22 Jan 2026Blog

Connecting Earth observation and societal security

Connecting Earth observation and societal security
The Haruj Volcanic Field in central Libya was created from basaltic lava flows that erupted over time from multiple volcanoes. (USGS)

Security challenges rarely sit within a single domain. Climate stress, water scarcity, food systems, critical infrastructure and disaster risks are increasingly interconnected, with pressures in one area often impacting others. In this context, Earth observation plays a critical role in helping us understand how those risks interact.

That's why the work of the Space & Security within the GEO Work Programme is so important. During the first GEO Open House Webinar, the initiative was highlighted as a reminder to view security as a systems-level challenge. Space & Security connects insights across climate, water, food, infrastructure and disaster risk to support coordinated decision-making

Space & Security is a convener that brings together space agencies, researchers, policy institutions and operational users to exchange knowledge and explore how Earth observation can support societal security more effectively.

Partnerships with organisations such as the European Union Satellite Centre, European Space Agency, World Food Programme and EuroGeoSurveys enable Space & Security to bridge technical expertise and policy needs.

From pilots to integration

Initial Space & Security activities focused on targeted pilots designed to test how Earth observation could help tackle security-related challenges and reveal risks that are difficult to detect using traditional approaches.

One example is the GEO Space–Security pilot (2023-2025), which applied Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data to monitor land subsidence linked to groundwater extraction and urban development. Combined with infrastructure vulnerability modelling, this work illustrated how gradual ground movement can generate long-term risks to critical assets, providing early insights before situations escalated into emergencies.

Many security challenges do not require new data, but rather better integration of existing information across domains.

Looking ahead

Going forward, Space & Security will focus on strengthening cross-domain collaboration, supporting new pilot concepts and helping GEO activities align their work around shared security challenges.

Success is measured by the ability to foster alignment across communities that rarely interact, thus enabling action based on shared insights.

Fact sheet: Space & Security 

The challenge
The challenge
Security risks increasingly span climate, water, food, infrastructure and disasters, requiring integrated Earth observation-based approaches.
Products and services
Products and services
Community coordination and dialogue > Thematic workshops > Cross-disciplinary pilot support > Conceptualisation of future research-to-operations activities
Intended impact
Intended impact
Enable coherent, Earth observation-informed approaches to societal security and resilience across GEO focus areas.
Partnerships and users
Partnerships and users
EU SatCen, ESA, WFP, EuroGeoSurveys, IHE Delft, NASA, UNDRR, WRI, EC, EuroGEO, AmeriGEO.
New technologies
New technologies
SAR-based deformation monitoring, Earth observation-supported risk assessment, infrastructure analytics and integrated security workflows.
Sustainability
Sustainability
Supported by Space & Security partners; value lies in coordination, integration and community building.

All the materials from the first webinar, including PPTs are available on the GEO Knowledge Hub work package. This blog is based on Sergio Albani's presentation during the first GEO Open House Webinar as part of series featuring a summary and entries covering GSNL, NIGHT-LIGHT, GWIS and SlopeRiskGPT.