not presented in task form, but instead grouped separately in Section 15 as supporting activities under the following categories: Prepare; Negotiate; Monitor; Report Advocate; Communicate; Support; Engage.

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1 Disasters: Reducing loss of life and property from natural and human-induced disasters
Disaster -induced losses can be reduced through observations relating to hazards such as: wildland fires, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis, subsidence, landslides, avalanches, ice, floods, extreme weather, and pollution events. GEOSS implementation will bring a more timely dissemination of inf ormation through better coordinated systems for monitoring, predicting, risk assessment, early warning, mitigating, and responding to hazards at local, national, regional, and global levels.
GEOSS 10-Year Implementation Plan, Section 4.1.1

Tasks to be co mpleted in 2006 Tasks to be continued New items proposed:
Note:

DI-06-06; DI-06-07 DI-06-01; DI-06-02; DI-06-03; DI-06-04; DI-06-05; DI-06-08; DI-06-09; DI-06-12; DI-06-13; DI-06-14 None

A new item on flood risk management is introduced in the Water section (5) as new item WA-07-P1.

2 Health: Understanding environmental factors affecting human health and well-being
Health issues with Earth-observation needs include: airborne, marine, and water pollution; stratospheric ozone depletion; persistent organic pollutants; nutrition; and monitoring weather -related disease vectors. GEOSS will improve the flow of appropriate environmental data and health statistics to the health community, promoting a focus on prevention and contributing to continued improvements in human health worldwide.
GEOSS 10-Year Implementation Plan, Section 4.1.2

Tasks to be completed in 2006 Tasks to be continued New items proposed:

HE-06-01 HE-06-03

HE-07-P1: Strengthen observation and information systems relevant to health:

The assessment carried out under task HE -06-05 will indicate how current observation systems can be better coordinated and will identify how gaps can be filled with new observational data. Initiate pilot projects to improve in-situ data collection for validation of remotely sensed data relevant to health. Explore the use of GEONETCast for the collection and distribution of information relevant to the needs of the health community.
HE-07-P2: Initiate a Global Public Environment and Health Information Network

To meet the target of developing an integrated global public health information network database, it will be necessary to begin the planning process to define necessary tools, interoperability standards, architecture and infrastructure. Initiate this process with a workshop involving all stakeholders.
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HE-07-P3: Integrated environment and health monitoring and modelling

Initiate projects to further develop and integrate databases of remotely sensed and in situ environmental and geochemical measurements (including baseline data such as trace-element toxicity and deficiencies) together with new observations characterizing atmospheric, soil, river and coastal pollution, and develop models to relate these to related exposure and health effects data. This task will lead to the identification of efficient mechanisms to issue alerts and early warnings to public health professionals on hazardous conditions identified by the monitoring of these parameters as well as further informing epidemiological mo delling studies.

3 Energy: Improving management of energy resources
GEOSS outcomes in the energy area will support: environmentally responsible and equitable energy management; better matching of energy supply and demand; reduction of risks to energy infrastructure; more accurate inventories of greenhouse gases and pollutants; and a better understanding of renewable energy potential.
GEOSS 10-Year Implementation Plan, Section 4.1.3

Tasks to be completed in 2006 Tasks to be continued

None EN-06-04 (EN-06-01; EN-06-02; EN-06-03; EN-06-05 and EN-06-06 were merged into EN-06-04 previously)

New items proposed:
EN-07-P1: Renewable Energy

Develop the use of Earth observation in the management of uncertainties related to fluctuations and intermittency of renewable energy sources. Related activities will include: Support the development of Earth observation applications improving the monitoring and forecast of renewable energy sources. Promote collaboration between users and providers of Earth observation applications to foster the development of innovative Earth observation services in support of renewable energy applications
EN-07-P2: Environmental Impact Monitoring

Set up an Earth observation platform for the monitoring and prediction of environmental impact from energy resource extraction, transportation and/or exploitation. Related activities will include: Promote and develop the use of Earth observation data for impact monitoring. Support the development of modelling systems helping to quantify and anticipate changes e.g. to freshwater, biodiversity, ecosystems, atmospheric and oceanic composition, and ground elevation. Make relevant synergies with Task US-07-P1.
EN-07-P3: Energy Policy Planning

Encourage the use of Earth observation for informed energy-polic y planning in developing countries.

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Related activities will include: Identify Earth observation data and products required to better assess countries' potential for renewable and non-renewable energy production. Facilitate access to this data. Encourage training of decision-makers at all relevant levels for interpretation of this data.

4 Climate: Understanding, assessing, predicting, mitigating, and adapting to climate variability and change
The climate has impacts in each of the other eight societal benefit areas. Coping with climate change and variability demands good scientific understanding based on sufficient and reliable observations. GEOSS outcomes will enhance the capacity to model, mitigate, and adapt to climate change and variability. Better understanding of the climate and its impacts on the Earth system, including its human and economic aspects, will contribute to improved climate prediction and facilitate sustainable development while avoiding dangerous perturbations to the climate system.
GEOSS 10-Year Implementation Plan, Section 4.1.4

Tasks to be completed in 2006 Tasks to be continued New items proposed:

CL-06-04 CL-06-01; CL-06-02; CL-06-03; CL-06-05; CL-06-06

CL-07-P1: International Weather, Climate and Earth-system Science Initiative

Support the development of an "International Weather, Climate and Earth-system Science Initiative" proposed by THORPEX (WMO) and WCRP. Related activities will include: Promote international multi-disciplinary collaboration on the development of a high-resolution seamless weather/climate/Earth-system global prediction system including high-resolution global and regional data-assimilation. Support the development of an international institutional framework for the design and implementation of a unified approach toward weather, climate, Earth system, and societal-economic research.
Note: See "US-07-P2" for the concept presented in the earlier outline relating to climate risk management)

5 Water: Improving water -resource management through better understanding of the water cycle
Water -related issues addressed by GEOSS will include: precipitation; soil moisture; streamflow; lake and reservoir levels; snow cover; glaciers and ice; evaporation and transpiration; groundwater; and water quality and water use. GEOSS implementation will improve integrated water -resource management by bringing together observations, prediction, and decision-support systems and by creating better linkages to climate and other data. In situ networks and the automation of data collection will be consolidated, and the capacity to collect and use hydrological observations will be built where it is lacking.
GEOSS 10-Year Implementation Plan, Section 4.1.5

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v1 WA-06-01, WA-06-03, WA-06-06 WA-06-02, WA-06-04, WA-06-05, WA-06-07

Tasks to be completed in 2006 Tasks to be continued New items proposed:

WA-07-P1: Best practices for flood risk management

Floods are best suited to apply the full cycle of Risk Management, from the monitoring phase up to damage assessment, passing through early warning and crisis management. The management of the flood risk is being performed by a number of organisations all around the world at different scales, from local to national to regional. The task will define best practices, here including decision support systems, with the goal to identify minimum required observations and associated networks (in-situ, airborne, space) and models to deal with flood management at different geographical scales. The task will also include analysis and, where deemed applicable, further developments on weather forecast and warning systems, as one of the main inputs, in particular to assess the risk during the monitoring/prevision/prevention phase. This item may eventually be merged with WA06-02 activities.
WA-07-P2: Global Water Quality Monitoring

Many aspects of water quality monitoring and assessment, both in-situ and remotely sensed are severely deficient. Many countries lack the technical, institutional, and financial resources to conduct proper assessments using in-situ water qualit y monitoring methods. Remote-sensed operational systems of global-scale freshwater quality are non-existent. Operational observation systems need to be developed, and the resulting information systems should be made compatible and interoperable as part of the system of systems. This task is built on the outcomes of the water quality workshop in WA-06-01. This item has relevant synergies with HE-07-P3.
WA-07-P3: Satellite Water Measurements

Develop an operational mechanism to provide water level observations in rivers, lakes/reservoirs and estuaries from satellite altimetry to support the upgrade of deficient run-off water gauge networks. Combine different types of satellite data that are relevant for water measurements (quantity and quality) with in-situ observations for better accuracy and global coverage. Produce an implementation plan for a broad global water cycle data integration system that combines in-situ, satellite data and model outputs.

