Blog / July 19, 2021
The GEO Indigenous Summit, held online 5-7 December 2020, was a landmark event that brought together over 1000 participants from around the world and successfully engaged communities that have not traditionally worked together.
The Summit provided a space for Indigenous Peoples to engage in conversations with the GEO community about the future of Earth observation (EO) data and technology. During the event, participants explored the latest Indigenous EO-based applications, learned about the current opportunities and barriers that Indigenous Peoples face in accessing and using Earth observation data and technology, and left inspired to work with and for Indigenous communities.
Important questions about approaches needed to protect Indigenous knowledge and facilitate equitable collection, sharing and re-use of EO data, including consideration of data principles and ethics, were raised throughout the event.
The GEO Indigenous Alliance 2020 report highlights the opportunities and challenges that were raised during the Summit, and concludes with recommendations and actionable next steps. If we are to achieve the targets and goals of the Paris Agreement and the Sendai Framework, the challenges addressed during the Summit must be urgently addressed. Collaboration with the GEO community through the GEO Indigenous Alliance will ensure that innovative datasets and technologies are openly accessible and usable by Indigenous communities. The report can be accessed here.
For more information regarding collaboration with the GEO Indigenous Alliance, please contact: Diana Mastracci, International Strategic Liaison of the GEO Indigenous Alliance at diana.mastracci.sanchez@gmail.com
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