The 12th meeting of CEOS’ Space Data Coordination Group (SDCG) for GFOI was held this week at ESA’s Centre for Earth Observation (ESRIN) in Frascati Italy.

The twice yearly meeting was attended by representatives from the world’s leading civil space agencies with earth observation satellites and programs. Under the SDCG, CEOS partners are working to ensure developing countries have ready access to the satellite data they need for monitoring their forests and account for greenhouse gas emissions and removals as their forests change.

At SDCG12, partners discussed a new theme for GFOI in Early Warning systems including the use of new satellite data technologies. Early Warning systems are designed to empower countries with near-real-time information on unexpected changes in their forests from fire, illegal logging or pests thus allowing action to be taken to protect the forest before it’s too late. GFOI has established an Early Warning taskforce together with partners WRI, to look at what country users might need from early warning systems and how advancements in new technologies and datasets can improve early warning techniques. The taskforce is still in its early days and initial findings can be expected in 2018.

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