Key S&T Programmes, Resources and Funding Mechanisms to develop GEOSS

Professor Stuart Marsh- UK STC Representative- Chair, IGOS Theme Leaders Group

Head of Spatial Geoscience TechnologiesBritish Geological Survey (NERC)Nottingham, UK, NG12 5GG

Task ST-09-01 Kick-off MeetingEC, Brussels, 29th July 2009

Integrated Global Observing Strategy Partnership (IGOS-P)– Ran for a decade as a predecessor to GEO focused on observing strategy

– Partners: UN & Space Agencies, Science Programmes & Funding Agencies, inc. Global Observing Systems (GCOS, GGOS, GOOS, GTOS, GOS-GAW)

– Included 8 Theme Teams, which wrote Theme Reports on 9 sub-strategies:

– Atmospheric Chemistry

– Carbon Cycle

– Coastal (including a separate report on Coral Reefs)

– Cryosphere

– Geohazards

– Land

– Oceans

– Water Cycle

– IGOS covers GEO SBAs well but in incomplete and “many-many” mapping

√ Disaster, Climate, Weather, Agriculture, Ecosystems, Biodiversity & Water

X Health & Energy are acknowledged gaps that IGOS didn’t get chance to do

– Implemented in GEO Tasks, CoP, Committees and networks outside GEO

S&T ProgrammesS&T Programmes

International Research Programmes & Science Partnerships– Main sponsors: International Council for Science, UN & Science Organisations

– Globally coordinated research programmes related directly to GEOSS include:

– World Climate Research Programme (WCRP)

– World Weather Research Programme (WWRP)

– International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP)

– International Human Dimensions Programme (IHDP)

– DIVERSITAS (an International Programme of Biodiversity Science)

– Earth System Science Partnership (ESSP), with 4 global research projects:

– Global Water System Project (GWSP)

– Global Carbon Project (GCP)

– Global Environmental Change and Food Systems (GECAFS)

– Global Environmental Change and Human Health (GEC&HH)

– Cover 7 of the 9 SBAs well but in an incomplete and “many-many” mapping

√ Health, Climate, Weather, Agriculture, Ecosystems, Biodiversity & Water

– Disasters: ICSU plans environmental hazards & disasters research programme

? Energy may be a gap in this international picture (perhaps covered elsewhere)

S&T ProgrammesS&T Programmes

Global Scientific Assessments & Strategies relevant to GEO– Developing more slowly than International Science Programmes, they include:

– Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

– Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion

– Millennium Ecosystem Assessment

– International Assessment of Agricultural Science & Technology

– World Water Assessment Programme

– Global Energy Assessment

– International Mechanism of Scientific Expertise on Biodiversity

– International Scientific Advisory Panel on Renewable Energies

– Cover 6 of the 9 SBAs well and are perhaps closer to a “one-one” mapping

√ Climate, Agriculture, Ecosystems, Biodiversity, Water and Energy

– Disasters are covered by the International Strategy on Disaster Reduction

– Other notable strategies and observing plans relevant to GEO include:

– GCOS Implementation Plan and strategies for WCRP, IGBP & ESSP

– Ocean Observations Panel for Climate (WMO/IOC)

– International Ocean Carbon Coordination Project

S&T ProgrammesS&T Programmes

Group on Earth Observations…?– Many hoped that GEO would bring politics and budgets. Has that happened?

European Commission Framework Programme– There are now a substantial number of FP projects directly targeting GEOe.g. African-European Geo-Resources Observation System (AEGOS CB-09-05d)– There are significant lines in the new ENVIRONMENT call out end-July 09e.g. ENV.2010.4.1.1-1 Supporting integration of EU & international R&D in GEO – There are GMES- related opportunities to fund EO services in SPACE callse.g. SPA.2010.1.1-01 Stimulating development of downstream GMES services– There are other EC programmes ready to consider supporting GEO activitiese.g. eContent Plus funds OneGeology Europe (part of OneGeology DA-09-03c)e.g. Cooperation on Science & Technology (COST) is funding GEO some work

National Science Foundation– There are open call opportunities to fund GEO projects but far less targeting– We need to gather information e.g. what relevant activity is already funded?

Other Regions and Global Calls– We need to gather the information e.g. are there World Bank opportunities?– GEO is about global observations; big challenge is to achieve global action!

Funding MechanismsFunding Mechanisms