User Interface Committee Meeting
Ottawa, Canada
Government Conference Centre
September 5-7, 2006
2 Rideau St – Room Annex
DRAFT AGENDA
Goals:
to review the status of the tasks assigned to the UI Committee
 ensure reporting aligned for next submission to GEO
 align the Communities of Practice to help deliver on the tasks
 evaluate 2007-2009 work plan and linkages to 2006 plan and UIC
 Prepare for GEO 2006.
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Tuesday September 5th
10:00 – 5:00
10:00 -10:30 Introductions and Welcome
10:30 - 11:00 Review the goals and agenda
11:00 - 12:00 Review of 2006Tasks (15 minutes each)
 10 minute summary; 5 minutes for questions and next steps
 See Annex 1 for detailed description of each task
 CL-06-03 (FAO, John Latham)
 CL-06-04 (GOOS, Francois Gerard)
 CL-06-05 (GEO Secretariat, Michael Rast )
 DI-06-05 (GEO Secretariat, Giovanni Rum)
12:00 - 1:30 Lunch
1:30 - 3:00
Review of 2006 Tasks (15 minutes each)
 DI-06-06 (Greece, G.Papadopoulus)
 DI-06-07 (IGOS-P, Steven Hosford)
 DI-06-08 (WMO, Maryam Golnaraghi)
 DI-06-09 (WMO, Donald Hinsman)
 DI-06-10 (GEO Secretariat, Giovanni Rum)
 WA-06-01 (IGOS-P, Richard Lawford)
3:00 - 3:30 Health Break
3:30 - 5:00 Review of 2006 Tasks (15 minutes each)
 WA-06-03 (GEO Secretariat, Antti Herlevi)
 AG-06-01 (FAO, Jeff Tschirley)
 HE-06-02 (GEO Secretariat, Brendan Kelly)
 HE-06-03 (THORPEX, David Rogers)
 HE-06-04 (GEO Secretariat, Brendan Kelly)
 EN-06-04 (IEEE, Ellsworth LeDrew)
5:00
6:30
Adjournment
No host group dinner
User Interface Committee Meeting
Ottawa, Canada
Government Conference Centre
September 5-7, 2006
2 Rideau St – Room Annex
Wednesday September 6th
8:30-5:30
8:30 - 10:30
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Review of 2006 Tasks (continued)
User Interface Tasks [US-06-01 (GEO Secretariat, Brendan Kelly), US-06-02 (UIC), US-06-03 (GEO
Secretariat, Peter Colohan)] – Discussion on delivery/coordination/overlap and linkages between these
three tasks.
10:30 - 11:00 Health Break
11:00 - 12:30 Review of Challenges, solutions, reporting and next steps for 2006 Tasks
12:30 - 2:00
Lunch
2:00 - 5:00 Overview (GEOSEC) and committee review of the 2007-2009 Workplan
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Note the official review of Workplan is August to September 2006 – official review will
request:
 Comment on new tasks
 Express preliminary interest in leading or contributing to new tasks
- Coffee Break at 3:30pm cont’d
 Propose additional new tasks and
 Finally, to provide guidance and feedback on the convergence idea described for the
next three years (pages 3-4 of Draft 1)
 UIC will review the linkages between the 2006 and 2007-09 plans, and where they could be
enhanced or improved.
5:00 - 5:30
Linkages with Industry
5:30
Adjournment
User Interface Committee Meeting
Ottawa, Canada
Government Conference Centre
September 5-7, 2006
2 Rideau St – Room Annex
Thursday September 7th
8:30 – 4:30
8:30 - 9:00 Presentation /Review of Community of Practice (Co-chair)
 the CP model
 How the CP’s will help deliver on GEO tasks
 Reporting by the CP’s
9:00 - 10:00
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Status reports from the Communities of Practice (30 Minute Presentations)
Coastal Zone Community of Practice (Paul Digiacomo)
Air and Health - (Gary Foley)
10:00 - 10:30 Health Break
10:30 - 12:00 Status reports from the Communities of Practice (30 Minute
Presentations)
 Renewable Energy (Thierry Ranchin)
 Geohazards (Hormoz Modaressi)
 Water and Heath (Gary Foley)
12:00 -1:30
Lunch
1:30 - 2:30
Continue of Status reports from the Communities of Practice
 Forest (Michael Brady)
 New CP
2:30 – 3:30
Review Progress of CP’s
 Harmonize deliverables and reporting of CP’s
- Coffee Break at 3:00pm cont’d
 Discuss linkages and contribution to 2006 (and 2007-2009) Workplans
 Support and commitment to CP’s
 Are they delivering on GEO Tasks
3:30 – 4:30
Next steps and way forward for UIC
 GEO Plenary 2006 Community of Practice Side event?
 UIC meeting at Plenary – when, where?
 2007-2009 Workplan – input contributions, impact on UIC requirements
 Host meeting mid 2007
4:30
Adjournment
User Interface Committee Meeting
Ottawa, Canada
Government Conference Centre
September 5-7, 2006
2 Rideau St – Room Annex
Description of 2006 Tasks assigned to the UIC
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CL-06-03 (FAO, John Latham)- Consolidate the role of existing intergovernmental
mechanisms for terrestrial observations needed for climate studies and forecasting. Develop a
framework for the preparation of guidance materials, standards, and reporting guidelines for
terrestrial observing systems for climate and associated data, metadata, and products to expand
the comprehensiveness of current networks, facilitate exchange of data, and provide strategic
direction to the terrestrial climate sector.
