About GEO
The Group on Earth Observations (GEO) is an intergovernmental partnership of 105 Member governments, 127 Participating Organizations and thousands of passionate individuals and businesses that improves the availability, access and use of Earth observations for a more sustainable planet.
GEO promotes open, coordinated and sustained data sharing and infrastructure for better research, policy making, decisions and action across many disciplines. The GEO community focuses on three global priority engagement areas: the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Paris Agreement and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.
GEO provides a unique forum where governments, businesses, the research community, non-profits and all other groups come together to create solutions, share, and cooperate.
What are Earth observations?
Earth observations are measurements of our planet and how it is changing: its land, atmosphere and oceans; its cities, towns and villages. This data is collected by satellites, aircraft, ships and observatories on the ground.
What does GEO offer?
In addition to over 70 Work Programme activities and initiatives that address global needs, coordination and knowledge gaps, the GEO community is building the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) and has already made more than 400 million open Earth observation data and information resources accessible via www.geoportal.org.
What has GEO accomplished so far?
Open data policy has gone from the exception to the global norm since the inception of GEO in 2005, and following work by organizations including the G20 and the OECD. This is reinforced as a growing number of GEO Member governments adopt and purse broad open data sharing practices. With the corresponding increase in available open Earth observations, end-user oriented initiatives developed through the GEO Work Programme are creating real impact on a wide range of global challenges. Learn more about our recent impacts in the GEO Highlights Report.
How can you get involved?
There are many ways that nations, organizations and individuals can contribute to GEO’s success:
- Become a Member country or Participating Organization
- Contribute data, knowledge, tools or resources for the GEO community
- Become or provide a seconded expert to the GEO Secretariat
- Propose a new GEO activity
- Become a commercial sector contributor
- Contribute financial or in-kind resources to the GEO Secretariat
