INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION SUBGROUPINTERNATIONAL COOPERATION SUBGROUP

Co-chairs: Co-chairs: Harlan Watson (USA)Harlan Watson (USA)

John Zillman (Australia)John Zillman (Australia)Patricio Bernal (IOC)Patricio Bernal (IOC)

GOAL

• Defining a ten year plan for the Defining a ten year plan for the establishment of a establishment of a Comprehensive, Comprehensive, Coordinated and Sustained Earth Coordinated and Sustained Earth observation System or Systemsobservation System or Systems

(CCS-EOSS), insuring its long term (CCS-EOSS), insuring its long term sustainability.sustainability.

ISSUE 1: UNIVERSAL MANDATE

• Paragraphs 36a, 37, Paragraphs 36a, 37, 38, 132 and 133 38, 132 and 133 WSSD Plan of WSSD Plan of ImplementationImplementation

• The G8 Evian The G8 Evian declaration declaration

• Global Conventions:Global Conventions:UNFCC, UNFCC, DesertificationDesertificationBiodiversityBiodiversityVienna Convention Vienna Convention

(Ozone)(Ozone)

• Other ConventionsOther ConventionsUNCLOSUNCLOS

Ramsar Ramsar

London MARPOLLondon MARPOL

GPA (Washington)GPA (Washington)

Disaster Disaster PreventionPrevention

SOLASSOLAS

ISSUE 2: INCLUSIVENESS

• According to the Mandates, the According to the Mandates, the mechanism chosen must be one mechanism chosen must be one that, that, benefiting from the lead from benefiting from the lead from those specialist communities and those specialist communities and organizationsorganizations, can at the same time , can at the same time seek and obtain the support and seek and obtain the support and active engagement of all nations.active engagement of all nations.

• In particular, must be such as to In particular, must be such as to ensure that the developing ensure that the developing countries are fully involved and countries are fully involved and enabled to benefit to the full from enabled to benefit to the full from its successful implementation.its successful implementation.

ISSUE 3: Level at which Int.coop.will take place

•The GEO ministerial group The GEO ministerial group has called upon both has called upon both nations and organizations nations and organizations to join in the effort.to join in the effort.

Int.Coordination Needs:Coordination is needed among:

• NationalNational focifoci (planning and implementation) (planning and implementation)• Sponsoring international organizationsSponsoring international organizations of GOS of GOS

(or other EO efforts);(or other EO efforts);• Component Component national and international national and international

programs;programs;• Funding and implementing agenciesFunding and implementing agencies of of

participating countries; participating countries; • In the In the formulation of scientific and technical formulation of scientific and technical

adviceadvice for the design and development, and for the design and development, and• National and international National and international system providerssystem providers

and and users communitiesusers communities [?] [?]

Existing Coordination Mechanisms 1

Among countriesAmong countries, , UN Specialized Agencies and Programmes managing or UN Specialized Agencies and Programmes managing or

sponsoring the development of Global Observing Systems: sponsoring the development of Global Observing Systems: The World Meteorological Organization (WMO); The World Meteorological Organization (WMO); Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO); Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO); UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and

Cultural Organization),Cultural Organization), Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of

UNESCO, UNESCO, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP); United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP); World Health Organization (WHO) World Health Organization (WHO) Other International organizations global and regional Other International organizations global and regional

involved in Earth Observations (ESA, EUMETSAT, GMES ?).involved in Earth Observations (ESA, EUMETSAT, GMES ?).

Existing Coordination Mechanisms 2

Intergovernmental Coordination MechanismsIntergovernmental Coordination Mechanisms Intergovernmental Panel for the Global Ocean Observing System Intergovernmental Panel for the Global Ocean Observing System

I-GOOS; I-GOOS; WMO-IOC Joint Technical Commission for Oceanography and WMO-IOC Joint Technical Commission for Oceanography and

Marine Meteorology (JCOMM);Marine Meteorology (JCOMM);

  

Of scientific or technical advice:Of scientific or technical advice: GCOS Steering Committee (GCOS-SC),GCOS Steering Committee (GCOS-SC), Atmosphere Observations Panel for Climate (AOPC), Atmosphere Observations Panel for Climate (AOPC), GOOS Scientific Committee, GOOS Scientific Committee, Ocean Observations Panel for Climate (OOPC), Ocean Observations Panel for Climate (OOPC), Terrestrial Observations Panel for Climate (TOPC) Terrestrial Observations Panel for Climate (TOPC)

Existing Coordination Mechanisms 3 Among provider and user communities: Among provider and user communities:

WMO Commission for Basic Systems (CBS), WMO Commission for Basic Systems (CBS), WMO-IOC JCOMM, WMO-IOC JCOMM, EUROGOOS and other GOOS Regional Alliances, EUROGOOS and other GOOS Regional Alliances, GMES (?)GMES (?)