6 Weather: Improving weather information, forecasting and warning
The weather observations encompassed by GEOSS are based on the requirements for timely short- and medium-term forecasts. GEOSS can help fill critical gaps in the observation of, for example, wind and humidity profiles, precipitation, and data collection over ocean areas; extend the use of dynamic sampling methods globally; improve the initialization of forecasts; and increase the capacity in developing countries to deliver essential observations and use forecast products. Every country will have the severe-weather -event information needed to mitigate loss of life and reduce property damage. Access to weather data for the other societal benefit areas will be facilitated.
GEOSS 10-Year Implementation Plan, Section 4.1.6

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v1 None WE-06-01; WE-06-02; WE-06-03; WE-06-04; WE-06-05 None

Tasks to be completed in 2006 Tasks to be continued New items proposed:

7 Ecosystems: Improving the management and protection of terrestrial, coastal and marine resources
Observations are needed on the area, condition, and natural-resource stock levels of ecosystems such as forests, rangelands, and oceans. GEOSS implementation will seek to ensure that methodologies and observations are available on a global basis to detect and predict changes in ecosystem condition and to define resource potentials and limits. Ecosystem observations will be better harmonized and shared, spatial and topical gaps will be filled, and in situ data will be better integrated with space-based observations. Continuity of observations for monitoring wild fisheries, the carbon and nitrogen cycles, canopy properties, ocean colour, and temperature will be set in place.
GEOSS 10-Year Implementation Plan, Section 4.1.7

Tasks to be completed in 2006 Tasks to be continued

None EC-06-01; EC-06-02; EC-06-03; EC-06-04; EC-06-05; EC-06-06; EC-06-07

New items proposed:
EC-07-P1: Global Vegetation and Land Cover

Utilizing global and regional high-resolution land cover datasets and earlier 1-km resolution land cover data sets, implement production of a high-resolutio n global land-cover change dataset and report. Initiate regular analysis and reporting on land cover change and promulgate the use of these products, especially in developing countries. Reprocess historic AVHRR, MODIS and SPOT-VGT data to develop composite time series and temporal phenologic metrics to enable monitoring of vegetation condition and change over time. Promote the use of earth observation data to detect the effects of insects, pathogens, water and chemical stresses on vegetation. (Expanded former AG-06-03 reclassified under Ecosystems).
EC-07-P2: Global Forest Monitoring

Initiate a global assessment of forest distribution, condition and using monitoring and assessment techniques that better link in-situ and remote sensing observation. Coordinate forest monitoring across national governments, NGOs, industry, academia and donors institutions. Initiate an Annual Global Forest Monitoring Symposium series to focus improve partnerships in forest monitoring. (Expanded former AG-06-04, reclassified under Ecosystems. Includes the Forest conversion monitoring component from DI-06-13).
EC-07-P3: Development of a Global Sampling Frame for Ecosystems

Characterization and monitoring of ecosystems is impeded greatly by the lack of a global sampling frame. A glo bal sampling frame across terrestrial (forests, agriculture, woodlands, grasslands, ice
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and deserts), freshwater and oceans would serve to improve integrate monitoring of the Earth System and the use of satellite and aerial observation. Lacking sampling targets, remotely sensed data are often not acquired, especially from research and sampling missions. This theme will address the development of a global integrated sampling frame based on an approach developed in 2007.

8 Agriculture: Supporting sustainable agriculture and combating desertification
Issues addressed by GEOSS will include: crop production; livestock, aquaculture and fishery statistics; food security and drought projections; nutrient balances; farming systems; land use and land-cover change; and changes in the extent and severity of land degradation and desertification. GEOSS implementation will address the continuity of critical data, such as high-resolution observation data from satellites. A truly global mapping and information service, integr ating spatially explicit socio-economic data with agricultural, forest, and aquaculture data will be feasible, with applications in poverty and food monitoring, international planning, and sustainable development.
GEOSS 10-Year Implementation Plan, Section 4.1.8

Tasks to be completed in 2006 Tasks to be continued

None AG-06-01; AG-06-02; AG-06-03 (reclassified as EC-07-P1); AG-06-04 (reclassified as EC-07-P2); AG-06-05; AG-06-06; AG-06-07

New items proposed:
AG-07-P1: Improving measurements of biomass

In order to enable a sustained use of Earth observation data in the area of agriculture and fisheries, it is necessary to further explore the utility of current Earth observations within the agricultural, fishery and aquaculture sectors, especially in developing countries with an emphasis on improving classification and quantification of biomass.

9 Biodiversity: Understanding, monitoring and conserving biodiversity
Issues in this area include the condition and extent of ecosystems, distribution and status of species, and genetic diversity in key populations. Implementing GEOSS will unify many disparate biodiversity-observing systems and create a platform to integrate biodiversity data with other types of information. Taxonomic and spatial gaps will be filled, and the pace of information collection and dissemination will be increased.
GEOSS 10-Year Implementation Plan, Section 4.1.9

Tasks to be completed in 2006 Tasks to be continued

BI-06-01 BI-06-02; BI-06-03, BI-06-04; BI-06-05

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New items proposed:
BI-07-P1: Biodiversity observation and monitoring

Implement coherent biodiversity observation strategies within the context of an agreed ecosystem classification system based on EC-06-02 and the strategic plan of BI-06-04. Facilitate the establishment of mo nitoring systems that enable frequent, repeated, globally coordinated assessment of trends and distributions of species and ecosystems of special conservation merit. Facilitate consensus on data collection protocols and the coordination of the development of interoperability among monitoring programs.
BI-07-P2: Protected Areas Mapping and Monitoring

Apply Earth observation to the characterization, mapping and monitoring of global protected areas consisting of World Heritage sites, natural areas, sites of cultural, geological and archaeological significance. Use earth observation and other geospatial data to support the delineation and update of protected areas boundaries. Improve dissemination of earth observation data to protected area planners and managers.

