Operational at Currently not coupled to the GCI Not open source Complex relation data model not easily scaleable Not fully consistent with the Ministerial guidance

“Following the Vision for GEO 2025, the proposed key areas of activity for the next decade are: 1) Advocate for the value of Earth observations and the need to continue improving Earth observation worldwide; 2) Urge the adoption and implementation of data sharing principles globally; 3) Advance the development of the GEOSS information system for the benefit of users; 4) Develop a comprehensive interdisciplinary knowledge base defining and documenting observations needed for all disciplines and facilitate availability and accessibility of these observations to user communities; and 5) Cultivate global initiatives tailored to meet specific user needs.”

March 23, 2015 Ministerial Guidance 2014: Fourth key area of activity: “Develop a comprehensive interdisciplinary knowledge base defining and documenting observations needed for all disciplines and facilitate availability and accessibility of these observations to user communities.” Hans-Peter Plag 1 and Stefano Nativi 2 1) IEEE, Mitigation and Adaptation Research Institute (MARI) Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Va, USA 2) Earth and Space Informatics laboratory National Research Council of Italy Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research

“Develop a comprehensive interdisciplinary knowledge base defining and documenting observations needed for all disciplines and facilitate availability and accessibility of these observations to user communities.” - how to define and document “observations needed” - a “comprehensive knowledge base” - facilitate “availability and accessibility” - linking to “user communities” First results for the next Ministerial Summit Goal: Feedback on how we interpret the ministerial guidance - “... for all disciplines...”

Information Needs Stakeholder Driven GEOSS Defining observations based on information needs Defining models and tools based on information needs GEO, YIP Reference Document.

What is a comprehensive knowledge base? knowledge base 1. Computer Science The part of an expert system that contains the facts and rules needed to solve problems. 2. A collection of facts and rules for problem solving. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.Houghton Mifflin Company A knowledge base is far more than a (relational) database of observational requirements: facts and rules to solve a problem For all disciplines: interdisciplinary - transdisciplinary? Ontology - semantic Web?

What is a (comprehensive interdisciplinary) knowledge base? Wikipedia: A knowledge base (KB) is a technology used to store complex structured and unstructured information used by a computer system. The initial use of the term was in connection with expert systems which were the first knowledge-based systems.technologytems which wer The original use of thThe original use of the term knowledge-base was to describe one of the two sub-systems of a knowledge- based system. A knowledge-based system consists of a knowledge-base that represents facts about the world and an inference engine that can reason about those facts and use rules and other forms of logic to deduce new facts or highlight inconsistencies.[1]cts and use rule The term 'knowledge-base' was to distinguish from the more common widely used term database.... The next evolution for the term knowledge-base was the Internet.... As the technology scaled up it was rare to find a system that could really be cleanly classified as knowledge-based in the sense of an expert system that performed automated reasoning and knowledge- based in the sense of knowledge management that provided knowledge in the form of documents and media that could be leveraged by humans.

What is a (comprehensive interdisciplinary) knowledge base? Wikipedia: A Knowledge-based system (KBS) is a computer program that reasons and uses a knowledge base to solve complex problems.computer program a know complex probl... The most recent advancement of knowledge-based systems has been to adopt the technologies for the development of systems that use the Internet. The Internet often has to deal with complex, unstructured data that can't be relied on to fit a specific data model. The technology of knowledge-based systems and especially the ability to classify objects on demand is ideal for such systems. The model for these kinds of knowledge-based Internet systems is known as the Semantic Web.[5] rece

What is a (comprehensive interdisciplinary) knowledge base? Comprehensive: covering basically the world - through the (semantic) Web? Interdisciplinary - transdisciplinary? Ontology - semantic Web? A knowledge base is far more than a (relational) database of observational requirements: facts and rules to solve a problem

“a comprehensive knowledge base defining and documenting observations needed for all disciplines” - has all the relevant facts for all disciplines - has well-defined rules how to use the facts to derive observations needed - has an inference engine that can derive the observation requirements based on these rules