Best Efforts International OrganizationsBest Efforts International Organizations: : Integrated Global Observing Strategy Partnership (IGOS-P), Integrated Global Observing Strategy Partnership (IGOS-P), Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS), Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS), International Steering Committee for Global Mapping (ISCGM), International Steering Committee for Global Mapping (ISCGM),

among othersamong others..

Among national funding and implementingAmong national funding and implementingagenciesagencies: :

International Group of Funding Agencies (IGFA); etc.International Group of Funding Agencies (IGFA); etc.

 

…The Challenge

““to find a route to develop inclusiveness, to find a route to develop inclusiveness, whilst maintaining an effective executive whilst maintaining an effective executive capability that carries the confidence of capability that carries the confidence of all. This is not an easy target but needs to all. This is not an easy target but needs to be addressed in the early stages of the be addressed in the early stages of the GEO process.”GEO process.”

OPTIONS 1:

A.A. Creation of a new international Creation of a new international intergovernmental organization (UN or non-intergovernmental organization (UN or non-UN) …from scratch…UN) …from scratch…

B.B. A new UN specialized agency dealing with A new UN specialized agency dealing with Earth Observations by… a collage of pieces of Earth Observations by… a collage of pieces of existing ones…existing ones…

C.C. Establishment of an overarching Establishment of an overarching intergovernmental mechanism for intergovernmental mechanism for coordinating the relevant activities …a la coordinating the relevant activities …a la IPCCIPCC

OPTIONS 2:

  D.D. Establishment of a Establishment of a joint subsidiary GEO joint subsidiary GEO

intergovernmental coordination bodyintergovernmental coordination body by the by the existing intergovernmental organizations existing intergovernmental organizations sponsoring or co-sponsoring Earth sponsoring or co-sponsoring Earth Observation Systems. Observation Systems. Initial GEO countries and National Initial GEO countries and National Organizations, as designated by their Organizations, as designated by their respective Governments, become integral part respective Governments, become integral part of this mechanism.of this mechanism.

OPTIONS 3:

E.E. At least in the initial steps of the GEO process,At least in the initial steps of the GEO process, a a variant of D has been suggested almost as a variant of D has been suggested almost as a “zero-order option”: Keep GEO as it is today “zero-order option”: Keep GEO as it is today and use an existing mechanism, like IGOS-P, and use an existing mechanism, like IGOS-P, with the goal of supporting the evolution of with the goal of supporting the evolution of GEO towards full alignment with the GEO towards full alignment with the alternative outlined in (D)alternative outlined in (D)

OPTIONS SUMMARY:

The options to choose depend on the The options to choose depend on the level of evolution and progress of the level of evolution and progress of the process itself: process itself: Move soon out of the spiral Move soon out of the spiral of diminishing returns.of diminishing returns.

Progress need the real support of some Progress need the real support of some structure: structure: Move the process out of the VV: Move the process out of the VV: Voluntary and Virtual.Voluntary and Virtual.

Effectiveness requires: Effectiveness requires: flexible flexible functionality and clear benchmarking.functionality and clear benchmarking.

Equatorial Pacific OceanSea-level from Altimetry during El Niño 1997-98

INITIAL GOOS FOR THE PACIFIC OCEAN

Yellow dots: Tide gauges (Sea-level); Red dots: Moored Buoys (T.S 2000 m); Blue lines: Ships of Opportunity (XBT’s and pCO2)

Profiling Autonomous Floats

These are oceanic analogues to radiosondes used in operational Meteorology.Parked at 2000 m,they ascend to the surface collecting a high precision profile of the density structure of the upper layers of the ocean.

Argo floats: