Antonio Bombelli – GTOS Sec GTOS Steering Committee 4 th Session Paris, UNESCO HQ 30 Nov - 2 Dec 2009 &

The Group on Earth Observations (GEO) is a global initiative to coordinate national and international efforts in environmental monitoring. GEO is a voluntary partnership of governments and international organizations and provides a framework within which its partners can develop new projects and coordinate their strategies and investments. GTOS & GEO

The GEO implementation plan is conceived to build GEOSS (Global Earth Observation System of Systems) by contributing to the 9 GEO Societal Benefit Areas (SBAs): 1.Disasters 2.Health 3.Energy 4.Climate 5.Water 6.Weather 7.Ecosystems 8.Agriculture 9.Biodiversity GTOS & GEO

Currently GTOS is involved in 16 tasks/subtasks of the last GEO WorkPlan, addressing 4 out of the 9 GEO SBAs: Climate (4) Ecosystems (2) Disasters (2) Biodiversity (1) GTOS & GEO

Task/SubtaskTitle Level of involvement GTOS and panels involved AR-09-03aGlobal Terrestrial ObservationsLeader & POC GTOS Secretariat TCO and TOPC DA-09-03aGlobal Land CoverLeader & POC GOFC-GOLD GTOS Sec CL-09-03bCarbon TrackingLeaderGTOS Sec DI-09-03b Implementation of a Fire Warning System at Global Level Leader GOFC-GOLD GTOS Sec EC-09-01cRegional Networks for EcosystemsLeader GOFC-GOLD GTOS Sec US-09-03bForest Mapping and Change MonitoringLeader GOFC-GOLD TCO, GTOS Sec AR-09-01aEnabling Deployment of a GEOSS ArchitectureContributorGTOS Sec AR-09-01cGEOSS Best Practices RegistryContributorGTOS Sec AR-09-02aVirtual ConstellationsContributorGOFC-GOLD BI-07-01aBiodiversity Observation NetworkContributorB-GTOS CB-09-03aBuilding National and Regional CapacityContributorGOFC-GOLD AR-09-03cGlobal Ocean Observation SystemContributorC-GTOS CL-09-03aIntegrated Global Carbon Observation (IGCO)ContributorTCO DA-09-01bData, Metadata and Products HarmonisationContributorGTOS Sec DI-06-09Use of Satellites for Risk ManagementContributor GOFC-GOLD GTOS Sec EC-09-01aEcosystem Classification and MappingContributorGTOS Sec GTOS role in GEO Tasks: an overview

AR-09-03a: Global Terrestrial Observations This task aims at developing intergovernmental mechanisms to coordinate terrestrial observations needed for climate studies and forecasting. UNFCCC/SBSTA encouraged GTOS to implement a joint framework mechanism on terrestrial observing systems for climate. Reports on 13 Essential Climate Variables (ECVs) in the terrestrial domain were published and submitted by GTOS to the 30 th Session of SBSTA (June 2009). GTOS contribution to the GEO Tasks

AR-09-03c: Global Ocean Observation System This task aims at enhancing and improving the coordination of ocean observations and modelling initiatives. C-GTOS is in the steering committee of the GEO Coastal Zone Community of Practice, designed to bridge observations of the land and sea components of the coast. GTOS contribution to the GEO Tasks

DA-09-03a: Global Land Cover GOFC-GOLD is contributing with a technical sourcebook on and procedures for monitoring measuring and reporting on reducing GHG emissions from deforestation and degradation in developing countries (REDD) in support of the UNFCCC process. GTOS contribution to the GEO Tasks

CL-09-03a: Integrated Global Carbon Observation (IGCO) GTOS contribution to the GEO Tasks This task supports the development of improved global carbon observing networks. GTOS contributed to the initiation of the GEO Carbon Community of Practice and to the writing of the GEO Carbon Report for an integrated global carbon observations strategy.

Task CL-09-03b: Forest Carbon Tracking This task is instrumental for the post-Kyoto climate-change mitigation agreements. GOFC- GOLD formulate validation procedures and accuracy assessment for the remote sensing of forest area and carbon stock estimates. GTOS contribution to the GEO Tasks

DI-09-03b: Implementation of a Fire Warning System at Global Level GTOS supports the FAO co-lead initiative on Global Fire Information Management System (GFIMS) to disseminate active fire and burned area information products. GOFC-GOLD co-lead the development of a system for global early warning of wildland fire disaster. GTOS contribution to the GEO Tasks

US-09-03b: Forest Mapping and Change Monitoring GOFC-GOLD contributes to the development of new techniques for forest monitoring using remote sensing data, and evaluates methods and validation, including new uses of SAR for forest monitoring. GTOS contribution to the GEO Tasks

Convergence of scope GEO was conceived to respond to the urgent and growing need for globally coordinated earth observations. GTOS was conceived to provide terrestrial observations in support of sustainable development. GEO recognizes GTOS as a GEO Participating Organization because it has a mandate in earth observations and related activities. GTOS recognizes the importance of GEO as a unique coordinated initiatives on global earth observation system of systems, essential to avoid duplication and create synergies. Questions for GEO Sec: what is the level of recognition of GTOS as a leading actor in terrestrial observations needed to implement the GEO work plan? GTOS and GEO relationships

