Showcase AuthorsAuthor(s): Luca Montanarella E-mail: luca.montanarella@jrc.ec.europa.eu Affiliations: Member Country/Participating Organization: European Commission Showcase DescriptionShowcase Title: Towards a global soil information system Showcase Description: Recognizing the critical importance of soil observations to GEOSS, the global soil survey community is uniting to contribute to GEO. The European Commission, represented by the EC’s Joint Research Centre (JRC), will facilitate the formation of this platform with the support of various institutions with national and international mandates. The European Commission will base its contribution on the successful experience in establishing a common European Soil Information System (EUSIS) based on the data and information provided by a large network of National and Regional soil data providers in Europe, the European Soil Bureau Network (ESBN). This successful experience, which has led to the recent establishment of the European Soil Data Centre (ESDAC), provides the ideal showcase for demonstrating successful participatory approaches that can be transferred at global scale for the short term compilation of a new and updated global soil database and information system in the framework of the GEO TASK-DA-09-03E: Global Soil Data. Full data interoperability for the integrated assessment of soil resources in Europe and at global scale will be demonstrated on practical examples, like soil erosion risk assessment, soil organic carbon estimation and other agricultural and environmental applications. Implementation of the scale transfer routines and data integration from the various participating National agencies will be demonstrated in the framework of the Multi-scale European Soil Information System (MEUSIS). The full documentation is available at the EU Soil portal: http://eusoils.jrc.it/index.html. The implementation of the European Soil Data Centre (ESDAC) and the linked metadata is available at http://esdac.jrc.ec.europa.eu/. Team: The European Soil Bureau Network (ESBN) is a large group of National and Regional soil surveys and data providers collaborating in the joint development of the European Soil Information System (EUSIS). Full list of members is available at http://eusoils.jrc.ec.europa.eu/esbn/esbn_members.html. Showcase JustificationAdd value of GEO in general: GEO is providing the framework for the future establishment of a global soil information system within GEO TASK-DA-09-03E: Global Soil Data. Similar to the European framework provided by the European Commission, the GEO initiative can provide the global framework needed for National and Regional soil data providers to collaborate towards a common information system. Add value of ADC: The close link with on-going ADC activities on architecture and data-related components have strongly facilitated the establishment of a common data infrastructure for soils in Europe. particularly legal frameworks like INSPIRE have been instrumental in facilitating data interoperability and access. Summit Themes and Focus: This global soil information and monitoring system showcase integrates different data sources (ground, air, satellite) and stresses the importance of long-term observations to understand and correctly monitor the global soil resources for sustainable development. Cape Town Declaration: This task is an important contribution to the implementation process of UNFCCC, CBD and UNCCD. Soil resources are highly relevant to all three Rio Conventions and have been recognized within the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment as the information layer able to promote important synergies among the three conventions. The European Soil Information System (EUSIS) is the ideal demonstration of a successful operation based on full data interoperability, coordination at National, Regional and Global levels and long term commitment for informed decision making at European and Global level. Global goals and assessments: New and updated global soil data and information are crucial for the full assessment of the terrestrial carbon pools (soils hold the largest terrestrial C pool), the full inventory of available soil resources for food and biomass production, the protection of soils from desertification processes and the full documentation of the the complex soil biodiversity pool. Therefore this initiative is of the highest relevance to UNFCCC, CBD and UNCCD. Filling gaps, ...: There is currently no coordination of global efforts in achieving a barely needed new global soil data and information system. Scattered efforts by various agencies and stakeholders are leading to duplication of efforts and are preventing to pool the available resources in order to achieve in the short term a high resolution coverage with new digital soil data and information. GEO can, and should, fill the gap and take the lead in the next generation of digital soil mapping data. Strong future GEOSS: A future system of soil information systems, as already implemented for Europe by the European Commission, would provide a strong case for long-term operational global soil information system of systems. Link to high-profile issues: High profile issues linked to soil data and information have been clearly identified during COP 15 of UNFCCC. Soils are crucial to the full assessment of terrestrial carbon pools and need to be constantly monitor in order to verify sustainability criteria for massive land use changes expected in the next years. Soils are a limited non-renewable natural resource. therefore for sustainable development there needs to be a full inventory and assessment of this natural capital in order to protect this limited resource for future generations. Cross-cutting nature: Soil data and information are cross-cutting by its nature as an interface layer between lithosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere. Soil data alone do not allow for any type of policy relevant assessment. they need alwys to be integrated with other data layers (meteo, land cover, socio-economic, etc...), therefore they are a strong case for data interoperability and standardization. Capacity building: Capacity building in the developing world is one of the core activities of the European Soil Bureau Network. Current activities in Africa, Latin America and Asia are preparing the next generation of soil surveyors and mappers that will be instrumental to the next generation of digital soil data and maps. |