10 User Engagement
The needs of users, and the technical solutions to those needs, change with time. GEO will organize regular GEOSS User Fora among and within societal benefit areas or sub-areas, making use of user communities where they exist and catalyz ing the formation of new ones where they do not. It will also create an appropriate mechanism for coordinating user requirements across societal benefit areas. The function of the User Fora will be to document and review user requirements, assess the extent to which they are being met, and make recommendations to GEO with the objective of improving the delivery of information appropriate to user needs.
GEOSS 10-Year Implementation Plan, Section 4.2

Tasks to be completed in 2006 Tasks to be continued New items proposed:

None US-06-01; US-06-02

US-07-P1: Mesoscale Observing Networks

Build on the Helsinki Testbed experience to establish an international framework for transferring advanced nowcasting and forecasting capabilities to major cities in developed and developing countries. The Helsinki Testbed is based on the development of enhanced three-dimensional mesoscale observing networks critical to the advancement of modelling systems and related applications to precision weather forecasts, severe weather warnings, hydrology (including flood control), air quality forecasting, chemical emergency response, transportation safety, and energy management. It is a public-private-academic partnership aimed at solving regional problems operationally with a strong connection to the end-users. The program is open to all interested parties and the data is
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freely accessible through the internet. Related stakeholder groups include homeland security, agriculture, insurance, urban management, media, and public safety.
US-07-P2: Millennium Development Goals

Facilitate inter-institutional coordination for common action towards the UN Millennium Development Goals, including poverty and hunger reduction, disease and disaster prevention, and environmental sustainability. Related activities will include: Improve coordination of existing environmental monitoring activities including actions by the space agencies, research centres, UN agencies and the public/private sectors. Promote the use of available environmental data at national and regional level and support the development of structured user communities at geographic scales from country to continent.
US-07-P3: Environmental Risk Management

Support the integration of risk management into environment -sensitive development pro cesses. Related activities will include: Facilitate the implementation and up-scaling of pilot projects demonstrating the use of environmental information in sensitive areas. Encourage the development of an Earth observation decision-support system for po licy and decision makers (at all levels) for slowly developing disasters (e.g. deforestation, soil degradation, subsidence, public health, food security, and water resource management). This task includes relevant synergies with Climate tasks.

11 Architecture
The success of GEOSS will depend on data and information providers accepting and implementing a set of interoperability arrangements, including technical specifications for collecting, processing, storing, and disseminating shared data, metadata and products. GEOSS interoperability will be based on non-proprietary standards, with preference given to formal international standards. Interoperability will be focused on interfaces, defining only how system components interface with each other and thereby minimizing any impact on affected systems other than where such systems have interfaces to the shared architecture.
GEOSS 10-Year Implementation Plan, Section 5.3

Tasks to be completed in 2006 Tasks to be continued

None AR(see ARAR06-01; AR-06-02; AR-06-03; AR-06-04; AR-06-05; "Grouping Proposal" below for these five tasks); 06-06 (reclassified as DA-07-P3); AR-06-07; 06-09; AR-06-10; AR-06-11

Proposal to Group Interoperability Related Architecture and Data Management Tasks

The interoperability related tasks in the GEO 2006 Work Plan (i.e. AR-06-01, AR-06-02, AR-0603, AR-06-04, AR-06-05, DA-06-06, DA-06-07) are supposed to be completed in 2006, however they would benefit from further development in order to establish closely connections with the
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Social Benefit Areas. It is suggested to do so under one banner, thus grouping the aforementioned 7 tasks. The new, grouped task would address the following objectives:
§

Develop and promote practical implementations of the GEOSS architecture in relation to the Social Benefit Areas, thus enhancing GEOSS' visibility of and demonstrating its benefits. Emphasize the "Global interoperability" concept and consider in detail how various existing interoperability projects (e.g., GMES, INSPIRE) could be part of GEOSS. Define and develop the interoperability test -beds for specific Social Benefit Areas and demonstrate and evaluate the results with end-users. Continue to develop the Clearinghouse and Web Portal, and focus on practical applications for specific Social Benefit Areas. Consider how recent information technologies such like as Grid computing, SensorML, Ontology, Semantic Web, Web2.0 should be taken into account.

§

§

New items proposed:
AR-07-P1: Virtual Constellation

Advocate virtual constellation space observations following the "CEOS constellation concept" for better temporal, spatial, and spectral resolution and related data management and dissemination. Space agencies and related organizations should consider the development of space and ground segments for such constellation concepts in the mission planning phase. Addressing objectives of all SBAs and filling gaps between them must be duly taken account of. This task should start considering specific cases such as constellations of SAR systems or micro satellites for a range of Earth observation applications, and pursue further development from there. This task includes relevant synergies with AR-06-06.
AR-07-P2: Linking Infrastructures

Explore the possibility of developing linkage between large science and techno logy facilities or initiatives with high performance computing (e.g. for global weather prediction modelling and simulation) capacity and huge data volume transfer infrastructure (e.g., Earth Simulator, NASA Columbia system, CERN) and networks (e.g., GEANT, APAN, Abilene) for various high volume Earth observation data assimilation and integration.
AR-07-P3: Interactive Data Access and Analysis System

A prominent requirement for the Health, Ecosystem and Biodiversity SBAs is the need to develop a data access and analysis system that will allow researchers and managers to overlay their data (e.g. species distribution, protected area boundaries, specimen locations) with remote sensing and other geospatial data. A prototype system would allow subscribers access to these rich geospatial datasets and provides tools for maintaining biological and ecological data interactively (define polygons, update attributes, analyze and report).

12 Data Management
In the implementation of GEOSS, increased sharing of methods for modelling and analysis needed to transform data into useful products will be advocated. The implementation of GEOSS will facilitate, within 6 years, data-management approaches that encompass a broad perspective of the observation-data life cycle,
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from input through processing, archiving, and dissemination, including reprocessing, analysis and visualization of large volumes and diverse types of data. The implementation of GEOSS will establish, within 6 years, international information sharing and dissemination drawing on existing capabilities through appropriate technologies, including, but not limited to, Internet -based services.
GEOSS 10-Year Implementation Plan, Section 5.1&5.2

Tasks to be completed in 2006 Tasks to be continued

None DA-06-02; DA-06-03; DA-06-04; DA-06-05 DA-06-07; DA-06-07 (see "Grouping Proposal" above for these two tasks); DA-06-08; DA-06-09

New items proposed:
DA-07-P1: Higher Level Data Product Tools

Over the past years geophysical retrievals from moderate spatial resolution imaging sensors have shown significant impact for ecosystem and climate monitoring. Several of these products have meanwhile reached operational character (FAPAR, water vapour column abundance, cloud albedo, SST, Case-1 Ocean chlorophyll concentration etc.). In order to enhance global monitoring and prediction capabilities the combination of higher level data from different sources (satellite sensors) is required. To achieve this it is necessary to develop tools enabling the establishment of higher level data products (level-3/4) from different sources (satellites) thus yielding frequent information update through enhanced coverage, as well as the production of higher product level time series and global maps.
DA-07-P2: Land Surface Plot System and Database

Characterization, mapping and monitoring of ecosystems at local, national, regional and global scales is greatly hampered by the lack of systematic and formal methods for measuring land surface and vegetation attributes. These data are needed to both calibrate (t rain) and validate (test) land cover, vegetation and ecosystem maps. While a vast number of systems exist, there is a need to develop formal methods for collecting plot (in-situ) data, and for translating between different systems. This task will produce a manual of field methods for terrestrial data, and capture existing plot data into an operational information system.
DA-07-P3

Facilitate interoperability among Digital Elevation Model (DEM) data sets with the goal of producing a global, coordinated and integrated DEM. This DEM database should be embedded into a consistent, high accuracy, and long term stable geodetic reference frame for Earth observation. (Former AR-06-06 reclassified under Data Management).

