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3.2 Global monitoring for the environment and security

A versatile tool for broad policy support

At the Gothenburg Summit in June 2001, the European Council called for establishing by 2008 a European capacity for global monitoring of environment and security. As a response, the Global Monitoring for the Environment and Security (GMES) was set-up jointly by the European Commission and the European Space Agency as an initiative to provide independent, operational and relevant information in support of a range of policies serving sustainable objectives such as environment, agriculture, fisheries, transport, regional development. It will also support objectives linked to the implementation of a Common Foreign and Security Policy as well as to early warning and rapid damage assessment in natural disasters.

GMES ensures Europes interest to be an actor on the global scene, relying on independent means for gathering data and information. It answers at the same time the recognition that the design, conduct and evaluation of policies must be based on appropriate knowledge.

Its potential value in relation to the requirements of the common European Security and Defence Policy is currently being assessed.

The importance of space data

Over the past 10-15 years considerable progress has been made in supplying data from satellites. Observation from orbiting satellites presents advantages for monitoring, as they are global tools that can repetitively observe every corner of the Earth and provide global assessments as well as detailed views on specific locations.

Space-borne Earth observation technologies contribute to the objectives of GMES, alongside in situ monitoring capabilities, with which they are integratedby information and communication technologies.

Implementing GMES

The GMES capacity is geared towards the delivery of sustainable services supported by observation systems that may be in space, on the ground, in the air or sea-borne. Its potential and range could be significantly increased through combining with positioning systems and telecommunication satellites.

The implementation of GMES will include a structured dialogue with the users and the construction of a pan European partnership, associating owners and operators of existing or planned observation systems with adequate mechanisms for sharing data and information. In first instance, GMES is about bringing together existing and future users in need of environment and security data, such as environment departments, civil protection authorities. The GMES framework should serve to federate user requirements at a European level, to gather sufficient critical mass and to better use existing infrastructures and systems.

Preparatory activities have been undertaken respectively by the Commission under the Framework Programme for Research and by ESA in the context of the GMES Services Element programme. The EU Council has requested the Commission and ESA to report at the end of the initial period (2001-2003). Drawing lessons from this experience, the Commission will present in January 2004 an Action Plan for the Implementation Period (2004-2008), bringing the EU, ESA, Member States, EUMETSAT and other stakeholders into an overall approach.

GMES has the potential to cover a wide range of policies. However, taking into account political priorities and the state of development of infrastructures, priority should be given to developing services in support of:

Land management to support areas including agricultural policies, sustainable development of crops, early warning for food security, soil protection, management of natural resources, monitoring of bio-diversity, and urban planning.

Ocean monitoring to improve understanding of climate change and to support the sustainable management of resources e.g. fisheries. Maritime transport requires adequate surveillance for increased safety and environmental protection.

Atmosphere monitoring to contribute to understanding climate change, analysis of weather events and measurement of pollutants that damage human health. Services will provide real time information on atmospheric chemistry, pollution, aerosols and ozone components.

The management of water resources as highlighted at the Johannesburg World Summit on sustainable development in 2002 is an issue for the next decades. Services could support human and agriculture access to clean water.

Risk management is required for natural and industrial hazards that threaten peoples lives and cause significant damages to infrastructures. Services will include the provision of information on industrial hazards, floods, earthquakes, storms, forest fires, landslides and drought.

Humanitarian aid and security policies need tools for support, through the provision of mapping and decision support for aid and reconstruction, de-mining and development of tools for crisis management and conflict prevention.

These various services will require the use of specific Earth observation systems, in particular sensor technologies such as: high- and medium-resolution, optical and radar imagers for land surface, coastal zone and ocean monitoring; advanced optical and microwave sensors for atmospheric composition measurements and advanced active and passive microwave instruments for ocean monitoring.

These systems will complement the necessary ground, air and sea-borne observation systems and will also require in situ components for data validation purposes. Activities to establish the GMES capacity will therefore require the promotion and development of interoperable in situ elements and their links to data collection, data management and communications infrastructure, including satellite communications. Particular attention will have to be paid to the promotion of interoperability between existing systems.

The efficient use of data collected by space, ground, air and sea-borne systems and their integration with socio-economic information will depend also on the availability of co-ordinated data policies and appropriate spatial data infrastructures. This will enable services to find, access, share and trade data and information without unnecessary restrictions.

Recommended actions

• Within the EC/ESA Framework agreement, the Commission and ESA shall prepare a specific arrangement to provide:
• a management structure bringing together the various GMES stakeholders;
• a roadmap for developing and deploying interoperable GMES observation systems, spatial data infrastructure and services;
• a joint European research and development work plan including scenarios for demonstrator projects under the Framework programme.

The Commission should propose scenarios for the interface between civil and security usage.