A new space for GEO collaboration: Reflections from the first Open House Webinar

On 3 December, I had the pleasure of opening the first GEO Work Programme Open House Webinar. This represents a new space for the GEO community to learn from one another. More than 70 participants joined live, which reaffirmed something I often say: the GEO Work Programme is strongest when we can see each other’s work, share ideas and build connections.

In my opening, I noted that “this webinar series marks an important step in showing how our Work Programme turns Earth observations into Earth intelligence, and ultimately into real impact for society.” After hearing the presentations and discussions, I felt that message come alive.

What stood out most to me was the range of innovative approaches these activities are taking to support Weather, Hazard and Disaster Resilience. There is a common, clear commitment to turn Earth observations into something usable and meaningful for decision-makers.

During the discussion, I remarked on the forward-looking mindset that came through in all the presentations. These activities may be at different stages of maturity, but they share an ambition to scale, engage new users and strengthen impact. That, to me, is what the GEO Work Programme is all about.

Insights from five GEO activities

Fernando Sedano, representing Global Wildfire Information System (GWIS), highlighted how global fire danger forecasts, near-real-time burned area maps and climate–fire models are becoming essential preparedness tools. The integration of machine learning, geostationary fire detection, and global observation datasets gives emergency managers a stronger way to anticipate worsening fire conditions before they escalate.

Xi Li from Night-Time Light Remote Sensing for SDGs (NIGHT-LIGHT) demonstrated how improved nighttime sensing gives responders a quick, intuitive picture of disaster impacts. Light-loss patterns help decision-makers understand outages, displacement, and early recovery even when other data sources are unavailable.

A Decision-Making System for Slope Risk Deduction (SlopeRiskGPT), represented by Lingfeng He, introduced a new direction for GEO: an AI-driven tool that blends Earth observation imagery, terrain models, hydrology and expert knowledge into a conversational interface. By translating technical hazard information into actionable guidance for slope stablisation, it has the potential to make slope safety information more accessible to local planners and communities.

Space and Security, represented by Sergio Albani, brought a systems-level perspective on security as an interconnected domain spanning climate, water and food security. By connecting insights across traditionally separate domains, the activity supports policymakers in identifying systemic vulnerabilities and prioritising coordinated, cross-sectoral action.

Looking ahead to 2026

In the discussion, presenters were asked what it would take for their work to “move to the next level.” Their responses were thoughtful and clear – deeper user engagement, more capacity, broader partnerships, funding to scale – and point to areas where the Programme Board should provide support.

We closed the webinar with a strong sense of momentum. The next Open House in 2026 will explore the climate–biodiversity–disaster resilience nexus, an area rich with opportunities for collaboration.

All the materials from the 1st webinar, including PPTs are available on the GEO Knowledge Hub work package.

Note: This blog is the first in a six-part series. Five additional articles will follow, each offering a deeper look at one of the Work Programme activities featured in this webinar: GSNL, GWIS, Night-Light, SlopeRiskGPT, and Space and Security.