Purpose

The Capacity Building Committee will support the GEO in strengthening the capability of all countries, in particular developing countries, to use Earth observation data and products in a sustainable manner and to contribute observations and systems to GEOSS. The GEO capacity building strategy will follow the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) concept of a global partnership between those whose capacity needs development and those who are able to assist in the process, recognizing that activities have intertwined social, environmental, and economic impacts.

Earthzine Fostering Earth Observation and Global Awareness

Earthzine is a resource for the international Earth-observing community and an arm for vitally-needed public outreach by providing information on the science and technology underlying Earth observations, and utilizing Earth information. The on-line publication is updated regularly with news from around the world about the Earth, Earth observations, environmental policy, and new and emerging environmentally-friendly and earth-observing technologies.

Browse the IEEE sponsored Web magazine

The Eye on EARTH: A Game Design Contest at DigiPen Institute of Technology

If you had a teenage son or daughter, how would you teach them in the importance of Earth systems information and Global Earth Observation Systems of Systems? Would you have them read a newspaper? Watch the news? Attend class? How about having them WANT to learn about Earth observation and systems from playing a computer "game"? Well, that's the aim of "The Eye on EARTH". The IEEE and DigiPen Institute of Technology (DigiPen) are working together to create a means for a greater understanding of the availability and benefits of Earth systems information, and its impacts to help mitigate and/or solve world problems in the 9 societal areas of: water conservation, energy, weather systems, climate fluctuations, ocean/ecosystem preservation, agriculture, disaster relief/response, health, and biodiversity.

In the game design contest, global participants (initial phase to be conducted by DigiPen) will design a computer game that enables players to use Earth systems information to make decisions requiring significant tradeoffs. This will challenge the user to optimize multiple society benefits within resource constraints using Earth data and information, as well as other factors. The winner is the player that provides the most benefits within the resource constraints. Although we use the word "game", the intent is to create a sophisticated simulation, employing similar concepts that are used in simulation gaming, but with the addition of real time data and information as available.

GEO Outreach Plan 2007 to 2009

Outreach is essential to many aspects of GEO activities. The outreach objective is to promote and increase the general awareness of the benefits of Earth observation, especially among present and future users, beneficiaries and sponsors of relevant systems. Within 2 years, GEO will produce and begin to implement an outreach plan directed towards key target audiences, including decision makers and policy makers; the general public; industry and service communities; scientific and technical communities; education entities; non-governmental organizations; public -interest advocacy groups; and international financial institutions and official development assistance agencies.

1.0 Overview

The outreach activities of GEO will be engaged by all GEO Members and Participating Organizations, to promote GEO through a variety of national and regional fora, materials, and events. To ensure unity and coherence in the outreach plan, which is of primary importance for building the international profile of GEO, these activities will be coordinated by the Secretariat. Moreover, the substance, message, key supporting material, and tactics of this outreach campaign need to be accepted by GEO Members and Participating Organizations. This is the purpose of this document.

The proposed strategy and organization of the outreach campaign has been derived from the outreach objective articulated in the GEOSS-10-Year Implementation Plan. Its purpose is to deepen the engagement with GEO in three stages:

• Raise awareness and general understanding of Earth observations, the purpose of GEO, and the nature and value of GEOSS;
• Increase knowledge and appreciation of the value of coordinated Earth observations within and across specific societal benefit areas;
• Generate support for the implementation of GEOSS and to GEO projects.

Of necessity, a global approach and a regional approach are proposed, and strategies for both are outlined below:

1.1 Global Approach

• Target Audiences - Decision makers and policy makers; the general public; media; industry and service communities; scientific and technical communities; user communities; education entities; non-governmental organizations; public- interest advocacy groups; and international financial institutions and official development assistance agencies.
• Substance and Message - Promotion of general GEOSS concept and three to four highprofile, global GEO projects or initiatives. General slogans and messages will be developed for this purpose.
• Materials – General message and concept materials for global use: brochure, video, public service announcement, exhibition booth panels, etc.
• Tactics – scientific and technical presentations; side events; print and broadcast placement in the international media and major regional media outlets; briefings to global decisionmakers; briefings to regional assemblies and major national parliamentary committees.

1.2 Regional Approach

• Target Audiences - Scientists, technical experts, user communities; local industry; general public, regional and local media, and science educators.
• Substance and Message – Focus on GEO benefits to the region, promoting relevant regional initiatives contributing to GEOSS. This will involve the development of a specific message adapted for the region and coupled with the global message.
• Materials - Translation of global materials into regional languages, development of SBA specific materials; development of educational materials.
• Tactics - regional events for science and technical audiences, regional industry exhibitions of relevant technologies and applications, including fora for the general public, the media, and science educators; Capacity building demonstration project or event within the region; Placements in regional broadcast and print media outlets.