Title: I G O L Integrated Global Observations of the Land A proposed theme to the IGOSPartnership
1I G O LIntegrated Global Observations of the
LandA proposed theme to the IGOS-Partnership
2IGOS Themes
- Process for developing themes
- Form a group of interested partners and
internationally recognized experts - Consult user communities to define needs and
products - Assess current status of observations
- Identify gaps in coverage and actions required
- Theme content
- Objectives
- Roles and responsibilities
- Milestones
- Evaluation criteria
- Level of effort required
3IGOS Themes
- Oceans - Coral reefs sub-theme
Under implementation
- Carbon - Water - Geohazards
Ready for implementation
Advanced development
- Atmospheric chemistry - Coastal
Under development
4The Need for a Land Theme
- IGOS-P has not yet considered the observational
needs relating to many aspects of the land - Sustainable economic development
- Natural resources management
- Conservation and biodiversity
- Climate change and its impacts
- Ecosystems
- Functioning
- Services
- Biogeochemical cycling
- Multilateral environmental agreements
- development, implementation mandatory reporting
and monitoring.
- The World Summit on Sustainable Development
pointed to the need to "Promote the development
and wider use of earth observation technologies,
including satellite remote sensing, global
mapping and geographic information systems, to
collect quality data on environmental impacts,
land use and land -use changes.
5Stake-holders
- International organizations (FAO, UNEP and WMO)
- International intergovernmental actions (e.g. G8
sustainable forest management programs) - Scientific community
- Environmental Conventions secretariats,
international development and aid agencies and
NGOs - General public
6Deciding what to include and not include
Realistic chance of being implemented
Global scale or the local benefit from global
scale
IGOS-P can help
Spatially disaggrega-ted
Case has been made in IGOS-P documents
7The Main Components of a Land Theme
- Land Cover and Land Use
- Human settlement and population
- Managed ecosystems
- Agriculture, pastoralism, forestry
- Natural ecosystems
- Conservation, biodiversity, sustainable use.
- Soils
- Biogeochemical cycles
- Elevation
8Central role of Land Cover and Remote Sensing in
the Land theme
- Reliable knowledge of land cover and land cover
change is central to most aspects of a Land
Theme. - Remote sensing with selected in situ data
collection has the potential to provide such
information both locally regionally and globally.
9Roles and responsibilities
- International coordination mechanisms for
observations - FAO (especially GTOS),UNEP, UNESCO, WMO
- Scientific research
- IGBP, WCRP, IHDP
- Remotely sensed data and derived products
- Space agencies some activities now operational
e.g. through NPOESS, most still research
instruments only. - Note that land observations are not well
coordinated in many areas need for improved
mechanisms
10Evaluation Criteria (preliminary)
- To be fully developed once the final scope of the
IGOL activity is defined. - Identification of the specific contributions to
the programs of IGOS-P partners if the
recommendations are adopted. - Specific recommendations for improvements in
space-borne observations (including improved
continuity). Better understanding by CEOS
members of land requirements that can be
satisfied with improved space-based observations.
- Improved international coordination for the
assembly and exchange of terrestrial in situ
observations.
11Rationale
- Increasing consensus to include in IGOS an
integrated approach to land needs' observations - Reliable observations of the terrestrial
environment - Climate change and its impacts,
- Sustainable economic development, natural
resources management, conservation, biodiversity - Ecosystems and biogeochemical cycling
- Development, implementation and monitoring of a
number of multilateral environmental agreements - Vast quantities of observations but lack of
international coordination and standardization of
observations - Country-by-country and region-by-region
comparisons difficult - Hindering reliable overall understanding of land
processes at a global scale
12Work Plan
- 5 Assume acceptance at May IGOS-P Meeting
- 6-7 Revise proposal as needed following guidance
at IGOS-P meeting. Seek input more widely from
partners. Generate revised draft and circulate
to Team members - 8-9 Initial meeting of Team. Scope each of the
main bullets targeting the highest priority
observations. Decide if sub-teams and extra
expertise needed. Sub-Teams likely would be
virtual with no face-to-face meetings. - 9-11 Comprehensive assessment of official
existing requirements by area. Draft statement of
requirements - 1 2nd Theme Team Meeting to assess balance
between requirements and capabilities. Outline
needed enhancements. - 2-4 Prepare first draft of enhancements required
(3 months) - 5 Writing group meets to decide on final report
outline - 5-6 Prepare first draft of report (3months).
- 8 Internal review by Theme Team
- 9 Final meeting of Theme Team to finalize report
- 10 Seek external review
- 11 Prepare final document (1 month).
- 12 Submit Theme Team Report.
2004
2005
13Milestones
- September 2004 Agreement by Theme Team on
precise scope of IGOL including any phasing - January 2004 First preliminary statement of
needed enhancements - July 2005 1st Draft of report
- December 2005 Submission of final report.
14Resources
- The theme will only happen if some Partners (or
members of Partners in the case of CEOS) are
willing to put forward some realistic resources - Allocation of time of employees
- Some support of any non-agency personnel
- Coordination support (say 0.5 FTE for 18 months)
- Meeting costs
- Printing costs of report
15Proposed preliminary membership
- J. R. Townshend (GOFC/GOLD, GTOS)
- Dennis Ojima (IGBP)
- Alan Belward (GCOS)
- Christiana Schmullius (GOFC/GOLD)
- Jeff Tschirley (FAO)
- Olivier Arino (ESA)
- Chris Justice (GOFC/GOLD)
- Tony Janetos (Heinz Center)
- John Latham (GTOS)
- Timo Maukonen (UNEP)
- Roberta Balstad Miller (CIESEN)
- Jay Feuquay (USGS)
- Jiyuan LIU (CAS)
16Acknowledgments
- Thanks to the following for advice and
contributions to the proposals preparation - Alan Belward, Steve Briggs, David Williams, Jeff
Tschirley, John Latham, Paul Reichert, Roberta
Balstad Miller, Olivier Arino