The European Space Agency recently proposed to representatives
of the world’s major satellite Earth observation organizations
a pair of initiatives to support the plan for sustainable
development adopted by the summit held last summer in
Johannesburg, South Africa.

As part of a meeting on "Earth Observation for Sustainable
Development" held before the plenary session of the Committee
on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS), JosÈ Achache, ESA’s
Director of Earth Observation Programmes and 2002 chairman
for the group, outlined a modular plan for CEOS to coordinate
the efforts of the international space community as a
follow-on to the World Summit on Sustainable Development
(WSSD).

"The need for Earth observation for sustainable development
is well-recognised by the WSSD community," Achache said,
reiterating his statement made to the WSSD on behalf of
the CEOS partnership: "There is no sustainable development
without adequate information about the state of the Earth
and its environment."

"The challenge is how to integrate environmental observation
data with socio-economic information for better decision
making," Achache explained to the approximately 75 attendees
at the CEOS plenary meeting held at ESA’s ESRIN facility
outside Rome, Italy, 20-21 November 2002.

ESA calls for a two-pronged approach

As his final act of chairman for the meeting, the ESA
executive formally turned over the CEOS chair to Gregory
Withee, Assistant Administrator for Satellite and
Information services at the US National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The CEOS chair is
rotated among members annually, with China slated to
assume the chairmanship at the conclusion of next year’s
plenary.

The ESA plan consists of "modules" to address two of the
five areas identified in the WSSD Plan of Implementation
where space-based Earth observation would be essential to
assist sustainable development activities. The first is
aimed at education, training and capacity building; the
second is focused on management of water resources.

Lead agencies identified

Commenting on the meeting afterwards, Stephen Briggs, head
of ESA’s Earth Observation Applications Department, said
that NOAA will lead the education effort, while ESA and
Japan’s National Space Development Agency, spearhead the
effort on water resources.

"The overall effort on sustainable development will not
necessarily focus on Africa exclusively, but for ESA’s
element, our first interest is Africa," Briggs said.

Space agencies have indicated their willingness to
develop additional activities in these two areas, Achache
added, and the ESA proposal allows CEOS members to provide
their contributions, "as and how they feel fit."

Additional modules could be initiated to deal with the
remaining WSSD objectives, including disaster management
and conflicts, climate change, and global mapping/
land-use monitoring, as commitments are expressed by
CEOS members.

ESA’s Tiger Project to focus on water resources

The ESA executive also provided details of ESA’s proposed
contribution to the WSSD follow-on programme, the "Tiger
Project." This effort is aimed at providing the use of
Earth observation data from ESA’s Envisat satellite and
other ESA missions to assist in managing water resources,
primarily in Africa. The project, Achache said, would
be "driven by the needs of the local populations in
developing countries, facilitate access to relevant
Earth observation data, and transfer relevant technology
to developing
countries."

Based on discussions at the meeting, CEOS will continue
to examine ESA’s WSSD follow-up proposal and look at
possible modifications at future meetings.

NOAA’s Withee, CEOS’ new chairman, outlined his willingness
to move the follow-on programme forward. In looking at the
year ahead for CEOS, he noted the large disparity between
countries that have access to Earth observation data, and
those that do not. The CEOS response, Withee said, should
be to "conduct education and training workshops linked
with societal needs, for example, water."

UNESCO approved as CEOS associate member

CEOS was formed in 1984 and currently consists of 23 space
agencies along with 20 other national and international
bodies that participate in CEOS planning and activities.
Attending the WSSD follow-on workshop and the CEOS plenary
session were representatives from such space organisations
as the British National Space Centre, the US National
Aeronautics and Space Administration, Korea Aerospace
Research Institute and China’s Ministry of Science and
Technology.

Other interested parties represented included the World
Meteorological Organization, the United Nations
Environment Programme and the International Geosphere-
Biosphere Programme. The CEOS delegates voted unanimously
at the meeting to approve the membership of the United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO) as an associate CEOS member.

Related news

* WSSD endorses role of space
http://www.esa.int/export/esaCP/ESABJOZPD4D_index_0.html

* CEOS chairman addresses Johannesburg Summit
http://www.esa.int/export/esaCP/ESA3XJZPD4D_index_0.html

* CEOS address at Johannesburg
http://www.esa.int/export/esaCP/ESAF7HZPD4D_Protecting_0.html

* ESA in Johannesburg
http://www.esa.int/export/esaCP/ESASEBZPD4D_index_0.html

* ESA at the World Summit on Sustainable Development
http://www.esa.int/export/esaCP/ESA3I3ZPD4D_index_0.html

* ESA’s Chairmanship of CEOS
http://www.esa.int/export/esaCP/ESAOITG18ZC_index_0.html

Related links

* CEOS
http://www.ceos.org/

* IGOS
http://ioc.unesco.org/igospartners/igoshome.htm

* ESA WSSD site
http://www.esa.int/export/esaMI/WSSD_CEOS/index.html

* CEOS WSSD site
http://www.esa.int/wssd/ceos/

* ESRIN Homepage
http://www.esa.int/export/esaCP/GGGYA78RVDC_index_0.html

IMAGE CAPTIONS:

[Image 1:
http://www.esa.int/export/esaCP/ESAH8M7708D_index_1.html]
Prof JosÈ Achache (right), ESA Director of Earth
Observation Programmes, hands over CEOS chairmanship for
the next year to Gregory Withee, Assistant Administrator
for Satellite and Information Services at the US National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Credits:
ESA

[Image 2:
http://www.esa.int/export/esaCP/ESAH8M7708D_index_1.html#subhead1]
Representatives from Japan’s National Space Development
Agency (NASDA) and the Ministry of Education, Culture,
Sporets, Science and Technology (MEXT) at the 16th CEOS
Plenary Meeting. Credits: ESA

[Image 3:
http://www.esa.int/export/esaCP/ESAH8M7708D_index_1.html#subhead3]
Linda Moodie (l) from the US National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration discusses a point at the CEOS
plenary with D. Li, representative of China’s Ministry
of Science and Technology, which will chair the
organisation starting late next year. Credits: ESA

[Image 4:
http://www.esa.int/export/esaCP/ESAH8M7708D_index_1.html#subhead5]
>From left to right: B. Ryan, from the US Geological
Survey, W. Erdelen of the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and T.
Chiku with the United Nations Office for Outer Space
Affairs (OOSA), at the 16th CEOS Plenary Meeting.
Credits: ESA

[Image 5:
http://www.esa.int/export/esaCP/ESAH8M7708D_index_1.html#subhead6]
Yoji Furuhama, Executive Director of Japan’s National
Space Development Agency (NASDA). Credits: ESA

[Image 6:
http://www.esa.int/export/esaCP/ESAH8M7708D_index_1.html#subhead7]
The 16th CEOS Plenary Meeting was attended by about a
hundred high-level representatives of international space
agencies and their major partners, such as the World
Meteorological Organization, the United Nations
Environment Programme and the International Geosphere-
Biosphere Programme. At left is Dr SoulÈye Wade, Deputy
Director for course management at the Institute of Earth
Sciences, University of Dakar, Senegal, speaking with
Yoji Furuhama, Executive Director of Japan’s National
Space Development Agency (NASDA). Credits: ESA