1. AmeriGEOSS: A regional initiative between GEO’s 15 member countries and Americas’ participating organizations Nancy Searby/NASA Overview May 25, 2015

2. Presentation Objective
CEOS and USGEO are members of GEO, and participate in GEO regional initiatives
AmeriGEOSS is a new initiative with the 15 nations who are members of the Americas Caucus as well as participating organizations
Identified priority: Disaster risk reduction, particularly for data exchange, associated with early warnings and for the generation of regional products of early warnings
We need to work together to identify the most pressing needs and develop plans that can leverage this workshop, CEOS disaster pilots, CEOS and GEO capacity building and other disaster-related activities

3. GEOSS in the Americas There are 15 members of the Americas Caucus:
Argentina
Bahamas
Belize
Brazil
Canada
Chile
Colombia
Costa Rica
Ecuador
Honduras
Mexico
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
United States
Participating organizations include Sistema e la Integracion Centroamerica’s Central American Commission on Environment and Development (CCAD), CATHALAC, CEOS, others
Additional potential member countries: Bolivia, Caribbean, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Nicaragua, Suriname, Uruguay, Venezuela
Potential additional participating regional governments, institutions

4. GEOSS in the Americas Three GEOSS in the Americas Symposia were held:
Brazil – 2007
Biodiversity, ecosystems, and agriculture
Public health observation systems in the Americas
Earth Observations for coastal management
GEOSS architecture and access in the Americas
Panama – 2008
Regional environmental information systems and tools
GEOSS common infrastructure
Regional programs and opportunities
GEO work plan, future activities, outcomes and next steps
Chile – 2011
Agricultural monitoring
Water resource management
Geological hazards
Hydrometeorological hazards

5. Water Task – Component 5
Comunidad para la Información Espacial e Hidrográfica en Latinoamérica y el Caribe (CIEHLYC)
Working group of GEOSS in the Americas
International network of water and remote-sensing experts from governments and academia in the Americas and in the Caribbean.
Formed in 2009 to promote and support GEOSS implementation activities in the Societal Benefit Area for Water (including Oceans) through collaborations among members, and capacity building in the use of earth observations
Managed by three regional coordinators from Canada, U.S./Colombia, and Chile.
2011- Colombia is welcomed as a GEO member. Collaboration: GEO Secretariat – IDEAM – CIEHLYC.
Water Cycle Capacity-Building Workshop (hands-on training). Cartagena, Colombia. Collaboration: Escuela Naval de Colombia-NOAA- GEO Secretariat – CIEHLYC.
2013- Application of NASA Earth Observations for Assessing Potential Water Availability from Andean Snowpack for Use in Agricultural Water Allocation Planning in the Coquimbo Region of Chile. Collaboration: NASA-CIREN-CIEHLYC- Common Wealth of Virginia Government.
2014/15 – Monthly webinars on Earth-Observations projects and applications by Latin-American managers and scientists. Collaboration: GEO-Secretariat – CIEHLYC.
Presentations cover remote sensing and in-situ monitoring of fresh water and Oceans. 

6. GEOSS in Americas Events
GEO CIEHLYC Webinars
monthly
USGEO GEOSS in Americas Coordination Group meeting
GFOI SilvaCarbon Workshop (INPE, Brazil)
Mar 14-18, 2015
2nd GEO/CIEHLYC water cycle capacity building workshop (Cartagena, Colombia)
May , 2015
GEO Americas Caucus telecons
As scheduled
CEOS SRTM-2 Workshop (CRECTEALC, Puebla, Mexico)
May 25-29, 2015
SELPER International (Lencois-Bahia-Brazil)
Sep 8-13, 2015
Latin America Geospatial Forum, GEO-Agri, UNGGIM, and GEO-XII (Mexico City, Mexico)
Nov 11-13, 2015

7. Americas Caucus Oct 2014 Meeting
Americas Caucus meeting, hosted in Bogota by Americas Caucus Chair Dr. Franco/IDEAM, built relationships between Caucus members and identified areas of mutual interest for increased regional engagement in GEO – AmeriGEOSS:
Agriculture, associated with climate variability, climate change, and food security
Disaster risk reduction, particularly for data exchange associated with early warnings and for the generation of regional products of early warnings
Water, associated with the management approach of water resources and data management
Ecosystem Monitoring
Specific activities to improve information systems and technical exchange were identified, including communities of practice, activities to strengthen national capacities, webinars/technical seminars
The “Declaration of the Americas Caucus Reunion” was shared at the GEO-XI Plenary’s Americas Caucus and was accepted with the suggestion to broaden “AmeriGEOSS” to also include ongoing activities that are working well, e.g. GFOI/Silva Carbon
Mexican Principal identified opportunity to synergize with UNGGIM activity

8. GEOSS in Americas Activities
Capacity building monthly webinars through Comunidad para la Informacion Espacial e Hidrografica en Latino America y el Caribe (CIEHLYC).
Coordination of Architecture Implementation Pilot (AIP-7) Projects
NASA-DEVELOP / IDEAM : Expansion of the Flood Vulnerability Index for the Hydrological Information System  (SIRH) – Colombia
NASA/SNIT/SAF/ :Testing of Registration of Chilean Web Services Related to the GEO Societal Benefit Areas – Chile
Brigham Young University/IDEAM : Hydroserver – Colombia
Collaboration: NASA-DEVELOP/CIREN : Application of NASA Earth Observations for Assessing Potential Water Availability from Andean Snowpack for Use in Agricultural Water Allocation Planning, Chile. Tool transitioned October 14 – 15, 2014
Other DEVELOP projects with Costa Rica, Mexico
Engaging members in International Disaster Charter, e.g., recent call from Costa Rica to request receipt of satellite data after volcano Turrialba erupted

9. Thematic Priorities Identified for Future Planning
Agriculture, associated with climate variability, climate change, and food security
Disaster risk reduction, particularly for data exchange associated with early warnings and for the generation of regional products of early warnings
Water, associated with the management approach of water resources and data management
Ecosystem Monitoring
Specific activities to improve information systems and technical exchange were identified, including communities of practice, activities to strengthen national capacities, webinars/technical seminars
These are in addition to activities working well, e.g. SilvaCarbon

10. Next Steps
Developing plans to contribute to thematic priorities
Working to define how the initiative will function, leveraging AfriGEOSS’s work
Documenting plans in a document for GEO review in September timeframe
Presenting initiative at GEO-XII November 11 – 13, 2015 in Mexico City, Mexico
Planning related side event(s) just prior to GEO-XII
Will be opportunity for detailed presentations at the Latin American Geospatial Forum being held at the same time as GEO-XII

11. Request for Prioritizing Needs
Identified thematic priority: Disaster risk reduction, particularly for:
Data exchange, associated with early warnings
The generation of regional products of early warnings
What else?
Most pressing needs?
Work already underway we can leverage?
Ideas for plans moving forward?

12. Thanks! Angelica Gutierrez, angelica.gutierrez@noaa.gov
Nancy Searby,