GEO Work Plan Symposium 2012, 30 April – 2 May 2012, Geneva, Switzerland

“Building Synergies Across the GEO Work Plan”

ID-02 Developing Institutional and Individual Capacity

Andiswa Mlisa

Task Leads and Contributors

Response to GEOSS Strategic Target: Build the capacity of individuals, institutions and infrastructures to benefit from and contribute to GEOSS, particularly in developing countries.

Expected Achievements by 2015 • Establish regional capacity-building networks: Organize and reinforce

international networks (incl. training opportunity networks) for the use and provision of Earth observations. Improve coordination of these networks through the GEO Portal and existing initiatives.

• Create conditions for expanding GEO capacity building activities and improving their effectiveness across Societal Benefit Areas.

• Develop qualitative and quantitative Performance Indicators for measuring the efficacy of institutional and individual capacity building programs

• Strengthen regional and national capabilities to employ geographic information systems and remote sensing for environmental monitoring and decision-making

Recent Progress and Key Outputs for 2012

• Training and research components of large funded projects with GEO signature and other ->

• EU FP7 DEVCOCAST (Africa & Latin Am): a success story 2007-2011

• EU EDF AMESD (Africa, SADC, IGAD)• EU FP7 EO2Heaven (Europe; Africa)• EU FP7 CEOP-AEGIS (Asia)• TIGER2 CBF (Africa with ESA)New recently launched:• EU FP7 AGRICAB (N,S,W,N Africa)• UN WFP-CO Ethiopia (food security)• NL NUFFIC NICHE-ZAF (South Africa;

UWC, Cape town)• NL NUFFIC NICHE-VNM (Ha Noi, VNM)SUBMITTED:• Ethiopia IWRM, coop. with e.g. Cornell

Univ., to NSF, USAID…• More..

Recent Progress and Key Outputs for 2012• Software portal:

– Software to handle and process the GEONETCast and ESA DDS data received is now freely available through the newly established “Earth Observation” community (http://52north.org).

• Capacity building portal:– Further information, hands on exercises and sample

data is now freely available at the ITC “GNC pages”

(http://www.itc.nl/Pub/WRS/WRS-GEONETCast)

• Registered component of GEO GCI

Recent Progress and Key Outputs for 2012• TerraMA2 - Version 3.0 to be released in July 2012

http://www.dpi.inpe.br/terrama2/english/index.php)– May 21-25, 2012: In Portuguese, 40 hours, at INPE– Mini-courses during Brazilian Symposium on Natural Disasters.

• TerraAmazon (http://www3.funcate.org.br/geo//available/wiki-v01-TerraAmazon/pmwiki.php/Main/Home)– Jan 23- Feb 2, 2012: IV International Course on Tropical Forest

Monitoring. Spanish Speaking Countries: Barbados, Belize, Granada and Jamaica

– Jun 11 – 29, 2012: V International Course on Tropical Forest Monitoring. Spanish Speaking Countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Panama.

• TerraHidro (website under development): Tool built on TerraLib´s library, designed to develop distributed hydrological models, using elevation and hydrological data. Engagement with DEM project to be developed with CEOS WGCapD (Working Group on Capacity Building and Data Democracy).

Recent Progress and Key Outputs for 2012

• EO & Geoinformation for Climate Change Adaptation: Malawi 2011 (Z_GIS, COOPI, UNDP); Uganda, Mozambique (supported by Austria)

• EC FP7 EnerGEO Summer Schools (Z_GIS Austria) linking EN-01 and Ecosystem Monitoring SBA – Salzburg/Austria 2011, – Brazil (INPE) 2012, – Kampala/Uganda 2013

• 2012 – Further define measurement framework for GEO capacity building performance indicators and undertake annual assessment

• Development and improvement of open-source software and open systems (Brazilian contribution)

• New releases to be released and training courses (TerraLib and family)

Linkages with other Tasks

• Potential collaboration with all tasks• ID-05: Resource Mobilization• IN-03: GCI

– GCI: Connect GEONetCab portal inside GCI (open source and best practices inventories)

– GCI: Training activity involving the GCI and registry of components.

– Outreach on GEO Portal (to be designed• IN-04: Communication infrastructure and networks• EN-01: Ecosystem Monitoring (EnerGEO summer schools)• CEOS WGCapD (Working Group on Capacity Building and Data

Democracy): development of an International Online Certificate Program in Remote Sensing, to be organized by CEOS Space Agencies.

• AfriGEOSS: Connect activities with AfriGEOSS

Available Resource (Contributors)

• GEONETCAST (systems and networks)• GEO-Net-CaB: Regional studies on earth observation

markets and capacity building (Nov 2009-2012)• SEOCA: GEO capacity building in Central Asia• AGRICAB Project: A framework for enhancing EO

capacity for Agriculture and Forest Management in Africa as a contribution to GEOSS

• AfroMaison: Africa at meso-scale: Adaptive and integrated tools and strategies on natural resources management (Mar 2011 - 2014)

• OBSERVE: Strengthening and development of EO activities for the environment in the Balkan area

Available Resource (Contributors)

• BalkanGEONet: Balkans in Global Observation• CLIVAR - Climate Variability Research Program• REGATTA (UNEP project funded by Spain)• CEOP–AEGIS• EnviroGRIDS (April 2009 - 2013)• EcoArm2ERA (Dec 2011 - 2014)• Swiss FNRS SCOPES ARPEGEO (Sep 2011 - 2013)• FP7 EnerGEO Summer Schools (Z_GIS Austria) • FP7 EO2Heaven (Europe; Africa)

Issues and Gaps

• Efficiency in using existing resources through coordination • Provision of information in the Task Component Sheets on

capacity building activities• Engagement with SBAs

Ideas for Accelerating Work Plan Implementation

• Commitment by all in Task Teams to actively participate and provide information timeously

• Terminology and role clarification (Task, Component, Priority Activitions, Leads, Contributors)

– All inclusive nature of GEO maybe there is room for an ‘observer’ role

• The process of collating information from Task Leads/Contributors can be improved to minimize effort in translating it to the task sheet – progress report template

• Consensus on level of detail to be provided in the task sheet (task team level)

• More frequent progress reporting to enable adequate coordination