Workshops and Technical Meetings (self-organized)

Osamu Ochiai (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency - JAXA), Miguel Angel Exposito Verdejo (European Commission), Steve Kopp (Esri), Monica Miguel-Lago (European Association of Remote Sensing Companies - EARSC), Yuzhou Liu (Shenzhen Technology Institute of Urban Public Safety), Michele Melchiorri (EC Joint Research Center - JRC)

This workshop will examine the role of Earth observations and geospatial data in promoting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We will highlight tools and techniques from GEO-connected organizations, addressing the opportunities and challenges as we stand at the midpoint of the 2030 Agenda. Featured presentations will spotlight: - Partnerships using the Copernicus ecosystem to bolster SDGs, emphasizing disaster resilience, biodiversity, and climate action. - SDGsEYES, designed to enhance Europe’s capability to track six SDG indicators using Copernicus data. - Esri’s development of deep learning models tailored for SDG mapping. - Tools on the Earth Observation Toolkit for Sustainable Cities and Human Settlements portal, teaching people how to measure SDG 11 targets related to urbanization. - The International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals (CBAS)’s efforts to integrate EO technologies, specifically big data, to advance the SDGs. After the presentations, speakers will participate in a roundtable discussion, delving into broader questions surrounding the multifaceted obstacles and prospects of using EO to drive SDGs forward. This dialogue will invite both presenters and audience members to reflect on GEO’s contributions to the 2030 Agenda, particularly in light of GEO’s post-2025 strategy.

Paola De Salvo (GEO Secretariat), Lionel Menard (Mines Paristech), Bente Lilja Bye (BLB), Lea Shanley (Berkley University), Juliet Hermes (SAEON), Tammy Morris (SAEON), Jose Miguel Rubio Iglesias (European Environment Agency - EEA), Joan Masó (University of Barcelona), Paolo Mazzetti (National Research Council of Italy - CNR), Albana Kona (European Commission), Mattia Santoro (National Research Council of Italy - CNR), Gregory Giuliani (University of Geneva), Joost van Bemmelen (European Space Agency - ESA), Felipe Carlos (GEO Secretariat)

The Open Data and Open Knowledge workshop organized in June 2023 raised awareness about Open Knowledge, advocating for its transition and emphasizing the application of the FAIR and GEO DMPs to add value across the entire research and operations and research to operations value chain. The workshop emphasized the importance of co-creation and capacity development, encouraging active involvement and collaboration between stakeholders to achieve meaningful and impactful results. By updating the status of actions and deliverables identified during the ODOK workshop, participants can facilitate further engagement at all levels of the value chain, encompassing data, services, infrastructures, products, skills, and policies. This engagement will span across public and private communities from various domains, taking into account policy frameworks and other legal updates and new technological trends thereby fostering the successful implementation of Open Knowledge practices throughout the global GEO Community and over the GEO Regions. Participants will have the opportunity to explore examples of scalable interoperable value chains from EO data and services to Open Knowledge with the support of federated infrastructures. Experts from GEO communities will share their experiences and lessons learned, challenges, and opportunities in sharing FAIR Earth Observations (EO) data and services. The proposed approaches could benefit from a broad spectrum of initiatives being developed on a global scale and in different GEO regions.

Nils Hempelmann (Open Geospatial Consortium - OGC), Alex Zvoleff (Conservation International), Gabriel Daldegan (Conservation International), David Borges (CEOS/NASA), Gregory Giuliani (University of Geneva), Barron Joseph Orr (United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification - UNCCD), Sara Minelli (United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification - UNCCD), Brian O’Connor (United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification - UNCCD), Neil Sims (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation - CSIRO), Ingrid Teich (Uni Bern, CDE, WOCAT), Ingo Simonis (Open Geospatial Consortium - OGC), Amos Kabo-Bah (University of Energy and Natural Resources/International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals - CBAS), Phoebe Oduor (Regional Centre For Mapping Of Resources For Development - RCMRD), Mark Grasy (German Agency for International Cooperation - GIZ)