At time of the last GTOS Strategy GEO did not exist! GEO now is a reality. The new GTOS strategy shall endorse the GEO initiative. Up to know the mechanism for GTOS to contribute to GEO is simple: i.GTOS contributes to and checks the GEO WP ii.GTOS see what GEO tasks are relevant to its mandate iii.GTOS carry on its activities relevant to a GEO tasks in the frame of the GEO mechanism (Task team, task plan, task sheet update, etc.) Question to the GTOS SC: Do we need to define an agreed strategies for GTOS in working within the GEO framework to contribute to the implementation of GEO-Tasks? Should we create an ad hoc strategy/mechanism for interactions between GEO and GTOS? How GTOS contributes to GEO

GTOS sponsors are also GEO members: should the relationships between GTOS and GEO be fully endorsed by GTOS sponsors? How the GTOS relationships with the conventions fit GEO? What is the GTOS position respect to GEO and the Convention? In the middle? Problem of costs: (voluntary) participation in GEO often require additional resources (time, financial, personnel, travels)… Any other issues? GTOS and GEO – other issues

GTOS role in GEOBON The Group on Earth Observations Biodiversity Observation Network was formed as a result of a process which had GTOS involvement from the start. Bob Scholes (at that time the B-GTOS chair) was appointed by GEO to the Implementation Planning Task Team for the GEOSS with the task to flesh out the Biodiversity Societal Benefit Area and the Ecosystems Societal Benefit Area. GTOS SC 4 th Session Paris, UNESCO HQ 30 Nov - 2 Dec 2009

GEOSS in its 2007 workplan called for a GEOBON planning task (BI-07-01). The call was directed at, and taken up by, DIVERSITAS and NASA. The B-GTOS chair represented both GTOS and DIVERSITAS in the process. An Interim Steering Group was formed (with many members from GTOS team + marine people). The ISG drafted a Concept Document, from which an IP was developed and a descriptive paper was published on Science (Scholes, RJ et al 2008 Towards a global biodiversity observation system. Science321,1044-5). This led to the GEOBON initiative. GTOS role in GEOBON GTOS SC 4 th Session Paris, UNESCO HQ 30 Nov - 2 Dec 2009

A GEOBON SC formed in January 2009 (chair B. Scholes). The execution takes place via working groups that are developing IP and thinking about products:• 1.Genetic level (Tet Yahara and Daniel Faith) 2.Terrestrial Species Monitoring Programmes (Henrique Pereira) 3.Terrestrial Ecosystem Monitoring (Rob Jongman) 4.Freshwater Ecosystem Monitoring (Ian Harrison) 5.Marine Ecosystem Monitoring (Jan de Leeuw and Carlo Heip) 6.Ecosystem Services (Hal Mooney) 7.In-situ / Remote-sensing Integration (Simon Ferrier) 8.Informatics and Portals (Hannu Saarenmaa and Eamonn O Tuama) GTOS role in GEOBON GTOS SC 4 th Session Paris, UNESCO HQ 30 Nov - 2 Dec 2009

GTOS was involved in GEO since its start and potentially occupies a key position within the GEOBON network: it is the acknowledged coordination point for international land cover mapping and monitoring projects. However GTOS does not yet have a developed biodiversity area. Possible future GTOS niche: 1. Develop a ‘biodiversity relevant’ land cover interpretation, following the principle that all land cover legends should follow the LCCS specifications 2. A second key issue for biodiversity is fragmentation and connectivity (decide which minimal set of metrics to chose) 3. Take note of the global ecosystem maps under development in GEOSS task EC-09-01a: Ecosystem Classification and Mapping. GTOS role in GEOBON GTOS SC 4 th Session Paris, UNESCO HQ 30 Nov - 2 Dec 2009

Other potential GTOS contribution 1. A global ecological interactions database. This would take the conceptual form of ‘Species A was observed to interact in way X with species B’, along with the time, place and identity of the observer. Such a database does not yet exist in shared form anywhere, and is not planned by any of the key players. 2. A community database (also called a plot database). This would contain species that are observed to coexist at a given location and time. GTOS role in GEOBON GTOS SC 4 th Session Paris, UNESCO HQ 30 Nov - 2 Dec 2009

Other potential GTOS contribution on Biodiversity Be fully engaged on the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Not only with geospatial data and other biodiversity related information at - Ecosystem level (maps, LCCS, fragmentation and connectivity, ecosystem vulnerability, bdv indexes, etc.) and - Species level (rare species, invasive species, change of habitats, database on georeferenced species, etc.) but also at the conceptual level, defining: - post 2010 biodiversity targets - biodiversity indicators, etc… GTOS role in BDV: IPBES? GTOS SC 4 th Session Paris, UNESCO HQ 30 Nov - 2 Dec 2009

B-GTOS some question… B-GTOS Draft Strategic Document on Biodiversity? What is the importance for sponsors to have a B-GTOS? (high, we believe…) What is your vision on B-GTOS: continue/leave? (continue, we believe, but… as an activity or panel?) Do you see any conflicts/overlaps with GEOBON? Or do you envisage synergies? Other issues?