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13 Capacity Building
The GEO capacity-building strategy follows the World Summit on Sustainable Development concept of a global partnership between those whose capacity needs development and those who are able to assist in the process, recognizing that activities have intertwined social, environmental, and economic impacts. The GEO capacity-building strategy will be based on best practices derived from studying successful and lesssuccessful approaches.
GEOSS 10-Year Implementation Plan, Section 5.6

Tasks to be completed in 2006 Tasks to be continued New items proposed:

CB-06-03 CB-06-01; CB-06-04

CB-07-P1: Capacity Building Strategy Implementation

The planned symposium in Spain in early 2007 will define the capacity building activities for the next few years. The strategy will identify best practice examples identify gaps (infrastructure, education and training, institutional) and make recommendations for filling these. Importantly it will make recommendations on synergy and coordination of existing capacity building programs and initiatives. A major new drive will be required to advocate for funding, beyond GEO members, for the strategy implementation.
CB-07-P2: Capacity Building Indicators

Prepare Input, Output, Impact and Outcome GEO capacity building indicators This task initiates the 2 year and 6 year capacity building target contained in the 10 year Implementation Plan. It aims to develop reliable qualitative and quantative metrics for measuring the efficacy of Earth observation capacity building programs. The development of these metrics would require the engagement of the entire GEO community to ensure buy in. It provides the basis on which the implementation of the capacity building strategy can be measured.
CB-07-P3: Building National Capacity

Building national capacity to respond to GEO The objective of this task would be to facilitate the exchange of ideas and identification of best practices in an effort to assist Earth observation communities of GEO members, particularly in developing countries, to respond to GEO. It will further be focused on developing capacities to leverage and implement the benefits of GEO.
CB-07-P4: Study Tours

The objective of this task would be to facilitate capacity building not only at technical and executive levels but also at high level. Conducting study tour to observe demonstration projects is a good practice to attract decision makers to participate in capacity building activities so as to facilitate the exchange of ideas and identification of best practices of other members in an effort to assist Earth observation community particularly high-level decision makers from developing countries.

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14 Outreach
Outreach is essential to many aspects of GEO activities. The outreach objective is to promote and increase the general awareness of the benefits of Earth observation, especially among present and future users, beneficiaries and sponsors of relevant systems. Within 2 years, GEO will produce and begin to implement an outreach plan directed towards key target audiences, including decision makers and policy makers; the general public; industry and service communities; scientific and technical communities; education entities; non-governmental organizations; public-interest advocacy groups; and international financial institutions and official development assistance agencies.
GEOSS 10-Year Implementation Plan, Section 5.7

The outreach activities of GEO will, of necessity, be engaged by all GEO Members and Participating Organizations promoting GEO through a variety of national and regional forums, and by bringing a wide range of expertise to bear on the tasks for which they take responsibility. General outreach activities will be undertaken by the Secretariat as part of its ongoing supporting activities described in Section 15 below.

15 Supporting Activities
Supporting activities, which will be carried out by the Secretariat to facilitate GEOSS implementation, are described generally below in the following categories: Prepare; Negotiate; Advocate; Communicate; Engage; Support; Monitor; Report. Prepare The Secretariat will be active in initiating groups and discussions in new areas relating to GEOSS. It will engage with the global scientific research and technological community, discussing new applications in existing and emerging fields. The culmination of this work is the preparation of the GEO Work Plans by collecting inputs, in particular user requirement outcomes, from GEO Committees and workshops and establishing priority, high-visibility tasks within these Work Plans. Activities evolving from 2006 tasks in this domain include:
§ §

§ §

§

§ §

Exploring possibilities for the development of an international charter on telecommunication systems and disasters (evolution of DI-06-11); Increasing collaboration, through workshops and other fora, among stakeholders across diverse sub-communities within the field of human health and the environment (evolution of HE-06-02); Raising awareness of potential uses of GEOSS for health through bi-lateral meetings (evolution of HE-06-04); Performing an analysis of existing documentation of Earth observation infrastructure requirements essential to the implementation of GEOSS in developing countries, and document commonly identified gaps. (evolution of CB-06-02); Include in the above analysis, a specific examination of existing capacities for the integration of Earth observation and health data in developing countries (evolution of HE06-05); Promote interactions, in the form of fora, to identify requirements for new or improved data, products and services. (evolution of US-06-03); Invite experts to identify steps required to further the practical application of the agreed GEOSS data sharing principles. (evolution of DA-06-01, see Annex I for further detail)
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Negotiate The Secretariat will facilitate agreement on coordination issues among GEO Members and Participating Organizations, define relationships between GEO and existing coordinating mechanisms, and harmonize Earth observation planning, reinforcing synergies among national and/or regional Earth observation planning efforts and enhancing alignment of these efforts with the GEOSS 10-Year Implementation Plan. Activities evolving from 2006 tasks in this domain include:
§

Maintaining dialogue on strengthening the International Charter on Space and Major Disasters (evolution of DI-06-10).

Advocate The Secretariat will develop and apply strategies for promoting GEO value, and advocate agreed GEOSS priorities (such as the strengthening of networks and closing gaps in developing countries) in the context of budgetary and fiscal cyc les of GEO Members and Participating Organizations. The Secretariat will promote the value of Earth observations generally and GEO specifically among decision makers, non-governmental organizations, think tanks, and industry associations. Activities evolving from 2006 tasks in this domain include:
§

Advocating additional resources for the maintenance and expansion of in-situ observing systems. (evolution of AR-06-08)

Communicate The Secretariat will raise awareness in the press, the general public and the education community through broadcast and print media placements, public service announcements, educational materials targeted for young people, and the GEO website.
§ § §

Implement a sustained outreach campaign plan of targeted communication activities. (evolution of OR-06-04) Engage in a series of regular media roundtables and briefings and occasional well-timed press conferences and special events. (evolution of OR-06-04) Promoting awareness of successful communities of practice activities, advancing awareness of potential applications for Earth observations. (evolution of OR-06-03)

Engage The Secretariat will continue engagement to raise awareness within the scientific and technical community through ongoing briefings, presentations, workshops, and side events. § Maintain a list of major international conferences and workshops relevant to GEOSS and ensure GEOSS participation and visibility in selected events. (evolution of OR-06-01) § Continue presentations and briefings to technical audiences in each societal benefit area, with an emphasis on emerging fields of health, energy, water resources management, and ecosystems. (evolution of OR-06-02) Support The Secretariat will endeavour to mobilize resources in support of specific GEO projects by establish high-level relationships with key international funding agencies, and exploring the creation of donor mechanisms for funding activities in targeted areas through outreach to development institutions, as well as to private foundations.

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Monitor The Secretariat will define and apply instruments for monitoring GEO progress, including the development of methodologies and analytical tools of assessment for GEO. Report The Secretariat will report on GEOSS implementation and Work Plan progress, including in ongoing coordination activities, through a regular quarterly reports, and annual report, and special reports on specific aspects of GEOSS implementation as needed.

16 Performance Indicators
In accordance with Section 7.2 of the GEOSS 10 Year Implementation Plan, GEO has a mandate to develop performance indicators for GEOSS. Drawing from the material presented in Chapter 9 of the Reference Document, the following preliminary list of indicators is proposed, grouped into three categories: GEOSS implementation progress:
§ § § § § § §

Implementation plan targets achieved; Number of component systems compliant with GEOSS interoperability, and percentage of interoperability (once interoperability guidance is defined); Users of GEO portal and clearinghouse, once developed (quantified by web traffic); New observational products traceable to GEOSS; Standards and protocols developed for GEOSS; Number of earned media placements referring to GEOSS; Number of peer-reviewed publications referring to GEOSS.

