Fifth Asia-Oceania workshop accelerates action for local needs

The fifth Asia-Oceania Group on Earth Observations (AOGEO) Workshop took place in Beijing and online from June 15-17, 2022.

The theme this year was Harmony and Empowerment—Accelerate Action and Development for Local Needs. Participants discussed the progress of the Integrated Priority Study (IPS) project, which is responding to regional demand for Earth observation data to support climate change mitigation and adaptation, disaster risk reduction and sustainable development. The agenda also featured cases studies and technical advances in addressing urban resilience and human settlements, emerging technical exchange and practice from early career scientists and the outcomes of capacity building efforts.

The workshop concluded with the adoption of 2022 AOGEO Announcement, which is available on the workshop’s website, along with speakers’ bios and presentations.

The workshop brought together more than 130 delegates from various research institutes, universities in 16 countries and multiple international organizations in the Asia-Oceania region. In addition, more than 500 people watched the broadcast through the live broadcast platform of Journal of Remote Sensing, a well-known journal in China’s remote sensing community.

The IPS session highlighted progress made and experiences from the use of Earth observation applications in IPS activities in the Himalayan Mountains region and Pacific Islands region. It investigated the obstacles and solutions to progress IPS.

Nexus sessions provided a platform for AOGEO task groups and IPS working groups to share progress on Earth observations and their applications, and exchange ideas about how to bring capacity building, urban resilience and human settlements, and youth engagement, into all aspects of AOGEO work.

This workshop was organized by National Remote Sensing Center of China (NRSCC), with support from the GEO Secretariat and the Aerospace Information Research Institute (AIR) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

AOGEO is responsible for coordinating different stakeholders and activities that focus on regional needs and promoting GEO engagement priorities in the Asia-Oceania region. The AOGEO workshop (formerly the International AOGEOSS Conference) provides a forum for Asia-Oceania region to exchange scientific and technical views on Earth observations and their applications, and for the global community to hear about the progress of AOGEO.