2nd GEOSS Science and Technology Stakeholder Workshop GEOSS: Supporting Science for the Millennium Development Goals and Beyond Bonn, Germany, August 28—31, 2012

Session P5: GEOSS' support for MDGs and Future Earth Research

Conveners: Douglas Cripe, Georgios Sarantakos

By 2015, GEO will work towards achievement of the Strategic Targets for GEOSS implementation. These Targets mainly concern the coordination and integration of Earth observing systems and promotion of data access and use in support of informed decision making across Societal Benefit Areas (SBAs) including Agriculture, Biodiversity and Health. The achievement of these Targets is a further step towards addressing the challenges articulated by the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development, including the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

This session will provide examples of how, within the best efforts, voluntary framework of GEO, global partnerships and initiatives have been established in support of MDGs related to the Biodiversity, Health and Agricultural SBAs such as: ending poverty and hunger; addressing child & maternity health issues; combating HIV/AIDS; and sustaining the environment. Contributions that GEOSS can make to other bodies such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) will also be considered.

Finally, the presenters will demonstrate the importance of bridging social gaps (through Universal Education and Gender Equality) in support of global partnerships as they work towards achievement of both the Strategic Targets for GEOSS through 2015 and the MDG