Group on Earth Observations (GEO)

The Group on Earth Observations (GEO) is a global partnership of governments and organisations that envisions “a future wherein decisions and actions for the benefit of humankind are informed by coordinated, comprehensive and sustained Earth observations”. GEO membership includes 103 member governments and 95 participating organisations comprised of international bodies with a mandate to carry out and/or make use of Earth observations.

Together, the GEO community is creating a Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) that will link Earth observation resources worldwide across the following multiple Societal Benefit Areas, and make them available for informed decision-making:

• Biodiversity and ecosystem sustainability
• Disaster resilience
• Energy and mineral resources management
• Food security
• Infrastructure and transportation management
• Public health surveillance
• Sustainable urban development
• Water resources management

The EEA is a participating organisation of GEO, and it contributes to GEOSS with data from its work in Europe, while benefitting from European data, practices and standards that are used beyond Europe. In addition, through its networks, GEO focuses on improving the availability and quality of data, thus enabling the EEA to access a broader range of data and information on issues that require global coverage. The EEA contributes actively to GEO through a number of working groups and as a member of the Programme Board.

Links

GEO Homepage: provides access to detailed information about GEO's eight Societal Benefit Areas and the GEOSS Portal (access to over 200 million resources provided by GEO's partners).

GEO Strategic Plan 2016-2025: Implementing GEOSS - adopted by the GEO-XII Plenary and Ministerial in Mexico City in November 2015, this document articulates GEO's vision and objectives for its second decade.