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CONTENTSREPORT ON THE 11TH CEOS PLENARY
News From the Working Group on Information Systems and Services
CEOS Working Group on Calibration and Validation
IGOS Strategic Implementation Team - Progress Report
The Global Ocean Data Assimilation Experiment
The Upper Air Measurements
Long-Term Continuity of Ozone Measurements
Ocean Biology
Global Observation of Forest Cover
Disaster Management Support
The Global Terrestrial Observing System
ISRO takes over CEOS Chair for 1998 ---This page
ISRO takes over CEOS Chair for 1998
Indian Space Research Organisation Hq.Bangalore - 560 094From the chair ' desk
- Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the premier space agency
of India, took over the Chairmanship of CEOS on November 21, 1997 from
CNES at Toulouse, France.
ISRO has been one of the founding members of CEOS and has been involved fully with its evolution and activities over the past years. ISRO considers it an honour to steer the activities of CEOS for 1998. In this context, the role that the CEOS community has entrusted ISRO will enable it to share its vast and rich experience of relating the EO applications with space segment definition and development - specifically for local and regional level development.
The coming year will herald considerable developments - considering some of the very important activities that CEOS has embarked upon. The integration of efforts of the space agencies and the user agencies, under the Integrated Global Observing Strategy (IGOS), is into its second year of evolution and is taking good shape. The past year has seen the excellent work of user requirement analysis undertaken by the Analysis Group (AG) and also the development of the concept of IGOS by SIT. The 11th Plenary at Toulouse has endorsed the IGOS activities and called for a renewed thrust for IGOS activities - specially on finalising the IGOS framework, linkages with user agencies and furthering the IGOS projects. Developing guidelines for IGOS and dialogue with user agencies for involving them in the IGOS framework will have to be the major thrust of activities. A quick demonstration of the IGOS concept thru the IGOS projects would also help in focussing on short-term achievements.
IGOS is also of technology - newer ones at that. The need for calibration techniques - not only of EO data but also of the analysis modelling and parameter retrieval, have to be well integrated with the IGOS needs. IGOS calls for efficient information services on missions, data availability, models and analysis, accuracies of parameters etc. The Working Groups of CEOS have a very challenging role to play in support of IGOS and the projects.
IGOS is also of "partnerships" - a recognition of the fact that CEOS can just not get the strategy in place on its own. Developing linkages with other groups, amongst them the major ones being the user agencies and other international and commercial agencies - all together having a stake in furthering EO technology and applications, will be another major activity that CEOS has outlined. Discussions with these groups and agencies will have to be the prime activity towards getting the space agencies, the users and the service providers to participate in the global endeavor of IGOS.
ISRO attaches special concern for the development of EO technology and applications amongst the developing countries. The problems faced by developing countries - mainly on population dynamics, land and water management, disasters, environment and ecology etc, can very well be addressed by EO data. Many of the developing countries have excellent examples of how EO has been utilised to address very local and specific problems of their countries. There is a need for a two-way transfer of experience and knowledge on their capabilities and what CEOS and IGOS propose to achieve - which could very much be of benefit to the developing countries. Some of the activities of the Working Groups in support of developing countries are helping in reaching out to the developing world.
ISRO has also proposed an initiative for chronicling the benefits and values of EO technology over the past 25 years. Many a time, space agencies feel the need for a collection of good examples of the benefits that EO has given to society. ISRO has proposed to make a collection of world examples with focus on benefits and values (rather than techniques and models) as a treatise of how our society has benefited from this technology. Under WGISS, ISRO hopes to be able to pursue this endeavor in the coming days.
ISRO has geared up for the CEOS activities and looks forward to the support and guidance from all its members, affiliates and observers. Particularly, ISRO also recognises the rich experience of the Secretariat and will depend on them for carrying out the CEOS activities.
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