As humanity exceeds the planet’s capacity to sustain us, the measurement capabilities offered by Earth observation satellites will play an increasingly important role in understanding, monitoring, managing and mitigating key Earth System processes. This is true on a global scale – in support of far-sighted attempts to improve global environmental governance, and on regional and national scales – as countries adapt competitively to shrinking reserves of natural resources, and to the basic needs of expanding populations.
Without these capabilities we would have insufficient information for future Earth System sciences studies, which depend on data-intensive computer models, we would have insufficient evidence with which to inform our decision-making on policies aimed at sustainable development, and we would have no way of checking the effectiveness of our adaptation strategies in terms of the trends of key global environmental parameters. Earth-based measurement systems alone cannot provide the synoptic global picture which is required.
Around 170 Earth observation satellite missions (hosting over 340 different observing instruments) are being funded by the world’s space agencies in the coming years in response to the most pressing Earth System information needs – as expressed by the international, science, policy, and operational monitoring communities. These missions also respond to more immediate needs in relation to a variety of economic, social, and environmental concerns, including: weather services, agricultural efficiency and yield optimisation, fisheries management, mapping, hazard monitoring and disaster response, ship routing and safety, national security, pollution monitoring, resource exploration and protection, urban planning, insurance business support, and others.
CEOS is recognized internationally as having the responsibility for the coordination and planning of government-funded Earth observation satellite missions. The scale of the information demand, and the scale of the planned information supply (involving satellite programmes of more than 30 countries), makes such coordination an increasingly complex, but increasingly essential undertaking if we are to maximise the transfer of benefits to society and ensure supply of vital Earth System information for current and future generations.
To achieve this goal, within the framework of the proposed GEOSS, CEOS and its partners will face a number of challenges:
Accelerating the transition from science-focused missions to operational services: Many Earth observation satellite programmes, even those providing vital information on long term climate indicators and trends, are still derived from research projects – and as such lack access to continuity and stability in funding and staffing. Only by being seen to provide operational, essential services to society – such as those provided by satellite meteorology – can future programmes ensure appropriate consideration in government planning processes. This operational status, whereby information is provided on a routine and long term basis without interruption, is now being demanded by a broader range of user groups, including those involved in ocean monitoring, ozone and UV monitoring, carbon cycle studies, pollution alerting, and food security, amongst others.
Improved optimisation of the overall observation strategy: Despite the best efforts of both the space and in-situ observations communities, the current observation networks and future plans remain far from ideal. Large parts of the globe are under-sampled; there is substantial redundancy in some observations resulting from lack of coordination; and entire topics of vital interest to society are missing crucial observations taken on a sustained basis. The IGOS Partnership has demonstrated that an integrated observation strategy is both more effective and more efficient than stand-alone strategies. More specific coordination will be essential in the coming decades, linked to the early planning and financing processes of individual countries and agencies. This coordination must include: mechanisms for strengthened links between satellite and in-situ observation systems; more multi-use Earth observation systems, derived from co-ordination of requirements of different user communities in order to exploit efficiencies in their synergies and commonalities; and creative mechanisms for sharing costs and benefits so that all countries – large or small, developed or developing – might contribute to, and participate in, a global cooperative effort, in ways which, individually, many nations might otherwise be unable to achieve or justify.
Increased uptake and utilisation of Earth observation data for maximum overall benefit: It is a fact that much more data is collected than used by those who need it, because it is hard or costly to access, or may be in a form that is difficult to interpret, compare with existing sources, or is of uncertain quality. CEOS has identified improved data utilisation as a future priority for action, including: enhancing data delivery systems to ensure optimal access; new mechanisms and technical means for data sharing and exchange; improving our ability to compare and integrate different data sources so as to maximise their utility; provision of supporting education, training and capacity building to guarantee the necessary expertise for data exploitation.
Ensuring continuity of future observations: None of the above actions are meaningful without a fundamental commitment to continuation of observations at an acceptable level of accuracy and coverage. The IPCC predicts that, should the current decline in observational networks continue, we may have less information on the Earth System in future decades than in the final decades of the 20th century. Recognising the need for coordination of Earth observation satellite programmes, CEOS will aim to ensure continuity, consistency, and inter-comparability of the priority measurements throughout the coming decades – consistent with the requirements of climate studies for trend monitoring and change detection.
UNEP’s Living Planet Index – a measure of biodiversity changes in different ecosystems since 1970
Strengthening partnerships between observation planners and global environmental governance frameworks: International political will is a prerequisite to any successful solution to global environmental issues which span political borders. Although international cooperation on environmental issues is still in its infancy, progress on major issues is being achieved. However, public concern over man-made climate change will demand further progress during the 21st century – especially on managing fossil fuel emissions and the global carbon cycle. Providing the information required by decision-makers who represent our countries in the legal and political processes that develop international policies, and by the agencies which monitor compliance and impact of these policies, must be a priority for future observation programmes, including those of CEOS and its Members. CEOS will therefore seek to strengthen partnerships with relevant global environmental governance bodies as they develop, including: those with responsibility for implementation of the GEOSS 10-year Plan; the secretariats of international treaties and conventions relating to Earth’s environment and sustainable development (such as the UNFCCC, and the UN Commission for Sustainable Development (CSD); the IPCC, recognized as the main source of assessment advice to these bodies) – to ensure that future satellite missions reflect their priorities for Earth System information.
The progress of the GEO initiative of the last two years has elevated political awareness of, and participation in, international cooperation in the planning of future Earth observations to meet society’s needs. CEOS has 20 years experience as an Earth observation international coordination body and provides GEOSS with a ready-made and proven mechanism for coordination of space agencies and their programmes.
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