GEO Summit 2015 Ministers engagement

Discussion document

Discussion document-possible content EOs as enabling component to achieve sustainable development (this has already been recognized in several instances, GEO was established to respond to the call made on 2002 by the WSSD). –Compelling examples with clear description of impacts/benefits in all the three SD “pillar-domains”, environmental, social, economic Recall GEO vision, GEO supports SD, SDGs are taken as the holistic reference for GEO action. –What GEO should do (or, better, what GEO stakeholders should do, working together within the GEO framework), how, and what relationship with UN. Options for shaping GEO global initiative(s)/flagship(s) in direct support of SDGs implementation –Definition and monitoring of SDG indicators (also role in “standardizing” the approach to environmental monitoring) –Support implementation, demonstrations and continous monitoring at national level

Discussion document-possible content Implementation of GEO Core functions. EOs continuity and improvement. New observations and priorities. GEOSS functions, architecture, services, implementation options and operational scenarios. National (and regional) coordination as a key commitment. Economic implications (scenarios) 1.Needed Resources 2.Funding sources 3.Impact on the economy

Discussion document development MIN-WG defines the purpose of the document and its content (via an annotated Table of contents) MIN-WG asks caucuses to fill in content and integrates inputs in a first issue to be presented to ExCom in July 2015 A second iteration takes place between mid July and mid September (caucuses + Principals ?) Final document released by MIN-WG by end of September

Showcases and other proposals

Link GEO to the ongoing global processes The main but non-exhaustive references are WCDRR, Sustainable development Goals, and UNFCCC COP 21. The MIN-WG may want to provide a note to GEO Principals asking for specific actions to ensure that GEO is mentioned in the resulting agreements and that is visible within each GEO Member’s internal process aimed at addressing the global events (this also improving GEO political relevance within each Member. (This process worked quite well for the Sendai conference, with involvement of GEO principals and permanent missions in Geneva). Examples are suggestions of specific language addressing EO (and GEO) to be included in global agreements, encouraging GEO focused side events, providing specific material for internal briefings. The key actors are the GEO Members with the Secretariat playing a coordinating and facilitating role.

3 Proposals from HP Plag (1) 1. Two or more children from different continents speak to the minsters about the future they want. We often speak about the future we want for them, and it would be very good to hear from them what they want. Proposals 2 and 3 are related to the "cost of uncertainty," which could be the theme for the Ministerial: "Reducing the cost of uncertainty through observations and knowledge" or "The next GEOSS: providing knowledge and helping to reduce the costs of uncertainty.” Two potential showcases related to this are: 2. There are studies that show the cost of uncertainty resulting primarily from the fact that uncertainty often lead to inaction, unpreparedness, and to much higher costs during extreme events or changes. In many cases, the costs for the observations required to reduce the uncertainties are marginal. As mentioned before, one such examples could demonstrate to the minister very high benefits to cost ration of reducing the uncertainty through more and focused observations.

3 Proposals from HP Plag (2) 3. A second showcase could be used to demonstrate existing uncertainties and the potentially high economic and social costs that could result from not having certainty in a timely manner. Here I would like to propose the case of a pandemic in the marine biosphere. The recent example of the epidemic among sea stars mainly along the West Coast of the U.S. has been reported in the press extensively and noted by many. I spoke to marine biologists who are experts in infectious diseases, and they confirmed that a pandemic eliminating a large fraction of commercial species that are central to food security could happen. If such an event would emerge in the near future, the current observation system would most like indicate the event and provide some level of certainty at a very late stage of the event with little options to impact the pandemic and/or to restore food security through increased food production on land. There is a NSF-funded Research Coordination Network (RCN) in the U.S. focusing on marine infectious diseases. The scientists involved would be capable and willing to produce a showcase demonstrating the economic and social costs that could result from knowing too late that a large epidemic or pandemic is taking place. If we decided to look closer into this, then I could help to establish the contact to the RCN.