Success and efficiency of the GEO process:
§ § § § § § § § §

Number of GEO Members and Participating Organizations; Size of technical experts roster on record with the Secretariat (GEO-ALL); Metrics on number of tasks completed or terminated; GEO Plenary actions completed; Total financial investment leveraged through GEOSS; Number of GEO meetings, average attendance and percentage of participation by region; Number of GEO workshops, average attendance, and percentage of participation by region. Number of invited talks and lectures by GEO Co-chairs, GEO Principals and Secretariat staff; Level of contributions to the GEO Trust Fund.

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Efficiency and Effectiveness of the Secretariat
§ § § § § § §

Number of proposed secondments to the Secretariat as compared to available positions; Contributions to the Secretariat; Fraction of the Secretariat budget spent on programme operations (meetings and travel) workshop contributions, and administrative overhead; Executive Committee actions completed; Percentage of deadlines met; Clarity of documents and quality of reporting; Successful audit.

The above quantitative variables may be accompanied by internal and external qualitative evaluations as appropriate.

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Annex I 2006 Task Evolution Table

The following table is provided as a preliminary assessment of the evolution of 2006 prepared by the Secretariat expert staff. This assessment of 2006 task evolution will, of course, be modified throughout 2006 to reflect task progress and take account of the review process conducted by the GEO Committees.
Task No. Title Revised Title (if needed) Status & Remarks To be continued

DI-06-01 Encourage in -situ and space agencies to (i) systematically record data over coastal regions subject to tsunami risk, and (ii) archive data in a form easily accessible to all countries. DI-06-02 Facilitate improvement of capabilities for global seismographic networks such as GSN, FDSN, DAPHNE, and sharing of data and event products among GEO members.

To be continued

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Task No.

Title

Revised Title (if needed)

Status & Remarks To be continued

DI-06-03 Support the improved integration of InSAR (Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar) technology for disaster warning and prediction. DI-06-04 Promote and facilitate free and unrestricted exchange of all Earth observation data relevant to Tsunami Early Warning Systems. DI-06-05 Building on existing techniques, create a plan for the production in coastal zones of high resolution (i) near -shore bathymetric maps (ii) land use/land cover maps and (iii) Digital Elevation Models. DI-06-06 Harmonize existing efforts towards the preparation of a "global tsunami hazard map" to support coastal zone monitoring and infrastructure planning & investment. DI-06-07 Conduct an inventory of existing geologic and all-hazard zonation maps and identify gaps and needs for digitization. DI-06-08 Promote the cooperation of national and international agencies towards a multi-hazard approach to address more effectively and systematically coastal risks (e.g. from tropical cyclones, storm surges, tsunamis, land slides, volcanic eruption). DI-06-09 Expand the use of meteorological geostationary satellites for the management of non -weather related hazards. DI-06-10 Initiate and maintain a dialogue between GEO, the Board of the International Charter on Space and major Disasters and relevant UN agencies to identify mechanisms for strengthening the scope and mandate of the Charter. DI-06-11 Explore possibilities for the development of an international charter on telecommunication systems and disasters, building upon the experience of the International Charter on Space and Major Disasters. Page 21 of 38

To be continued

To be continued

To be completed in 2006

To be completed in 2006 To be continued

To be continued To be continued as an ongoing supporting activity

To be continued as an ongoing supporting activity

2007-2009 Work Plan - Outline

Task No.

Title

Revised Title (if needed)

Status & Remarks To be continued

DI-06-12 Initiate a knowledge-transfer programme to developing countries, to ensure basic capacity to utilize Earth observations for disaster management. DI-06-13 Initiate a globally coordinated warning system for fire and monitoring for forest conversion, including the development of improved information products and risk assessment models. DI-06-14 Support the design of multi-media training modules to communicate the levels of risk from hydro-meteorological hazards to the public to enable them to make informed decisions.

To be continued The forest conversion monitoring part of this task has been removed and developed as a new Ecosystems task (EC-07-P2) To be continued A workshop to organize a risk communication strategy and plan for development of training modules will occur in the latter part of 2006. The development of training modules, dissemination of these modules and their evaluation will be extended to 2007 To be completed in 2006

HE-06-01 Consult with scientists and experts from the health, environment, and Earth observation communities to define the requirements and priorities of the Health communities regarding environmental observations. HE-06-02 Organize a workshop in Geneva in 2006 with the external support of WHO on human health issues, and their relations with Earth observations, environmel and disease outbreak modelling, building upon 2005 events (EC workshop on Human health and Global Change, NIEHS/EPA workshop on Human health and Air quality, EPIDEMIO workshop, Wengen meeting on seasonal forecasts for health, etc).

To be continued as an ongoing supporting activity Increase collaboration among stakeholders across diverse sub-communities within the field of human health and the environment by establishing exchange programmes between relevant experts, as well as promoting international, interdisciplinary workshops and collaborative research projects.

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Task No.

Title

Revised Title (if needed)

Status & Remarks To be continued The "Health and Climate Partnership for Africa", established by THORPEX will be developed. International demonstration projects under the "Biodiversity, Ecosystem services and Health" research theme will be established. The task will also initiate projects to improve the processing of real-time and historical data and the development of models relating remotely-sensed, in -situ and epidemiological data for detecting disease trends and the provision of early warning systems. To be continued as an ongoing supporting activity

HE-06-03 Facilitate the formation of international consortia and coordinate, besides advocating funding for, the implementation of major demonstration pilot-projects integrating Earth observations, health and epidemiological as well as socio-economic data. As a priority, a project initiated by THORPEX will focus on the use of advanced weather and climate ensemble forecasting methods to develop and improve the predictability of major health hazards and impacts in developing countries (e.g., West Africa). HE-06-04 Organize bi-lateral meetings with major health organizations and associations at national and regional levels and representatives of GEO, to raise awareness of potential uses of GEOSS for health. HE-06-05 Building on the existing work of WHO, perform an assessment, with emphasis on developing countries, of existing capacities for the integration of Earth observation and health data (in terms of data collection, processing and integration). Identify gaps, and explore funding as well as existing projects to close gaps and build capacity. EN-06-01 Consult with scientists and experts representative of the energy sector (including the private sector) to develop a set of priorities for GEO activities. EN-06-02 Conduct a survey and assessment of energy management needs in terms of Earth observations (in -situ, airborne, and space-based) and products in cooperation with national energy agencies and associations, focusing on gaps and requirements for new observations.

To be continued as an ongoing supporting activity

Merged into EN-06-04

Merged into EN-06-04. Will be partly implemented in the framework of EN-06-04 Workshop

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Task No.