“... defining and documenting observations needed for all disciplines”... needed for all disciplines to do/achieve what? What are the goals? - scientific disciplines: create new knowledge; monitor the environment, assess state and trends, predict; - societal disciplines: enable sustainable development - GEO: Societal Benefit Areas; Strategic Targets - Ministers: Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

19 Focus Areas Griggs et al., 2013 Griggs et al. (2013): 6 SDGs: 1 Thriving lives and livelihoods 2 Sustainable food security 3 Secure sustainable water 4 Universal clean energy 5 Healthy and productive ecosystems 6 Governance for sustainable societies

SDG Indicators The purpose of SDG indicators is twofold. First, an indicator should be a management tool, to help countries develop implementation and monitoring strategies for achieving the SDGs and to monitor progress. Second, an indicator is a report card, to measure progress towards achieving a target and ensure the accountability of governments to their citizens. This will require: Investing in national statistical systems, household surveys, remote sensing, and Big Data; Identifying areas where statistical standards are currently lacking and asking the statistical community to develop them in the future; Thinking in terms of the measurement instruments that each country should have in place (e.g. vital statistics, censuses, surveys, national accounts, administrative records, Big Data); and Specifying the quality requirements (e.g. frequency of data-collection, timeliness of releases, geographical detail, common set of variables available for cross-classification purposes).

GoalsGoals TargetsTargets IndicatorsIndicators Essential Variables (URR) Knowledge Base Inference Engine Knowledge about Applications, Activities, Tools,... Knowledge about Users, Benefits, Defining observations needed - rules - models - human interactions (e.g., surveys) Observational Requirements

GoalsGoals TargetsTargets IndicatorsIndicators Essential Variables (URR) Inference Engine Knowledge about Applications, Activities, Tools,... Knowledge about Users, Benefits, Defining observations needed Observational Requirements - rules - models SEE IN Knowledge Base - human interactions (e.g., surveys)

GoalsGoals TargetsTargets IndicatorsIndicators Essential Variables (URR) Inference Engine Knowledge about Applications, Activities, Tools,... Knowledge about Users, Benefits, Defining observations needed Observational Requirements - rules - models SEE IN Knowledge Base Socio-Economic and Environmental Information Needs Knowledge Base GEO’s Contribution 3rd GEOSS S&T Stakeholder Workshop - human interactions (e.g., surveys)

For example, “safeguarding Earth’s life-support system;” based on Griggs et al. (2013): sustainable development is a “Development that meets the needs of the present while safeguarding Earth’s life-support system, on which the welfare of current and future generations depends.” Other goals: From Potential Indicators: Planetary health indicators GEOSS the “lab” for patient Earth...

Potential Indicators: For example, Documenting “global change” Other goals: Change indicators GEOSS the “archive” for the future... <--Anthropocene ??

Potential Indicators: For example, Documenting “global change” Other goals: 1 C } IPCC Assessment: Very Likely by 2100 o Marcott et al., 2013 <--Anthropocene ?? Change indicators GEOSS the “archive” for the future...

For example, “Safe operating space for humanity;” Rockström et al. (2009) Other goals: Potential Indicators: Planetary boundary indicators GEOSS the planetary cockpit...

For each set of goals, we can agree on targets For targets, we can develop a metrics based on indicators For indicators, we can identify “essential variables” needed to quantify the indicators General Blue Print for top-down approach: Other Blue Prints for bottom-up approaches to be developed

GoalsGoals TargetsTargets IndicatorsIndicators EVsEVs SEE IN KB Inference Engine Knowledge about Applications, Activities, Tools,... Knowledge about Users, Benefits, Defining observations needed - rules - models - human interactions (e.g., surveys) Gap Analysis Observational Requirements Earth observation systems, data, and services GEOSS Knowledge Base Inference Engine Providing environmental intelligence - Rules - models - human interactions (e.g., research)

“Develop a comprehensive interdisciplinary knowledge base defining and documenting observations needed for all disciplines and facilitate availability and accessibility of these observations to user communities.” “Develop a comprehensive interdisciplinary knowledge base defining and documenting observations needed for all disciplines and facilitate availability and accessibility of these observations to user communities.” “... these observations...”: Observations or knowledge/ environmental intelligence? “... to user communities”: Who are the user communities? “... availability and accessibility...”: How should this be accessible?

