“Following the Vision for GEO 2025, the proposed key areas of activity for the next decade are:

2. “Following the Vision for GEO 2025, the proposed key areas of activity for the next decade are: 1) Advocate for the value of Earth observations and the need to continue improving Earth observation worldwide; 2) Urge the adoption and implementation of data sharing principles globally; 3) Advance the development of the GEOSS information system for the benefit of users; 4) Develop a comprehensive interdisciplinary knowledge base defining and documenting observations needed for all disciplines and facilitate availability and accessibility of these observations to user communities; and 5) Cultivate global initiatives tailored to meet specific user needs.”

3. Ministerial Guidance 2014: Fourth key area of activity: “Develop a comprehensive interdisciplinary knowledge base defining and documenting observations needed for all disciplines and facilitate availability and accessibility of these observations to user communities.” Hans-Peter Plag1 and Stefano Nativi2 1) IEEE, Mitigation and Adaptation Research Institute (MARI) Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Va, USA 2) Earth and Space Informatics laboratory National Research Council of Italy Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research March 23, 2015

4. “Develop a comprehensive interdisciplinary knowledge base defining and documenting observations needed for all disciplines and facilitate availability and accessibility of these observations to user communities.” - a “comprehensive knowledge base” - how to define and document “observations needed” - “... for all disciplines ...” - facilitate “availability and accessibility” - linking to “user communities” First results for the next Ministerial Summit Goal: Feedback on how we interpret the ministerial guidance

5. Information Needs Defining models and tools based on information needs Defining observations based on information needs Stakeholder Driven GEOSS GEO, 2005. 10-YIP Reference Document.

6. “... defining and documenting observations needed for all disciplines” ... needed for all disciplines to do/achieve what? What are the goals? - scientific disciplines: create new knowledge; monitor the environment, assess state and trends, predict; - societal disciplines: enable sustainable development - GEO: Societal Benefit Areas; Strategic Targets - Ministers: Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

7. 19 Focus Areas Griggs et al. (2013): 6 SDGs: 1 Thriving lives and livelihoods 2 Sustainable food security 3 Secure sustainable water 4 Universal clean energy 5 Healthy and productive ecosystems 6 Governance for sustainable societies Griggs et al., 2013

9. SDG Indicators The purpose of SDG indicators is twofold. First, an indicator should be a management tool, to help countries develop implementation and monitoring strategies for achieving the SDGs and to monitor progress. Second, an indicator is a report card, to measure progress towards achieving a target and ensure the accountability of governments to their citizens. This will require: • Investing in national statistical systems, household surveys, remote sensing, and Big Data; • Identifying areas where statistical standards are currently lacking and asking the statistical community to develop them in the future; • Thinking in terms of the measurement instruments that each country should have in place (e.g. vital statistics, censuses, surveys, national accounts, administrative records, Big Data); and • Specifying the quality requirements (e.g. frequency of data-collection, timeliness of releases, geographical detail, common set of variables available for cross-classification purposes).

12. Defining observations needed Knowledge about Applications, Activities, Tools, ... Goals Targets - rules - models Knowledge about Users, Benefits, - human interactions (e.g., surveys) Indicators GEO’s Contribution Essential Variables (URR) Inference Engine SEE IN Knowledge Base Observational Requirements 3rd GEOSS S&T Stakeholder Workshop Socio-Economic and Environmental Information Needs Knowledge Base

13. Other goals: For example, “safeguarding Earth’s life-support system;” based on Griggs et al. (2013): sustainable development is a “Development that meets the needs of the present while safeguarding Earth’s life-support system, on which the welfare of current and future generations depends.” Potential Indicators: Planetary health indicators From http://www.economy4humanity.org GEOSS the “lab” for patient Earth ...

14. Other goals: For example, Documenting “global change” <--Anthropocene ?? Potential Indicators: <---Holocene---> Change indicators GEOSS the “archive” for the future ...

15. Other goals: For example, “Safe operating space for humanity;” Rockström et al. (2009) Potential Indicators: Planetary boundary indicators GEOSS the planetary cockpit ...

