Ten-Year GEOSS Action Plan

Around 60 nations and more
than 40 international organisations participated in the Third Earth Observation
summit on
16 February 2005 in

Brussels. The EO Summit took place within
the context of Earth and Space Week, a major EU-ESA sponsored event. Assembled
delegates at the summit formally agreed on a ten-year plan to implement a Global
Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS). The plan summarises the steps that
need to be taken to put a Global Earth Observation System of Systems in place.
Building a GEOSS means bringing together numerous EO sources and datasets and
creating a sustainable network for the distribution of data and information
products and services. GEOSS aims to increase responsiveness to user needs and
improve information delivery to users. The creation of a single, comprehensive
and sustained system for Earth Observation could help countries to identify and
address global environmental and economic challenges, including climate change
and natural disasters.