Title

Revised Title (if needed)

Status & Remarks Merged into EN-06-04. Will be partly implemented in the framework of EN-06-04 Workshop

EN-06-03 Initiate and maintain a dialogue between decision -support tool providers and energy production & distribution managers to identify requirements for the development of improved and/or new tools. EN-06-04 Organize a major workshop in 2006 to identify and define the main elements and orientations of a strategic 5-10 Year Plan for the optimum exploitation of the enhanced capabilities offered by the forthcoming new generation of observing systems and forecasting modelling techniques (e.g. ensemble-based techniques developed by ECMWF and others). EN-06-05 Facilitate the formation of an international consortium to initiate the implementation of a demonstration project utilizing advanced ensemble forecasting techniques to improve energy management particularly those linked to hydro-power. EN-06-06 Participate in major energy fora and roundtables organized by international organizations, energy associations, and business councils. CL-06-01 Ensure the initiation of international mechanisms to coordinate and maintain sustained climate data reprocessing and reanalysis efforts. CL-06-02 Establish actions securing the provision of key data for climate studies and forecasting from satellite systems.

Organize a series of activities including workshops to To be continued identify and define the main elements/components of a strategic 5-10 Year Plan for th e optimum exploitation of the enhanced capabilities offered by the forthcoming new generation of observing systems and forecasting modelling techniques. Merged into EN-06-04

Merged into EN-06-04

To be continued To consolidate and ensure the sustainability of ongoing efforts and propose an international coordinating mechanism. To be continued

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Task No.

Title

Revised Title (if needed)

Status & Remarks To be continued Will build on the outcome of Task CL-06-02.

CL-06-03 Consolidate the role of existing intergovernmental mechanisms for terrestrial observations needed for climate studies and forecasting. Develop a framework for the preparation of guidance materials, standards, and reporting guidelines for terrestrial observing systems for climate and associated data, metadata, and products to expand the comprehensiveness of current networks, facilitate exchange of data, and provide strategic direction to the terrestrial climate sector. CL-06-04 Identify lead international entities and national focal points for ocean observation efforts that can articulate national goals for their ocean observing sector and coordinate national activities with other designated national entities in order to evolve toward a truly global system of ocean observations. CL-06-05 Coordinate with the International Polar Year (IPY) to enhance the utilization of Earth observations in all appropriate realms (including, but not limited to, sea and land ice, permafrost, coastal erosion, marine and terrestrial ecosystem change, biodiversity monitoring and impacts of increased resource exploitation and marine transport). CL-06-06 Enhance and improve coordination of coastal and marine climate observations. WA-06-01 Organize workshops on water observations, encompassing space-based, airborne, and in -situ observing systems, and focusing on (i) water quality, including fresh, estuarine, and marine water quality, (ii) ground water, (iii) precipitation, soil moisture, surface water, and (iv) hydrological ensemblebased prediction and new observing techniques and products.

To be completed in 2006.

To be continued

To be continued Was postponed to 2007 To be completed in 2006

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Task No.

Title

Revised Title (if needed)

Status & Remarks To be continued Enhanced prediction of the global water cycle variation is a key contribution to mitigation of water -related disasters, including floods and drought and sustainable human development. Hydrological ensemble prediction and other forecasting methods should be improved for use by hydrological services throughout the world. The necessary hydrological data and information system infrastructure should be determined, the data from hydrological and meteorological services should be pulled together first on national level and then on river basin level. Th e systems should also be made interoperable to facilitate global exchange of data and information.

WA-06-02 Facilitate the development of one (or more) demonstration - Forecasts in water resource-management project that points to the added value of hydrological ensemble forecasts in water resource-management.

WA-06-03 Organize a side-event at World Water Forum IV (March 2006, Mexico), highlighting the benefits of global and coordinated Earth observations for water resourcemanagement. WA-06-04 Facilitate the development of a global dataset that maps catchments to the first and second order stream level for use in applying land cover data to management of catchments and monitoring the hydrological cycle.

Completed in 2006.

To be continued

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Task No.

Title

Revised Title (if needed) In-situ mon itoring for water resource management

Status & Remarks To be continued The current water cycle observation capability is inadequate for monitoring long-term changes in the global water system and their feedback into the climate system, and the lack of and inaccessibility of crucial data is also a major constraint for sustainable development of water resources and improvement of water management practices. In addition to filling gaps in measurement capability, interoperability of observing systems, and standardization of metadata for data sharing (exchange agreements for water data and software), progress in product development of the global near real-time river runoff network, advocation of sharing of telecommunication infrastructure and joint know-how are important goals that need to be reached within the next few years. This task is an extension of WA-06-05.

WA-06-05 Initiate the creation of a coordination mechanism within GEO for global in -situ water observations, including ocean observations, and advocate synergy and sharing of infrastructure among observing systems.

WA-06-06 Promote best practices in Earth observation application for integrated water resource management in developing countries by supporting a series of workshops in South America, Asia, Africa, and a Small Island nation. WA-06-07 Initiate a capacity building program in Latin America to develop tools for using remote sensing data in support of water management, and to show the value of Earth observations generally in water resource management.

To be completed in 2006

To be continued A capacity building program in Latin America, focused on the use of Earth observation data for water resources management, will be running for the next years.

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Task No.

Title

Revised Title (if needed)

Status & Remarks To be continued The planning is Q2 2006-Q4 2008. Advocate the observing data originally within WMO to meet requirement of across diverse all 9 SBAs under GEO To be continued Improvement of the space-based GOS is a longterm task. The main targets of the task originally within WMO should be broadened to meet requirement of across diverse all 9 SBAs under GEO. To be continued This task will be continued and developed into a large and high -attractive activity. To be continued The target is to support the development of Advanced Dissemination Methods (ADMs) within an operational Integrated Global Data Dissemination Service (IGDDS), as a component of. It is a contribution of the WMO Space Program to GEO-NETCast. Relations of IGDDS and WIS with GEO-NETCast, which is for all SBAs under GEO, should be made clear. And a clear coordination of data provider, GEONETCast operators and users across diverse SBAs should be developed.

WE-06-01 Advocate a complete and stable surface-based (in-situ and airborne) Global Observing System (GOS). High priority should be given to a stable and fully functional World Weather Watch Upper Air Network and the further development of the Aircraft Meteorological Data Relay (AMDAR) programme. WE-06-02 Advocate a stable and improved space-based Global Observing System (GOS) including operational geostationary and polar components. Support WMO efforts related to (i) increased spatial and temporal resolution for geostationary imagers and sounders and (ii) a broader availability of polar Doppler wind profiles for initial operational testing. WE-06-03 Facilitate the development and maintenance of a prototype global operational multi-model ensemble prediction system (e.g. through THORPEX) incorporating easily accessible databases. WE-06-04 Support the development of Advanced Dissemination Methods (ADMs) within an operational Integrated Global Data Dissemination Service (IGDDS), as a component of WMO Information System (WIS) and a contribution of the WMO Space Programme to GEONETCast.

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Task No.

Title

Revised Title (if needed)

Status & Remarks To be continued

WE-06-05 Co-organize a series of regional capacity building workshops with major numerical weather -prediction training centres to assist developing countries in their utilization of currently available forecasts; building in particular upon WMO programmes for developing countries. EC-06-01 Support the Integrated Global Carbon Observation (IGCO) development of a global carbon -observing system, in particular improved global networks of in-situ CO2 observations. EC-06-02 Establish an ad hoc Ecosystems Classification Task Force, Mapping of a global operational scheme for covering terrestrial, freshwater, and ocean ecosystems, with ecosystems classification a mandate to create a globally agreed, robust, and viable classification scheme for ecosystems. EC-06-03 Initiate the harmonization of observing-methods and create synergies between ecosystem observing activities and those of other existing groups and mechanisms for terrestrial, freshwater and marine systems. EC-06-04 Explore techniques for up-scaling in -situ ecosystem observations. EC-06-05 Complete a survey of the research community involved in in-situ observations and modelling for new platform and sensor needs, or for suggestions for better use of existing systems.