The GEO Post 2025 Strategy focuses on Earth Intelligence, where Earth Intelligence stands for the pipeline of gathering, processing, and analysis of data and information (atmospheric, oceanic, or terrestrial including the biosphere) to derive new knowledge and provide valuable insights that inform strategic decisions and empower society to protect/ pursue a sustainable planet. In case of achieving ‘land degradation neutrality’ countries need access to the best available data, and tools or generate information on demand to estimate the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicator 15.3.1, Proportion of land that Is degraded over total land area, and monitor progress towards land degradation neutrality (LDN). The workshop focuses on the data pipeline from raw data to usable information and knowledge on demand. It discusses concepts of standardization for analysis-ready data and data cubes where developed tools are in place or can be deployed. It also discusses the importance of integrating expert and local knowledge by showcasing successful country experiences from different regions of the world. Successes and lessons learnt from the recently completed UNCCD reporting cycle will be shared. This will include, for example, how tools like Trends.earth from C.I. and the UNCCD PRAIS4 platform work together, and how countries assess the suitability and reliability of different possible global and national datasets via decision trees or a participatory approach.

Andy Nelson (University of Twente), Esther Makabe (GEOGLAM), Joost Teuben (University of Twente), Vivianne Meta (LocateIT Limited), Jane Kioko

Advances in Earth observation science, data, tools, and applications in recent years have made it possible to monitor the state and change in the agricultural landscape at different scales globally. This helps governments and societies better manage, prepare for, and respond to food security concerns among other issues. However, the full potential of these advancements and opportunities is yet to be realized, especially in the most at-risk/ food insecure regions of the world, largely due to limited technical capacity. To respond to this gap, GEOGLAM has published a guidance document for good practice in designing and implementing capacity development interventions, based on the practical experiences and lessons from the community. This workshop will present the good practice tools and methodologies and share some examples from practitioners. It will wrap up by assessing the demand from workshop participants to guide GEOGLAM’s own efforts for further training and awareness raising about the tools and methodologies. This will help GEOGLAM support future capacity development activities in applying EO resources in the agri-food system for increased and sustained societal benefit.

Jens Danzeglocke (German Aerospace Center - DLR), Giriraj Amaarnath (International Water Management Institute - IWMI), Masaki Yasukawa (University of Tokyo / MEXT, Japan), Katsunori Tamakawa (International Centre for Water Hazard and Risk Management - ICHARM), Adrian Strauch (University of Bonn), Sousan Torabiparizi (UNFCCC Secretariat), Shanna Mcclain (NASA), Ernest Acheampong (GEO Secretariat), Ariesta Ningrum (UNFCCC Secretariat), Rui Kotani (GEO Secretariat)

This 2-hour workshop session is designed to be a “Learning Lab” where participants can learn about a several operational and freely available EO solutions that can contribute to the Early Warnings for All (EW4All) Initiative for countries to enhance their early warning systems in dealing with extreme climatic disasters, such as flooding and drought: Sentinels-4-African-DRR video tutorials; Date Integration and Analysis System (DIAS)’s Online Synthesis System for Sustainability and Resilience (OSS-SR); AWARE Platform; and possibly NASA tools. The EO solutions will have a series of 3-5 min demonstrations on functions each followed by questions and answers by the workshop participants. The aim of this workshop is for participants to have a chance to learn by firsthand on how to use these tools for the integration of hazard historical/near-data, real time observations and forecasting, and to analyze risk information to feed into early warnings of climate hazards. This workshop is also an occasion to enhance GEO’s effort to support implementation of EO solutions for developing countries.

This interactive session will deliver an overview of the GEO Resource Mobilisation Toolkit and highlight a selection of the key tools that the GEO Work Programme can use to secure funding and in-kind resources. Speakers from the GEO community will share their experiences using similar tools and techniques and offer insights for successful application.