GEONETCast – A new global highway to broadcast vital Earth data

Intergovernmental conference
of the Group on Earth Observations (GEO)

 

Bonn (DE), 28 November 2006

 

Who?

JÀÜrg Hennerkes (welcoming host)
State Secretary, Federal Ministry of Transport, Building, and Urban Affairs, Germany

 

Prof. Jos?à Achache (moderator)
GEO Secretariat Director

 

VADM Conrad C. Lautenbacher Jr. (USN-Ret.)
GEO Co-Chair for the United States
Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

 

Dr. Philemon Mjwara, GEO Co-chair for South Africa, Director-General, Department of Science and Technology

 

Prof. Lars Prahm, Director-General, EUMETSAT

 

Dr. Zoran Stancic , GEO Co-chair for the European Commission
Deputy Director-General for Research

 

Dr. Guoguang Zheng, GEO Co-chair for China,
Deputy Administrator, China Meteorological Administration

 

What?
Press conference and live GEONETCast demonstration

 

When?
28 November 2006 (press conference at 10:00)

 

Where?
Congress Centre Bundeshaus Bonn, GÀÜrresstra?e 15, Bonn, Germany (www.ikbb.de)

 

At the occasion of an intergovernmental conference of the Group on Earth Observations (GEO), a vital new capability called GEONETCast will be unveiled. With contributions from many nations and organizations, GEONETCast is a pilot cooperative effort led by Europe, the United States and China. As a pilot effort, GEONETCast is a milestone in the exciting and growing Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS). With support from 66 countries, the European Commission and 43 international organizations, GEO is leading a worldwide effort in which participating countries and organizations can cooperatively implement GEOSS.

 

Being designed as a ?¨system of systems?Æ to work with and build upon existing national, regional and international systems, GEOSS will yield a broad range of basic societal benefits, including the reduction of loss of life and property from tsunamis, hurricanes, and other natural disasters; improved water resource and energy management; and improved understanding of environmental factors significant to public health.

 

GEONETCast will transmit data about disease, drought, biodiversity, natural disasters, air and water quality, ocean conditions, ecosystems, and much more in free or low-cost, near real-time, user-friendly formats. With a 24/7 data stream, GEONETCast will provide the critical information required to protect lives and more effectively manage the world’s resources.

 

For more info: www.earthobservations.org/geonetcast

 

Additional information for audiovisual media:

* Television stations, networks and channels around the world that subscribe to the Reuters Television World News Service are invited to downlink a 10-minute video news release, B-Roll, animation and soundbite feed on Wednesday, 29 November, 2007 at 04:05 – 04:15 Greenwich Mean Time. This transmission will simultaneously feed all Reuters recipients in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East, North America, South America and the Caribbean.

 

Contacts

Livia Briese, Tel. + 49 61 51 807 839, Livia.Briese@eumetsat.int

NOAA (US):

Madelyn Appelbaum, Tel. +1 202 482 4858, Madelyn.Appelbaum@noaa.gov

Peter Colohan, Tel. + 41 22 730 8209, PColohan@geosec.org

European Commission, Research DG:

Errol G. Levy, Research Programme Officer, Tel: +32 2 296 7934, Errol.Levy@ec.europa.eu

 

Michael H. Wappelhorst, Press officer
Tel: +32.2.298 75 75, Fax: +32.2.295 82 20, Michael.Wappelhorst@ec.europa.eu

 

GEONETCast

 

GEONetCast is based on EUMETCast, EUMETSAT??s Broadcast System for Environmental Data, a multi-service dissemination system using standard Digital Video Broadcast (DVB) technology and commercial telecommunication satellites and uplink services to multicast data and products to a wide user community. Using commercial tele?communication satellites and only requiring off-the-shelf satellite-receiving equipment and standard personal computers it is a highly affordable solution and independent from ground-based telecommunications infrastructure GEONETCast is now available for users within the Global Earth Observation System of systems (GEOSS) and the European Global Monitoring for Environmental and Security (GMES) initiatives as well as for other environmental data providers. With GEONETCast allows to continuously distribute data and information directly to end-users, minutes after acquisition of the data, in a reliable manner, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

 

 

 

Group on Earth Observations (GEO)

 

The Group on Earth Observations (GEO) is leading a worldwide effort to build a Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) over the next 10 years. GEO involves 66 countries, the European Commission, and 43 international organizations. As a “system of systems,” GEOSS will work with and build upon existing national, regional, and international systems to provide comprehensive, coordinated Earth observations from thousands of instruments worldwide, transforming the data they collect into vital information for society. GEOSS will yield a broad range of basic societal benefits, including the reduction of loss of life and property from tsunamis, hurricanes, and other natural disasters; improved water resource and energy management; and improved understanding of environmental factors significant to public health.

 

 

 

EUMETSAT

 

The European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites is an intergovernmental organisation with currently 20 European Member States (Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom) and 9 Cooperating States (Bulgaria, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovenia and the Czech Republic).

 

EUMETSAT is currently operating Meteosat-6, -8 and 9 over Europe and Africa, and Meteosat-5 ?± and soon Meteosat-7 ?± over the Indian Ocean. MetOp, the first European polar-orbiting satellite was launched on 19 October 2006.
The data, products and services from EUMETSAT??s satellites make a significant contribution to weather forecasting and to the monitoring of the global climate.

 

www.eumetsat.int

 

 

 

Recognized internationally as a federal agency where science gains value, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the U.S. Department of Commerce works to understand and predict changes in the Earth’s environment and conserve and manage coastal and marine resources to meet social, environmental and economic needs. NOAA envisions an informed society that uses a comprehensive understanding of the role of the oceans, coasts and atmosphere in the global ecosystem to make the best social and economic decisions. With a focus that ranges from the surface of the sun to the bottom of the sea, NOAA’s 12, 500 employees research, develop and supply environmental information products, including weather warnings and forecasts and products related to climate, ecosystems and commerce. As a leader in applied scientific research, NOAA is a source of scientific information in several areas of global importance, including ecosystems, climate, weather and water, and commerce and transportation. NOAA is a key steward of U.S. coastal and marine environments, and a founding member of the Group on Earth Observations.

www.noaa.gov

 

 

CMA

 

The China Meteorological Administration (CMA) has been a public service agency, which is directly affiliated to the State Council of the People??s Republic of China. CMA has been responsible for organizational and operational management of the national meteorological services as a whole. CMA??s services cover multiple sectors or agencies, e.g. industries, agriculture, fishery, commercial business, energy, transportation, building industry, water conservancy, land and natural resources, oceanography, salt-making industry, environment protection, tourism, aviation, telecommunication, insurance industry, fire control, etc. CMA??s meteorological service system consists of weather forecast, climate prediction, climate change, atmospheric composition analysis and warnings, thunderstorm and Lightning prevention, weather modification, agro-meteorology and eco-meteorology, space weather monitoring, etc. By pursuing the concepts of ?¨public meteorology, security-oriented meteorology and natural resource-oriented meteorology?Æ, and by adhering to objectives of ?¨taking the people as our fundamental interests, being thoughtful, considerate and ready for serving any customers anywhere at any time?Æ, the meteorological services in China, which are based on sciences and technologies, fall into a category of basic public welfare services.

 

www.cma.gov.cn

 

 

EU

 

The European Commission is the executive arm of the European Union (EU) and largely responsible for managing the EU??s common policies, such as research, agriculture, trade, development aid, etc. The Commission also manages the budget for these policies.

 

www.ec.europa.eu/index_en.htm www.ec.europa.eu/research/index_en.html