Following the Vision for GEO 2025, the proposed key areas of activity for the next decade are: 1) Advocate for the value of Earth observations and the need to continue improving Earth observation worldwide; 2) Urge the adoption and implementation of data sharing principles globally; 3) Advance the development of the GEOSS information system for the benefit of users; 4) Develop a comprehensive interdisciplinary knowledge base defining and documenting observations needed for all disciplines and facilitate availability and accessibility of these observations to user communities; and 5) Cultivate global initiatives tailored to meet specific user needs.

“Develop a comprehensive interdisciplinary knowledge base defining and documenting observations needed for all disciplines and facilitate availability and accessibility of these observations to user communities.” “Develop a comprehensive interdisciplinary knowledge base defining and documenting observations needed for all disciplines and facilitate availability and accessibility of these observations to user communities.” “... these observations...”: Observations or knowledge/ environmental intelligence? “... to user communities”: Who are the user communities? “... availability and accessibility...”: How should this be accessible?

“Develop a comprehensive interdisciplinary knowledge base defining and documenting observations needed for all disciplines and facilitate availability and accessibility of these observations to user communities.” Flip chart, Workshop at GEO Secretariat, March 2014

“Develop a comprehensive interdisciplinary knowledge base defining and documenting observations needed for all disciplines and facilitate availability and accessibility of these observations to user communities.” Flip chart, Workshop at GEO Secretariat, March 2014

Transformational Pathways forward

Bringing together stakeholders and knowledge for informed, particpatory governance

“Develop a comprehensive interdisciplinary knowledge base defining and documenting observations needed for all disciplines and facilitate availability and accessibility of these observations to user communities.” “Develop a comprehensive interdisciplinary knowledge base defining and documenting observations needed for all disciplines and facilitate availability and accessibility of these observations to user communities.” Q: “... these observations...”: Observations or knowledge/ environmental intelligence? Q: “... to user communities”: Who are the user communities? “... availability and accessibility...”: How should this be accessible? A: science and research, sustainable communities, participatory governance A: environmental intelligence, practice-relevant knowledge created on demand A: more than access to observation databases and information systems...

Social Private Public Governance Decision making Science Policies Planning Codes Best & next practices Perceptions VST Meetings Deliberations Risk-based choices Scenarios Visualizations CoI mediations Stakeholder values & interests LKB Model Web Services GeoDesign GIS Integrated databases (environmental, economic, human) ontology Participation What If? State & Trend s Impacts Predictions Collaborative Platform for Cooperation IoT IoM Human Sensors Instrument Sensors Society World Deliberations SD Knowledge Creation and Usage: - Co-design - Co-creation - Co-usage (RIO+20) GEOSS Information System (GEOIS) 4th GEOSS S&T Stakeholder Workshop

Draft Position Paper/White Paper (PP): In progress PP iterated with GEO Community; GEO Secariat leads iteration... Implement SEE IN KB Version 0 (Nativi&Plag) Populate with well-tested blue-prints: together with relevant groups Populate with blue-prints for EVs; candidates are ECarbonV, eEOVs, EBVs, GEO Secretariat informs IPWG and asks for guidance on the process for community feedback (Work plan symposium, survey) Develop process from goals to information needs - EVs - Observations Apply process to SGDs

Social Private Public Governance Decision making Science Policies Planning Codes Best & next practices Perceptions VST Meetings Deliberations Risk-based choices Scenarios Visualizations CoI mediations Stakeholder values & interests Knowledge Base Model Web Services GeoDesign GIS Integrated databases (environmental, economic, human) ontology Participation What If? State & Trend s Impacts Predictions GEOIS IoT IoM Human Sensors Instrument Sensors Society World Deliberations SD Knowledge Creation and Usage: - Co-design - Co-creation - Co-usage (RIO+20) 4th GEOSS S&T Stakeholder Workshop GEOSS Information System (GEOIS)