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European Space Agency

Press Release

ESA proposes Johannesburg follow-up, hands over CEOS chair
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2 December 2002

The European Space Agency recently proposed to representatives of the
world's major satellite Earth observation organizations a pair of
initiatives to support the plan for sustainable development adopted by 
the summit held last summer in Johannesburg, South Africa. 

As part of a meeting on "Earth Observation for Sustainable
Development" held before the plenary session of the Committee on Earth 
Observation Satellites (CEOS), José Achache, ESA's Director of Earth 
Observation Programmes and 2002 chairman for the group, outlined a 
modular plan for CEOS to coordinate the efforts of the international 
space community as a follow-on to the World Summit on Sustainable 
Development (WSSD). 

"The need for Earth observation for sustainable development is
well-recognised by the WSSD community," Achache said, reiterating his
statement made to the WSSD on behalf of the CEOS partnership: "There
is no sustainable development without adequate information about the
state of the Earth and its environment."

"The challenge is how to integrate environmental observation data with 
socio-economic information for better decision making," Achache
explained to the approximately 75 attendees at the CEOS plenary
meeting held at ESA's ESRIN facility outside Rome, Italy, 20-21
November 2002. 


ESA calls for a two-pronged approach
------------------------------------
As his final act of chairman for the meeting, the ESA executive
formally turned over the CEOS chair to Gregory Withee, Assistant
Administrator for Satellite and Information services at the US
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The CEOS chair 
is rotated among members annually, with China slated to assume the 
chairmanship at the conclusion of next year's plenary.

The ESA plan consists of "modules" to address two of the five areas
identified in the WSSD Plan of Implementation where space-based Earth
observation would be essential to assist sustainable development
activities. The first is aimed at education, training and capacity
building; the second is focused on management of water resources. 


Lead agencies identified
------------------------
Commenting on the meeting afterwards, Stephen Briggs, head of ESA's
Earth Observation Applications Department, said that NOAA will lead
the education effort, while ESA and Japan's National Space Development 
Agency, spearhead the effort on water resources. 

"The overall effort on sustainable development will not necessarily
focus on Africa exclusively, but for ESA's element, our first interest 
is Africa," Briggs said. 

Space agencies have indicated their willingness to develop additional
activities in these two areas, Achache added, and the ESA proposal
allows CEOS members to provide their contributions, "as and how they
feel fit."

Additional modules could be initiated to deal with the remaining WSSD
objectives, including disaster management and conflicts, climate
change, and global mapping/land-use monitoring, as commitments are
expressed by CEOS members. 


ESA's Tiger Project to focus on water resources
-----------------------------------------------
The ESA executive also provided details of ESA's proposed contribution 
to the WSSD follow-on programme, the "Tiger Project."  This effort is 
aimed at providing the use of Earth observation data from ESA's 
Envisat satellite and other ESA missions to assist in managing water 
resources, primarily in Africa. The project, Achache said, would be 
"driven by the needs of the local populations in developing countries, 
facilitate access to relevant Earth observation data, and transfer 
relevant technology to developing countries." 

Based on discussions at the meeting, CEOS will continue to examine
ESA's WSSD follow-up proposal and look at possible modifications at
future meetings. 

NOAA's Withee, CEOS' new chairman, outlined his willingness to move
the follow-on programme forward. In looking at the year ahead for
CEOS, he noted the large disparity between countries that have access
to Earth observation data, and those that do not. The CEOS response,
Withee said, should be to "conduct education and training workshops
linked with societal needs, for example, water." 


UNESCO approved as CEOS associate member
----------------------------------------
CEOS was formed in 1984 and currently consists of 23 space agencies
along with 20 other national and international bodies that participate 
in CEOS planning and activities. Attending the WSSD follow-on workshop 
and the CEOS plenary session were representatives from such space 
organisations as the British National Space Centre, the US National 
Aeronautics and Space Administration, Korea Aerospace Research 
Institute and China's Ministry of Science and Technology. 

Other interested parties represented included the World Meteorological 
Organization, the United Nations Environment Programme and the 
International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme. The CEOS delegates voted 
unanimously at the meeting to approve the membership of the United 
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as 
an associate CEOS member. 

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