Purpose and benefits of the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS)

GEOSS is constructed on the basis of a 10-Year Implementation Plan for the period 2005 to 2015. The Plan defines a vision statement for GEOSS its scope and expected benefits, and the nine “Societal Benefit Areas”:

• Disasters: Reducing loss of life and property from natural and human-induced disasters,
• Health: Understanding environmental factors affecting human health and well-being,
• Energy: Improving the management of energy resources,
• Climate: Understanding, assessing, predicting, mitigating, and adapting to climate variability and change,
• Water: Improving water resource management through better understanding of the water cycle,
• Weather: Improving weather information, forecasting and warning,
• Ecosystems: Improving the management and protection of terrestrial, coastal and marine ecosystems,
• Agriculture: Supporting sustainable agriculture and combating desertification,
• Biodiversity: Understanding, monitoring and conserving biodiversity.

GEOSS coordinates a multitude of complex and interrelated issues simultaneously. This cross-cutting approach avoids unnecessary duplication, encourages synergies between systems and ensures substantial economic, societal and environmental benefits.