Transcript Draft EUGENE Synthesis of strategic issues of SBA‘s Water

Strategic issues
M. Nyenhuis, R. Busskamp, S. Göbel, T. Lüllwitz
Technical reference
• Status-quo analysis (Oct 2009-Aug 2010)
– Report sent to key European organisations for review (3 review cycles)
– User requirements and gaps; catalogue of organisations, programmes and
projects (FP6, FP7, GMES etc.); strengths, challenges, opportunities;
• European expert workshop on Water SBA (May 2010, BfG)
– Pan-European organisations and programmes & major actors at European
Member States level (via HLWG); 35 organisations contacted
– Review of status-quo report; breakout sessions on strategic topics such as
data sharing, international cooperation, user requirements etc.
• Reports are available at http://www.eugene-fp7.eu/
Status quo analysis – main findings
• European strengths in Earth observation
– Earth observation technology/systems & expertise
• e.g. operational hydrological networks; data archives; satellite missions that
deliver hydrological & meteorological data; WFD;
– Programmatic frameworks
• e.g. GMES, INSPIRE, EU Framework Programme, capacity building
programmes (focus on Africa);
– International cooperation
• e.g. Europe supports implementation of key international frameworks such as
GCOS/GTOS, IHP and HWRP; EU Member States host international data
centres (GRDC, GPCC, IGRAC) ; support to GEO/GEOSS (!)
• Main challenges for Water SBA
– Fragmentation of the Water sector in Europe & lack of coordination of EU
contributions towards GEO/GEOSS
– Obstacles on data sharing, especially as regards in-situ data
Strategic recommendations for action (1/3)
• Improve coordination of GEOSS related hydrological activities
in Europe.
– Europe has developed extensive capabilities and expertise in the water
sector;
– Europe is facing a strong fragmentation of the water sector (diversity of
topics; institutional responsibilities);
– GEOSS as on overarching framework to establish a pan-European
coordination process in the Water area;
– Actions:
• Establish links of the HLWG to existing European expert groups in the field of
hydrology, e.g. WMO Working Group on Climate and Hydrology within the
Regional Association VI (Europe);
• Increase internal and external visibility of European GEOSS activities;
Strategic recommendations for action (2/3)
• Develop coordinated, targeted observations of the global
water cycle and assure a proper European branding.
– In support of the political/strategic role of the HLWG, coordinated actions
at implementation level need to be elaborated;
– Coordinate European contributions to the Water SBA Tasks and aim at
closing major observation gaps;
– Actions:
• Establish a European regional branch under the GEO Water Cycle Community
of Practice (CoP) to support the implementation of the Water SBA;
• Link relevant programmatic developments with the Water SBA Tasks,
especially the development of the GMES in-situ component (coordinated by
the EEA) and the GMES Africa Action Plan;
• Support the deployment of remote sensing technologies for hydrological
applications, e.g. in the framework of a CEOS virtual constellation Hydrology;
Strategic recommendations for action (3/3)
• Foster the exchange of hydrological data.
– Technological issues and restrictive, complex data policies pose a major
obstacle for the exchange of hydrological data;
– INSPIRE, GMES, WISE (Water Information System for Europe) as major
European frameworks for (hydrological) data exchange;
– Actions:
• Support the development of standards for the exchange of hydrological data,
e.g. in the framework of the OGC Domain Working Group Hydrology;
• Work towards compatibility of INSPIRE and the GEOSS Data Sharing
Principles;
• Enable the access to the WISE database through the GEOSS Common
Infrastructure;
• Facilitate the implementation of GEOSS Data Sharing Principles in European
Member States;
Thank you !
Michael Nyenhuis, Stephanie Göbel
Department of Geography, University of Bonn
[email protected]
Ralf Busskamp, Thomas Lüllwitz
Federal Institute of Hydrology (BfG)
[email protected]
Water
GEO Strategic Target.
Before 2015, GEO aims to:
Produce comprehensive sets of data and information products to support decisionmaking for efficient management of the world's water resources, based on
coordinated, sustained observations of the water cycle on multiple scales.
European Target.
Europe aims to improve the sustained observation of water cycle components and
the coordination of hydrological activities in Europe, combined with an increased
exchange of data. Europe intends to offer its expertise and to work with its GEO
partners to support global capacity building, with a specific focus on Africa.
Actions (derived from water study)
European strengths
• Earth observation systems & expertise
– Operational hydrological networks maintained by NMHS;
– Data archives, monitoring and early warning systems and maps, e.g.
Water Information System for Europe (WISE), European Water Archive
(EWA), Int. Hydrogeological Map of Europe (IHME), European Flood Alert
System (EFAS), European Drought Observatory (EDO);
– The European Water Framework Directive (WFD) as a legal basis for
Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM);
– European and international satellite missions that deliver hydrological EO,
e.g. SMOS, ASCAT (on MetOp), GOCE, GRACE, future GMES Sentinels
and meteorological satellites as such;
European strengths
• Programmatic frameworks
– The GMES programme
• Water resource and food security services and products in Europe, but
also at global level, and with a special focus on Africa;
• Transfer of GMES into the initial operations phase (2011-13) is an
important milestone to establish a sustainable Earth observation
programme in Europe;
– Through the INSPIRE process, Europe has acquired considerable
experience in the field of spatial data standardisation and infrastructure
development;
– EU Framework Programme contains funds dedicated to GEO
– Engagement in capacity building for Earth observations through
dedicated programmes such as PUMA, EUMETCast, TIGER and AMESD
and various national European projects;
European strengths
• International cooperation
– European contributions to implementation of key international
frameworks such as GCOS/GTOS, IHP and HWRP;
– EU Member countries host international data centres such as GRDC,
GPCC and IGRAC and provide scientific expertise;
– WFD as a legal basis for international cooperation and data exchange in
transboundary river catchments;
– European support of the GEO process
• Financial contribution
• Representation in GEO Committees
• Support to GEO Tasks
• Contributions are ‘self-organized’, no overall EU plan/strategy visible