To be continued

To be continued GEOSS will facilitate the completion of the classification model in 2007, and its mapping in 2008 and 2009. To be continued

To be continued

To be continued

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Task No.

Title

Revised Title (if needed)

Status & Remarks To be continued. Historical ecosystems data are critical to understanding ecosystem processes, and to understanding ecosystem change over time. Ecosystems data however are in many formats, and housed across the globe in a variety of institutions. GEOSS will facilitate an inventory of archived data for ecosystems in 2006 and 2007, to identify data gaps, identify data at risk, and evaluate costs of data rescue. A workshop will define a data archiving strategy taking into account data types, processing levels and supporting media (EC-06-06). In 2008 and 2009, collection and capture of the ecosystems data will be undertaken, as will studies to integrate ecosystems and earth observation data. To be continued Deliverables will span 2006-2007. Linkages with terrestrial ecosystems will be developed in 2007

EC-06-06 Conduct an inventory of archived data for ecosystems, identify data gaps, identify data at risk, and evaluate costs of data rescue. In complement, conduct a workshop to define a data archiving strategy taking into account data types, processing levels and supporting media.

EC-06-07 Build upon existing initiatives (e.g. ANTARES in South America for oceans and GOFC-GOLD regional networks for terrestrial domains) to develop a global network of organization -networks for ecosystems, and coordinate workshops to strengthen observing capacity in developing countries. AG-06-01 Initiate the creation of a 5- to 10-year strategic plan: define specific objectives for 2007 and create a plan of action for GEO in agriculture. AG-06-02 Consult with scientists and experts from the fisheries, aquaculture, coastal zone management and Earth observation communities at international and regional levels to identify opportunities for enhanced utilization of Earth observations in fisheries and aquaculture.

To be continued

To be continued

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Task No.

Title

Revised Title (if needed)

Status & Remarks To be continued (reclassified as EC-07-P1) This task and concept has been moved to the section on Ecosystems

AG-06-03 Utilizing global and regional high-resolution land-cover datasets (e.g. GLOBCOVER) and earlier 1-km resolution land cover data sets (e.g. Global Land Cover 2000), implement production of a high-resolution global land-cover change dataset and report. Propose mechanisms for regular analysis and reporting on land cover change building on current efforts and promulgate the use of these products, especially in developing countries. AG-06-04 Initiate an international assessment effort on forests and forest changes utilizing ongoing land cover mapping projects (e.g. GLOBCOVER). Ensure application of standardized classifications and harmonization of existing datasets. AG-06-05 Facilitate the implementation of a demonstration project, initiated by THORPEX and AMMA, on the use of advanced weather and climate ensemble forecasting methods integrating Earth observations, agricultural data and socioeconomic data, to develop and improve the predictability of food-supply hazards in Africa. AG-06-06 Advocate funding for demonstration projects to produce global irrigated area/crop production datasets and promulgate sustained monitoring efforts utilizing the validated methodologies AG-06-07 Initiate the design of training modules to demonstrate the usage of Earth observation data and products for the agricultural sectors in Africa, Asia, Latin America, Central and Eastern Europe, and in Small Island States.

To be continued (reclassified as EC-07-P2) This task and concept has been moved to the section on Ecosystems

To be continued

To be continued Secretariat to request from drafters of task sheet: 1) Further clarification/elaboration of Project 2) That other contributing organisations be identified and included To be continued Development of training modules in 2007

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2007-2009 Work Plan - Outline

Task No.

Title

Revised Title (if needed)

Status & Remarks To be completed in 2006

BI-06-01 Ensure participation of the biodiversity community into the Ecosystem Task Force (see Task EC-06-02) in order to ensure that the ecosystem classification system developed as part of this task is compatible with biodiversity observational requirements. BI-06-02 Building on the framework adopted for monitoring biodiversity trends in the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, conduct a series of workshops and meetings to (i) define the needs and requirements of the biodiversity information users sector, (ii) delineate available methodologies and (iii) identify the adequacy of current and past observational strategies. BI-06-03 Initiate the development of a strategic plan for capturing historical biodiversity data from natural history collections and the research community. BI-06-04 Initiate the development of a strategic plan for periodic global assessment of status and trends for species of merit, taking into account the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment and CBD 2010 targets. Include the remote sensing community in this discussion to determine the applicability of remote sensing to this topic. BI-06-05 Facilitate the interoperability of the multi-institutional biodiversity observation network and ensure that it links to data sets of ecological and other related observation systems. US-06-01 Establish a GEO process for identifying critical Earth observation priorities common to many GEOSS societal benefit areas, involving scientific and technical experts, taking account of socio-economic factors, and building on the results of existing systems' requirements development processes. Page 32 of 38

To be continued

To be continued

To be continued

To be continued

To be continued

2007-2009 Work Plan - Outline

Task No.

Title

Revised Title (if needed)

Status & Remarks To be continued

US-06-02 Initiate pilot communities of practice to identify and further refine users' needs, in particular on cross-cutting areas, building upon the initial experience of community of practice and on information provided by national, regional and project-level surveys. US-06-03 Promote interactions, in the form of fora, between data providers, scientists, industry, international governmental and non -governmental organizations, decision - and policymakers to identify requiremen ts for new or improved data, products and services. AR-06-01 Establish and maintain a process for reaching interoperability arrangements, informed by ongoing dialogue with major international programmes and consortia. That process is to be sensitive to technology and accessibility disparities among GEO Members and Participating Organizations, and must include mechanisms for upgrading arrangements. AR-06-02 Produce practical strategic and tactical guidance document on how to converge disparate systems to a higher degree of collaboration and interoperability under GEOSS including its roadmap and using existing efforts wherever possible. AR-06-03 Reach consensus on how the GEOSS architecture will link the components of GEOSS and allow for growth potential.

To be continued as an ongoing supporting activity

To be continued Evaluate the possibility of merge the tasks of AR-06-01; AR-06-02; AR-06-03; AR-06-04 and AR-06-05; DA-06-06, DA-06-07 (See grouping proposal)

To be continued Evaluate the possibility of merge the tasks of AR-06-01; AR-06-02; AR-06-03; AR-06-04 and AR-06-05; DA-06-06, DA-06-07 (See grouping proposal) To be continued Evaluate the possibility of merge the tasks of AR-06-01; AR-06-02; AR-06-03; AR-06-04 and AR-06-05; DA-06-06, DA-06-07 (See grouping proposal)

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Task No.