16. General Blue Print for top-down approach: • For each set of goals, we can agree on targets • For targets, we can develop a metrics based on indicators • For indicators, we can identify “essential variables” needed to quantify • the indicators Other Blue Prints for bottom-up approaches to be developed

17. Defining observations needed - rules - models - human interactions (e.g., surveys) Knowledge about Applications, Activities, Tools, ... Goals Targets Knowledge about Users, Benefits, Indicators EVs Providing environmental intelligence - Rules - models - human interactions (e.g., research) Inference Engine SEE IN KB Observational Requirements Gap Analysis Earth observation systems, data, and services Inference Engine GEOSS Knowledge Base

18. “Develop a comprehensive interdisciplinary knowledge base defining and documenting observations needed for all disciplines and facilitate availability and accessibility of these observations to user communities.” “Develop a comprehensive interdisciplinary knowledge base defining and documenting observations needed for all disciplines and facilitate availability and accessibility of these observations to user communities.” “... to user communities”: Who are the user communities? “... these observations ...”: Observations or knowledge/ environmental intelligence? “... availability and accessibility ...”: How should this be accessible?

19. Following the Vision for GEO 2025, the proposed key areas of activity for the next decade are: 1) Advocate for the value of Earth observations and the need to continue improving Earth observation worldwide; 2) Urge the adoption and implementation of data sharing principles globally; 3) Advance the development of the GEOSS information system for the benefit of users; 4) Develop a comprehensive interdisciplinary knowledge base defining and documenting observations needed for all disciplines and facilitate availability and accessibility of these observations to user communities; and 5) Cultivate global initiatives tailored to meet specific user needs.

20. “Develop a comprehensive interdisciplinary knowledge base defining and documenting observations needed for all disciplines and facilitate availability and accessibility of these observations to user communities.” Flip chart, Workshop at GEO Secretariat, 20-21 March 2014

21. “Develop a comprehensive interdisciplinary knowledge base defining and documenting observations needed for all disciplines and facilitate availability and accessibility of these observations to user communities.” Flip chart, Workshop at GEO Secretariat, 20-21 March 2014

22. Transformational Pathways forward Bringing together stakeholders and knowledge for informed, particpatory governance

23. “Develop a comprehensive interdisciplinary knowledge base defining and documenting observations needed for all disciplines and facilitate availability and accessibility of these observations to user communities.” “Develop a comprehensive interdisciplinary knowledge base defining and documenting observations needed for all disciplines and facilitate availability and accessibility of these observations to user communities.” Q: “... to user communities”: Who are the user communities? A: science and research, sustainable communities, participatory governance Q: “... these observations ...”: Observations or knowledge/ environmental intelligence? A: environmental intelligence, practice-relevant knowledge created on demand “... availability and accessibility ...”: How should this be accessible? A: more than access to observation databases and information systems ...

24. Social Science GEOSS Information System (GEOIS) Society Private Public Governance Participation Deliberations Decision making World Knowledge Creation and Usage: - Co-design - Co-creation - Co-usage (RIO+20) VST Meetings Deliberations Risk-based choices Scenarios Visualizations CoI mediations Stakeholder values & interests SD Instrument Sensors LKB Model Web Services GeoDesign GIS Integrated databases (environmental, economic, human) ontology What If? Policies Planning Codes Best & next practices Perceptions Human Sensors Impacts IoT State & Trends 4th GEOSS S&T Stakeholder Workshop IoM Predictions Collaborative Platform for Cooperation

25. Draft Position Paper/White Paper (PP): In progress GEO Secretariat informs IPWG and asks for guidance on the process for community feedback (Work plan symposium, survey) PP iterated with GEO Community; GEO Secariat leads iteration ... Implement SEE IN KB Version 0 (Nativi&Plag) Populate with well-tested blue-prints: together with relevant groups Populate with blue-prints for EVs; candidates are ECarbonV, eEOVs, EBVs, Develop process from goals to information needs - EVs - Observations Apply process to SGDs