Group on Earth Observations

Don't leave it until the last minute! Register now for the 2026 GEO Symposium.

Join us in Geneva on 26-27 May as we convene leaders in Earth Intelligence to explore transformative solutions for a resilient future.

Registration will close on 31 March and you have until 28 February to get your submissions in for Community Events.

Plus, sponsorship opportunities are now available to support travel for speakers from developing countries, youth networking, the GEO Innovation Fund and more. Reach out to the team to find out more ([email protected]).

Follow this link for further information ⤵️
https://earthobservations.org/about-us/events/2026-geo-symposium-geo-21-plenary

Active volcanoes, exposed communities, critical decisions. 🌋

Join us on Wednesday for the first GEO Work Programme Open House Webinar to learn about how activities in our Post-2025 GEO Work Programme are advancing hashtag .

This week's topic: weather, hazard and disaster resilience.

Speakers include Michelle Parks (Icelandic Met Office), who will talk about how the Geohazard Supersites and Natural Laboratories initiative strengthens resilience to volcanic hazards.

Find out more ⤵️
https://earthobservations.org/about-us/events/weather-hazard-and-disaster-resilience

After Japan’s devastating 2011 tsunami, Tohoku University's Shunichi Koshimura became committed to the idea that we should do everything possible to ensure people have better, real-time information in future disasters.

"That tragedy marked an important shift for tsunami science in Japan and around the world."

Today on World Tsunami Awareness Day, we’re highlighting why investments in real-time forecasting and Earth intelligence save lives.

Tsunamis move fast, so information has to move faster.

Read more in this new blog from Shunichi Koshimura, a member of GEO's Disaster Risk Reduction and Adaptation Working Group ⤵️
https://earthobservations.org/about-us/news/be-tsunami-ready-investing-in-real-time-forecasting-to-turn-earth-intelligence-into-action

Join us at for a joint event with IUCN: Global Ecosystems Atlas: the innovation layer for nature action using IUCN’s typology.

Hear about progress since the Global Ecosystems Atlas proof-of-concept launch, featuring stories from national actors on ecosystem mapping and insights from key tech partners on harnessing advanced technologies to accelerate and scale delivery.

Date and time: 10 October, 6-7.30pm
Location: Stage 3, IUCN Programme Pavilion, Abu Dhabi

Confirmed speakers include Elizabeth Mrema (UN Environment Programme), Astrid Schomaker (United Nations Biodiversity), Sean Breyer (Esri), Marco Lambertini (Nature Positive Initiative), Rebecca Moore (Google Earth Engine) and Ted Schmitt (Ai2), moderated by Yana Gevorgyan (GEO Secretariat).

More information ⤵️
https://earthobservations.org/about-us/events/iucn-wcc

“Earth observation has the potential to add a cumulative $3.8 trillion to global GDP by 2030 and delivers a holistic view of complex system dynamics. For emerging economies, this represents a unique opportunity to leapfrog traditional development models by deploying data-driven, systemic solutions that align economic growth with environmental stewardship.” ~ Yana Gevorgyan, Director, GEO Secretariat

In a new article published by the World Economic Forum, Hazuki Mori and Luigi Scatteia make the case for why every nation needs a space strategy as space is now core infrastructure for growth, security and resilience.

From tracking climate impacts to guiding urban planning and agriculture, space-based services underpin nearly 40% of SDG targets.

Earth observation is a perfect example of a space-based service.

The choice is clear: engage now and shape the future or risk being left behind.

Link to article in first comment.

Image: JAXA/NASA

At the cutting edge of science, breakthroughs happen when disciplines connect.

Earth and health sciences are coming together like never before, using the power of satellites, models, algorithms, cloud platforms and AI to tackle pressing health risks.

Read about 12 standout initiatives reshaping health solutions across the Americas in this new blog from John Haynes, Didier Davignon, Helena Chapman and Alice Lau ⤵️
https://earthobservations.org/about-us/news/12-innovative-earth-observation-applications-for-health-in-the-americas

Extreme heat is now a daily planning problem.

The GEO-convened Global Heat Resilience Service turns fragmented data into neighbourhood-scale guidance for mayors and planners: where to cool first, and how.

In this new blog from Rui Kotani and Martyn Clark, read about how we bought it to this year's Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, one of the biggest international conferences on reducing disaster risk, organised by United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR).

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Global Heat Resilience Service at GPDRR 2025: From demo to delivery Extreme heat is now a daily planning problem. The GEO-convened Global Heat Resilience Service turns fragmented data into neighbourhood-scale guidance for mayors and planners: where to cool first, and how.

AI is no longer just a tool; it’s a catalyst.

That was the message championed by the Group on Earth Observations at the recent Summit in Geneva.

Several speakers from across the GEO community, including Sara Venturini, Yifang Ban and Michele Melchiorri, helped drive important conversations.

Read more ⤵️
https://earthobservations.org/about-us/news/earth-intelligence-comes-alive-at-ai-for-good-summit

This week, Google DeepMind unveiled AlphaEarth Foundations, an advanced AI model that works like a virtual satellite, transforming how we see the planet. It efficiently maps terrestrial and coastal areas by merging Earth observation data into a unified digital “embedding” that computers can easily process.

A collection of these annual embeddings, the Satellite Embedding dataset, is now available in Google Earth Engine.

Convened by the Group on Earth Observations, the Global Ecosystems Atlas is harnessing this breakthrough to help countries classify previously unmapped ecosystems, from coastal shrublands to hyper-arid deserts.

As the first resource of its kind, the Global Ecosystems Atlas will play a critical role in helping countries better prioritise conservation areas, optimise restoration efforts and combat the loss of biodiversity.

"The Satellite Embedding dataset is revolutionizing our work by helping countries map uncharted ecosystems - this is crucial for pinpointing where to focus their conservation efforts," said Nicholas Murray, Director of the James Cook University Global Ecology Lab and global science lead of Global Ecosystems Atlas.

Read more ⤵️
https://deepmind.google/discover/blog/alphaearth-foundations-helps-map-our-planet-in-unprecedented-detail/