Geneva to Host GEO 6 Days Plenary, Geneva Ministerial Summit from 12th January

0
26

New Delhi (ABC live):The Group on Earth Observations (GEO) Plenary and the Geneva Ministerial Summit will take place 12-17 January 2014 in Geneva, Switzerland. WMO, which is a member of GEO and hosts the GEO Secretariat, will participate in the event, which includes more than forums and panel discussions.

On 13 January, there will be open forums on mitigating disaster risks, observing greenhouse gases from space, and our planet’s “cold regions.” Topics on 14 January include food security, crop monitoring and a new approach to making markets more stable, a cholera early warning system. Forums also will focus on water strategies,biodiversity and ecosystems, and the links between air quality and health. On 15 January, the spotlight will be on citizen observatories and the recent, exciting accomplishments of China’s Earth observation technology.

On 16 January, the fast-accelerating and serious environmental and economic issue ofocean acidification (“osteoporosis of the sea,”) will be explored. There is urgency to addressing this “silent storm,” which is literally causing a sea change and affecting the fundamental chemical balance of ocean and coastal waters from pole to pole.

GEO is bringing us an outstanding and unique opportunity to see a much fuller, more integrated picture of our planet With membership from 89 nations and the European Commission, and GEO has a mandate to provide a full, integrated picture of Earth. The GEO co-
chairs are China, the European Commission, the Republic of South Africa and the United States.