The Netherlands has a prominent open data policy since 2015. Open data stimulates cooperation and innovation. Open and free data and derived information should preferably be provided as a public good on a sustainable provision, not on a temporary project basis. Internationally, the Dutch government supports several data initiatives advocated by amongst others GEO (Earth observations), FAO (HandinHand/WaPOR) and WMO (meteorology).

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Since January 2024 the Dutch Government has a long term agenda on space and Earth observation (EO). The following missions support GEO objectives: Mission 2 - Space for Climate and Environment, Mission 3 - Excellent science, Mission 4 - Space as a strategic instrument for societal challenges.

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In 2025 different stakeholders in the EO-domain in The Netherlands started working more actively together under the name GEO Netherlands. This initiation of the GEO Netherlands platform was endorsed by and financially supported by Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management. The Netherlands Space Agency will provide the secretariat and other (policy) actors can contribute in-kind. In October 2025 Netherlands Space Agency was co-organizer of the successful EuroGEO 2025 event in The Hague (Netherlands).

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The Netherlands actively stimulates the development and use of services based on satellite data, with the goal of bringing the benefits of space to society. For the Netherlands (since 2012) including Caribean municipalities (since 2024), the Netherlands Space Agency operates an open portal that provides optical imagery (up to 30 centimetres) and radar imagery (Radarsat-2) for free for the public and businesses in The Netherlands.

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The Netherlands Space Agency promotes the use of Earth observation for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as follow-up on the exploratory study and discussion and consultation sessions with Dutch stakeholders on this subject. NLSA supports innovation using EO data via national and ESA programs and stimulates the uptake of developed services for governmental, societal and commercial usage. The NLSA has initiated various Pre Commercial Procurement / Innovation Impact Challenge activities over the last ten years.

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Dutch organizations are contributing to GEO’s objectives and SDGs. Hereafter various contributions are highlighted.

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The ITC Faculty of the University of Twente, Wageningen University and Research, Delft University of Technology and UNESCO-IHE Delft are contributing to the coordination of the capacity building activities associated with the acquisition, processing and use of Earth Observation data and information for policy and decision-making, educating students from around the world (SDG 4).

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Contributing to SDGs 3, 11 and 13, the Netherlands has a legacy in atmospheric and climate monitoring with GOME, SCIAMACHY, OMI, TROPOMI instruments. The Dutch co-funded instrument TROPOMI on Sentinel-5P delivers image of air quality and atmospheric trace gases of every place on the world. TROPOMI was launched in 2017 and still is fully operational. The Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, KNMI, is the principal investigator institute of TROPOMI. Space research organization SRON participates in United Nations global methane detection system International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO) and Methane Alert Response System (MARS). In 2024 the SPEXone instrument was launched on the NASA the PACE mission, and the forthcoming ESA Scout ‘TANGO’ mission will monitor GHG emissions at high resolution (expected launch in 2028).

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A major Dutch contribution to amongst others SDG 2, 6 and 15 was the Geodata for Agriculture and Water (G4AW) program: Space for Food Security. Through the G4AW program, commissioned by Ministry of Foreign Affairs and carried out by Netherlands Space Agency (NLSA), millions of smallholder food producers have been provided with advisory and/or financial services based on satellite and other (geo)data. Whereas GEO GEOGLAM informs governmental and institutional agencies on food security, G4AW services use Copernicus satellites and meteorological data to provide B2C and B2B2C solutions for smallholder food production. The G4AW program has ended. Service provision is continued and scaled. NLSA continues to support widespread adoption of digital agriculture solutions using EO for achieving food security. The legacy of the G4AW program with lessons learned publications on delivering user centric applications and business models is preserved on the NLSA-G4AW website. NLSA received an EO4SDG award in 2021. Research is continued in EU Safe4All project with Dutch partners Wageningen University, Climate Adaptation Services and Weather Impact.

