GEO community update – November 2025
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Welcome to the GEO community update for November. Here, we recap key events, achievements and updates to celebrate our collective progress and partnerships. Stay tuned for a special update next month about COP30 and our work on climate adaptation and Early Warnings for All.
GEO Secretariat and governance updates
Save the date: GEO Symposium and Plenary, 26–28 May, Geneva, Switzerland
Under the theme “Investing in Earth Intelligence for a Resilient Future”, the GEO Symposium (26–27 May) will feature cutting-edge innovations, foster new partnerships and investments, and advance implementation of the GEO Work Programme. The 21st GEO Plenary (28 May) will continue key discussions and support decision-making on implementing the Post-2025 Strategy.
ℹ Further details, including registration, programme and call for community events, will be shared in December!
Save the date: GEO #1 Open House Webinar, 3 December
The new GEO Work Programme Open House series offers a lively, informal platform for GEO initiatives to showcase their work to peers, the Programme Board, and the wider GEO community. Each session will feature five activities highlighting key products and services, user engagement, partnerships, technologies, and contributions to the GEO Knowledge Hub.
The first webinar will spotlight the Weather, Hazard and Disaster Resilience focus area with: GSNL, GWIS, NIGHT-LIGHT, SLOPE-RISK-GPT, and Space and Security.
New guidelines for Regional GEOs and regional champions
The GEO Secretariat has published new Guidelines for engaging with prospective new GEO Members, Participating Organisations, and Associates. Developed with input from Regional GEOs, these guidelines are especially designed for Regional GEO Secretariats/Coordination Boards, and national governments that wish to serve as regional champions.
Data and Knowledge Working Group onboarding sessions
September marked the start of a series of GEO Work Programme knowledge sharing and capacity development events, curated by the GEO Secretariat together with the GEO community.
Partnering for impact: GEO Global Forum 2025
All roads lead to Rome
The GEO Global Forum, held in Rome from 5-9 May and hosted by the Italian government under the patronage of the European Commission, brought together governments, partners, private sector and implementing agencies to align around GEO’s Post-2025 Strategy and showcase Earth Intelligence solutions. The Forum highlighted GEO’s unique role as a global convenor bridging science, policy, and operations, and reaffirmed GEO's value in driving coordinated action on shared priorities.
2025 GEO Awards winners
There was recognition for members and partners who have demonstrated leadership in co-producing user-driven Earth Intelligence at this year’s GEO Awards.
Celebrating 20 years of GEO
20 years of progress
This year marked 20 years of GEO. The GEO Secretariat invited the GEO community to share memories and explore GEO’s journey through StoryMaps.
🗺️ GEO Memories
Showcasing ecosystem intelligence on the global stage
The Global Ecosystems Atlas at the world’s biggest conservation congress
Through the Global Ecosystems Atlas, GEO’s presence at IUCN World Conservation Congress, held in Abu Dhabi from 9-15 October, highlighted how ecosystem intelligence can support conservation decisions, national reporting and the wider nature agenda.
Cities, heat and new partnerships
Global Heat Resilience Service latest update
The latest update from the Global Heat Resilience Service shows cities moving from pilots towards delivery, as well as closer alignment of partners and tools. GEO, Alibaba Cloud and the Shanghai Haina Academy of Engineering (HAINA) agreed to work with GEO on applying Earth Intelligence to urban heat challenges. Meanwhile, IBM, C40 Cities and GEO are collaborating on a new AI project for resilient cities.
Oceans, data and closing the gaps
GEO @ UN Ocean Conference
At the European Digital Ocean Pavilion at the UN Ocean Conference, in a session organised by EUROGEO, GEO Blue Planet and Mercator Ocean International, GEO Secretariat Director Yana Gevorgyan underlined that while ocean knowledge is vast, critical gaps remain where need is greatest.
Data, AI and open knowledge for Earth Intelligence
Earth Intelligence comes alive at AI for Good Summit
GEO showcased how AI can accelerate access to and use of Earth observation at the AI for Good Summit held from 8-11 July in Geneva.
GEO Knowledge Hub at the Living Planet Symposium 2025
At the Living Planet Symposium of the European Space Agency (ESA) that took place in Vienna from 23-27 June, we delivered a practical demonstration of how open knowledge and well-documented resources make GEO initiatives more discoverable and reusable.
Connecting health across a broad range of issues
Health, climate and One Health in practice
The GEO Health Community of Practice has been working with the Secretariat on a blog series based on One Health white papers connecting the dots between real-world use cases of Earth Intelligence. The posts show how data can support cleaner air and respiratory health, protect people from extreme heat in cities, strengthen food systems and food safety, improve animal health surveillance, contribute to disease monitoring and strengthen global health security.
New videos to watch and share
Geohazard Supersites and Natural Laboratories
“It is normal to fear volcanoes. Our role is to explain how to live with them.” A powerful portrait of Charles Balagizi and the work of GSNL.
GEO Blue Planet
A new video from GEO Blue Planet was published about important work to tackle Sargassum pollution.
Voices of GEO
From scientists and data specialists to policy leaders and on-the-ground implementers, this film captures the GEO mission in people’s own words.
Stay connected
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Thank you for being part of GEO’s journey. Together we are advancing Earth Intelligence for All.