Title

Revised Title (if needed)

Status & Remarks To be continued Evaluate the possibility of merge the tasks of AR-06-01; AR-06-02; AR-06-03; AR-06-04 and AR-06-05; DA-06-06, DA-06-07 (See grouping proposal) To be continued Evaluate the possibility of merge the tasks of AR-06-01; AR-06-02; AR-06-03; AR-06-04 and AR-06-05; DA-06-06, DA-06-07 (See grouping proposal) To be continued (extended and reclassified as DA-07-P3) To be continued Improve the in -situ observation network and facilitate to utilize the recent technologies and standards (e.g., SensorWeb, Grid computing, etc) for better data acquisition and management. To be continued as an ongoing supporting activity

AR-06-04 Establish a process for GEO Members and Participating Organizations to commit component systems to GEOSS, and advocate specific initial commitments of contributed systems and other components, including agreement to accept GEOSS interoperability specifications as defined to date, and allowing for growth. AR-06-05 Initiate development of a publicly accessible, networkdistributed clearinghouse, subject to GEOSS interoperability specifications to date, and including an inventory of existing data, metadata, and pre defined common products. AR-06-06 Facilitate interoperability among Digital Elevation Model (DEM) data sets with the goal of producing a global, coordinated and integrated DEM. AR-06-07 Produce an inventory of existing in-situ observation networks (including airborne), beginning with the networks of GEO Members and Participating Organizations, and associate them with societal benefit areas as appropriate. AR-06-08 Advocate additional resources for the maintenance and expansion of in-situ observing systems in cooperation with major national and international organizations and programmes. AR-06-09 Advocate establishing continuity for near real-time, 30-m (or better) resolution, multi-spectral remote-sensing coverage everywhere on the Earth's surface, including support for the launch of a Landsat-equivalent follow-on mission. AR-06-10 Advocate and facilitate the timely implementation of the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission and encourage more nations to contribute to the GPM constellation Page 34 of 38

To be continued

To be completed in 2006

2007-2009 Work Plan - Outline

Task No.

Title

Revised Title (if needed)

Status & Remarks To be continued continue the coordination activity with appropriate agency or organization (if necessary through ITU) for the specific action from 2006 outcomes (e.g., Microwave sounders, SAR (Ka, Ku, X, C, L band), etc). To be continued as an ongoing supporting activity Facilitate coordinated practical actions of GEOSS data sharing principles with users and policy makers, including SBA experts. GEOSS should work further steps to identify specific action from 2006 outcomes (e.g., Satellite and In -situ data policy, Historical data access, Health data policy, etc) with SBA experts. Then, facilitate th e coordination with appropriate committees (UIC, STC) and stakeholders to further the GEOSS data sharing principle. This task should take account of developments in Task DA-06-01. To be continued It is important to develop the quality assurance strategy of in-situ observations data based on satellite observation data quality assurance strategy from 2006 outcome. To be continued

AR-06-11 Prepare a series of appropriate advocacy activities, including representations to the International Telecommunication Union. For example, evaluation of challenges presented by the industrial development of automobile anti-collision radar and the implications for the use of radio frequencies essential for tropospheric sounding. DA-06-01 Invite experts to identify steps required to further the practical application of the agreed GEOSS data sharing principles.

DA-06-02 Develop a GEO data quality assurance strategy, beginning with space-based observations and evaluating expansion to in-situ observations, taking account of existing work in this arena. DA-06-03 Facilitate the development of demonstration projects promoting the wider use, in other disciplines, of ensemblebased techniques originally developed for weather forecasting. DA-06-04 Facilitate the development, availability and harmonization of data, metadata, and products commonly required across diverse societal benefit areas, including base maps, landcover data sets, and common socio-economic data. Page 35 of 38

To be continued

2007-2009 Work Plan - Outline

Task No.

Title

Revised Title (if needed)

Status & Remarks To be continued

DA-06-05 Develop a guidance document for basic geographic data (including format, precision, accuracy, etc.), taking into account relevant national, regional and global initiatives.

DA-06-06 Advocate use of existing Spatial Data Infrastructure components as institutional and technical precedents, where appropriate, including standard protocols and interoperable system interfaces, among other components. DA-06-07 Define a model web portal system for access to all Earth observation data, based on existing portals and systems, designed to increase use, quality, and accessibility of existing in formation, tools, and networks. Particular attention will be given to the coordination of networks in specific societal benefit areas to enable reuse thereby to achieve synergy and leverage. DA-06-08 Develop learning tools (based on existing tools) to improve technical capability to (i) create common geo-referenced maps, (ii) merge socio economic data using geographic information systems (GIS), and (iii) combine geo-referenced maps with application tools to yield basic information systems. DA-06-09 Establish GEOSS Best Practices Registry by a request for proposals from GEO organizations willing to maintain/update GEOSS Best Practices Registry. The registry should also include existing cost-benefit sharing mechanisms and examples (data sharing, cooperative data acquisition, joint development, joint flight, collaborative sciences, etc).

To be continued Evaluate the possibility of merge the tasks of AR-06-01; AR-06-02; AR-06-03; AR-06-04 and AR-06-05; DA-06-06, DA-06-07 (See grouping proposal) To be continued Evaluate the possibility of merge the tasks of AR-06-01; AR-06-02; AR-06-03; AR-06-04 and AR-06-05; DA-06-06, DA-06-07 (See grouping proposal)

To be continued Postponed to 2007 for re-evaluation

To be continued

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2007-2009 Work Plan - Outline

Task No.

Title

Revised Title (if needed)

Status & Remarks To be continued

CB-06-01 Perform a review of capacity-building initiatives in GEO Members and Participating Organizations, taking into account results of existing surveys, to identify existing and planned capacity-building activities and gaps. CB-06-02 Perform an analysis of existing documentation of Earth observation infrastructure requirements essential to the implementation of GEOSS in developing countries, and document commonly identified gaps. CB-06-03 Perform a review of existing education and training initiatives for Earth observation utilization in developing countries, and promulgate the use of best practices in cooperation with specialized UN agencies and other organisations. CB-06-04 GEO-NETCast, an operational service delivering data and products based on the use of communication satellites

To be continued as an ongoing supporting activity

To be completed in 2006

To be continued GEONETCast should consider how various dissemination networks (e.g., space-based and ground-based communications) could be integrated to become more useful infrastructure (e.g., integration or linking GEONETCast and GEO web portal). This infrastructure should be developed based upon the user requirement. In addition the possibility should be investigated of using GEONETCast to generate a coordinated in-situ data collection system expanding from existing ones (e.g. WIS) to respond to the needs expressed by many communities (e.g. Health). To be continued as an ongoing supporting activity

OR-06-01 Develop a comprehensive list of major international conferences and workshops relevant to GEOSS (UNFCCC COP, sustainable development fora, etc.) in each societal benefit area and ensure GEOSS participation and visibility in selected events.

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2007-2009 Work Plan - Outline

Task No.

Title

Revised Title (if needed)

Status & Remarks To be continued as an ongoing supporting activity

OR-06-02 Engage in a series of presentations and briefings to technical audiences in each societal benefit area, with an emphasis on emerging fields of health, energy, water resources management, and ecosystems. OR-06-03 Promote awareness of successful communities of practice activities, advancing awareness of potential applications for Earth observations. OR-06-04 Implement a sustained outreach campaign plan of targeted communication activities. OR-06-05 Complete preparation of outreach campaign communication tools begun in 2005, including a GEOSS logo/visual identity; an engaging website; an umbrella message and sector -specific messages; multi-media and press tools; and standard PowerPoint briefings. OR-06-06 In coordination with the outreach campaign, engage in a series of regular media roundtables and briefings and occasional well-timed press conferences and special events. OR-06-07 Establish a network of press & media representatives for all GEO members and participating organizations to advance outreach objectives.

To be continued as an ongoing supporting activity To be continued as an ongoing supporting activity To be completed in 2006

To be continued as an ongoing supporting activity To be completed in 2006

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