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Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management is member of EO4SDG. In relation to improving its policy in improving water productivity in agriculture (SDG6), the Dutch government is funding since 2014 the Water Productivity Open-Access Portal (WaPOR), implemented and operated by FAO. The database provides information about water and land productivity that is openly available and for free. The data was initially made available for Africa and the MENA region at three different scales (at 250, 100 and 30 meter). In October 2023 WaPOR became available at global scale, and open scripts enable high-resolution implementation of this model at local scales. These data are used in national reporting e.g. for the SDG indicator “water efficiency in agriculture”, knowledge is shared amongst others via EO4SDG. Almost 100 uses cases are available in a catalog on FAO WaPOR website. FAO WaPOR received an EO4SDG award in 2023.

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In support of SDG6 and SDG16, the Dutch initiated Water, Peace and Security initiative, coordinated by IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, is designing innovative tools and services that can identify developing water-related security risks. These innovative tools and services are able to mobilize stakeholders and build capacity, facilitating action with developed comprehensive solutions through inclusive partnerships. This leads to evidence-based actions that allow risks to be addressed, and human insecurity prevented or mitigated.

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In support of SDG14 Deltares is contributing the GEO AquaWatch Initiative advocating for Quality Water for All. GEO AquaWatch has been a leader in the water quality science community by advancing best practices in aquatic remote sensing techniques. Through GEO's inspiration the partnership provided space for an Early Career Society, promoted their activities, and invited co-equal leadership of early career members in all aspects of our governance structure. Through collaboration with other global partners (GEO Indigenous Alliance, IAGLR, and UNEP's World Water Quality Alliance the partnership embraced the inclusion of indigenous knowledge on water quality and built a thriving MAGIK network in Australia.

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Via national and EC research projects Wageningen University and Research (WUR) and the ITC Faculty of the University of Twente and other organizations contribute(d) to amongst others GEOGLAM, GFOI and GEOBON initiatives for more than ten years. WUR contributes to GFOI from its early start. Some recent examples are Pan-tropical operation of RADD deforestation alerts (open access), the Congo Basin logging road mapping, and a contribution to European forest monitoring with a radar deforestation component as part of the EU Forwards project.

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The following activities are in in support of SDG13 and SDG15. Naturalis Biodiversity Center is partner in BIOFIN-EU and leads the development of the TRIVE toolkit that helps businesses measure how their activities affect biodiversity and ecosystems at specific locations. Opengeohub as an independent not-for-profit research foundation promotes Open Source and Open Data Solutions. There expertise lies in combining remote sensing with ground data for monitoring essential biodiversity variables at scale. In the EC project AI4SoilHealth they lead 18+ research and business partners in the production of harmonized EU-wide soil monitoring tools and services using the latest cutting-edge development in AI, remote/proximal sensing, and soil process modelling.

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Earth observation data are fundamental to map soil properties and monitor soil conditions in different ecological conditions. ISRIC — World Soil Information, a not for profit foundation based in Wageningen, The Netherlands, is actively using Earth observations for many soil products globally with SoilGrids and continentally in European wide maps for forest soils (Holisoils project), collaboration with project ESA WORLDSOILS and the cup4soil in collaboration with DLR (German Aerospace Centre).

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Contributing to SDG 6/11/13/14/15 at Delft University of Technology (DUT) satellite EO data (e.g. gravimetry, altimetry, microwave and optical remote sensing) are combined with in-situ data and modelling output to quantify essential climate indicators such as sea-level rise, vegetation health, water storage, and cryosphere change as well as monitoring of the built environment. This provides actionable information on water availability, coastal hazards, and ecosystem change, supporting climate services and early warning systems. EU projects include a.o. TEMBO Africa, EPIC-Africa.

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The Netherlands is involved in many GEO activities and is committed to continue its support to GEO.

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Harm van de Wetering

GEO Principal for the Netherlands

Netherlands Space Agency (NLSA)