Blog / January 29, 2021
The Group on Earth Observations (GEO) is pleased to welcome the Republic of Namibia, Africa as a new Member in GEO. The Coalition for Rainforest Nations (CfRN) is now a Participating Organization and the Water Youth Network (WYN) joins GEO as an Associate.
The Republic of Namibia
Namibia has joined GEO and will participate in the implementation of the GEO Strategic Plan 2016-2025: Implementing GEOSS, in order to fulfil user requirements among various socio-economic benefit areas. As Dr. Lisho C. Mundia, the Director of Research and Innovation of the Ministry of Higher Education, Training and Innovation in Namibia, stated
“Namibia is eager to continue with the establishment and growth of our resource base for Earth observations, as a country, we have since prioritised the area of Space Science. Through GEO membership, Namibia is set to benefit by having access to the much-needed collaborative effort on human resource development, training and access to geospatial data that will better inform our research agenda and decision making.”
The Coalition for Rainforest Nations (CfRN)
CfRN is an intergovernmental, non-profit organization that was created in 2004 to provide support and capacity building for developing countries to protect their national resources and their forests. Through initiatives that reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, and enhance forest carbon stock through conservation and sustainable management of forests (REDD+), CfRN seeks to achieve environmental and social sustainability ultimately contributing to the global fight against climate change.
“The sustained availability of satellite data for national forest monitoring systems is critical for the effective sustainable management of forests and the reduction of deforestation and forest degradation. GEO plays a critical role in sharing Earth observation data to support policy decisions and actions on land use. The partnership between the Coalition of Rainforest Nations and GEO will certainly stimulate the development of innovative technologies and methods to support countries in the construction of their national systems for forest carbon tracking. It is a unique opportunity to enhance the domestic capacities of the countries and ensure that the Coalition for Rainforest Nations can continuously provide countries with updated and effective guidance."
- Kevin Conrad, Executive Director, Coalition for Rainforest Nations
The Water Youth Network
WYN promotes networking, knowledge sharing and collaboration among young professionals and students in the water sector. Young people have a significant role to play in advancing Earth observation-based solutions, not only by driving innovation but also by acting as the communicators and translators of new technology. WYN works with youth to promote innovative solutions that utilize Earth observation data and take into account their perspectives and expertise, proposing integral solutions to complex global issues.
“Water Youth Network is a vibrant organization that joined GEO to link young professionals worldwide with other professionals and institutions working in the Earth observations field to achieve the sustainable development goals to help societies overcome water-related issues. We expect to strengthen and facilitate the process where young professionals use Earth observation data and provide it to end users at different levels for its use to solve water issues. Additionally, we want to influence young professionals to use and incorporate satellite information into their projects and daily work.”
- Miguel Angel Trejo Rangel, Water Youth Network, Advisory Board Member
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