CL-06-04 (GOOS, Francois Gerard) – Identify lead international entities and national focal
points for ocean observation efforts that can articulate national goals for their ocean observing
sector and coordinate national activities with other designated national entities in order to
evolve toward a truly global system of ocean observations.
CL-06-05 (Michael Rast) - Coordinate with the International Polar Year (IPY) to enhance the
utilization of Earth observations in all appropriate realms (including, but not limited to, sea and
land ice, permafrost, coastal erosion, marine and terrestrial ecosystem change, biodiversity
monitoring and impacts of increased resource exploitation and marine transport).
CL-06-06 - Enhance and improve coordination of coastal and marine climate Observations.
DI-06-05 (GEO Secretariat, Giovanni Rum) - Building on existing techniques, create a plan for
the production in coastal zones of high resolution (i) near-shore bathymetric maps (ii) land
use/land cover
maps and (iii) Digit Elevation Models.
DI-06-06 (Greece, G.Papadopoulus) - Harmonize existing efforts towards the preparation of a
“global tsunami hazard map” to support coastal zone monitoring and infrastructure planning &
investment.
DI-06-07 (IGOS-P, Steven Hosford) - Conduct an inventory of existing geologic and all- hazard
zonation maps and identify gaps and needs for digitization.
DI-06-08 (WMO, Maryam Golnaraghi) - Promote the cooperation of national and international
agencies towards a multihazard approach to address more effectively and systematically coastal
risks (e.g. from tropical cyclones, storm surges, tsunamis, land slides, volcanic eruption).
DI-06-09 (WMO, Donald Hinsman) - Expand the use of metrological geostationary satellites
for the management of non-weather related hazards.
DI-06-10 (GEO Secretariat, Giovanni Rum) - Initiate and maintain a dialogue between GEO,
the Board of the International Charter on Space and major Disasters and relevant UN agencies
to identify mechanisms for strengthening the scope and mandate of the Charter.
WA-06-01 (IGOS-P, Richard Lawford) - Organize workshops on water observations,
encompassing space-based, airborne, and in-situ observing systems, and focusing on (i) water
quality, including fresh, estuarine and marine water quality, (ii) ground water, (iii) precipitation,
soil moisture, surface water, and (iv) hydrological ensemble-based prediction and new
observing techniques and products.
WA-06-03 (GEO Secretariat, Antti Herlevi) - Organize a side-event at World Water
Forum IV (March 2006, Mexico), highlighting the benefits of global and
coordinated Earth observation for water resource-management.
AG-06-01 (FAO, Jeff Tschirley) - Initiate the creation of a 5- to 10-year strategic plan: define specific
objectives for 2007 and create a plan of action for GEO in agriculture.
User Interface Committee Meeting
Ottawa, Canada
Government Conference Centre
September 5-7, 2006
2 Rideau St – Room Annex
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US-06-01 (GEO Secretariat, Brendan Kelly) - Establish a GEO process for identifying critical
Earth observation priorities common to many GEOSS societal benefit areas, involving scientific
and technical experts, taking account of socio-economic factors, and building on the
results of existing systems’ requirements development processes.
US-06-02 (UIC) - Initiate pilot communities of practice to identify and further refine users’ needs, in
particular on cross-cutting areas, building upon the initial experience of community of practice and on
information provided by national, regional and project-level surveys.
US-06-03 (GEO Secretariat, Peter Colohan) - Promote interactions, in the form of fora,
between data providers, scientists, industry, international governmental and non-governmental
organizations, decision - and policy - makers to identify
requirements for new or improved data, products and services.
HE-06-02 (GEO Secretariat, Brendan Kelly) - Organize a workshop in Geneva in 2006 with
the external support of WHO on human health issues, and their relations
with Earth observations, environment and disease outbreak modelling, building
upon 2005 events (EC workshop on Human health and Global Change,
NIEHS/EPA workshop on Human health and Air quality. EPIDEMIO workshop,
Wengen meeting on seasonal forecasts for health, etc.).
HE-06-03 (THORPEX, David Rogers) - Facilitate the formation of international consortia and
coordinate, besides advocating funding for, the implementation of major demonstration pilotprojects integrating Earth observations, health and epidemiological as well as socio-economic
data. As a priority, a project initiated by THORPEX will focus on the use of advanced weather
and climate ensemble forecasting methods to develop and improve the predictability of major
health hazards and impacts in developing countries (e.g. West Africa).
HE-06-04 (GEO Secretariat, Brendan Kelly) - Organize bi-lateral meetings with major health
organizations and associations at national and regional levels and
representatives of GEO, to raise awareness of potential uses of GEOSS for
health.
EN-06-04 (IEEE, Ellsworth LeDrew) - Organize a series of activities including workshops to
identify and define the main elements/components of a strategic 5-10 Year Plan for the
optimum exploitation of the enhanced capabilities offered by the forthcoming new generation of
observing systems and forecasting modelling techniques.