A Transformative Concept: From Data Being Passive Objects to Data Being Active Subjects

The exploitation of potential societal benefits of Earth observations is hampered by users having to engage in often tedious processes to discover data and extract information and knowledge. A concept is introduced for a transition from the current perception of data as passive objects (DPO) to a new perception of data as active subjects (DAS). This transition would greatly increase data usage and exploitation, and support the extraction of knowledge from data products. Enabling the data subjects to actively reach out to potential users would revolutionize data dissemination and sharing and facilitate collaboration in user communities. The three core elements of the transformative DAS concept are: (1) intelligent semantic data agents (ISDAs) that have the capabilities to communicate with their human and digital environment. Each ISDA provides a voice to the data product it represents. It has comprehensive knowledge of the represented product including quality, uncertainties, access conditions, previous uses, user feedbacks, etc., and it can engage in transactions with users. (2) A knowledge base that constructs extensive graphs presenting a comprehensive picture of communities of people, applications, models, tools, and resources and provides tools for the analysis of these graphs. (3) An interaction platform that links the ISDAs to the human environment and facilitates transaction including discovery of products, access to products and derived knowledge, modifications and use of products, and the exchange of feedback on the usage. This platform documents the transactions in a secure way maintaining full provenance

Deliverable D6.2. Gap analysis draft report

The document describes the work carried out so far in ConnectinGEO concerning the development of an approach to gap analysis, the actual gap analyses, and considerations for a best practice in prioritizing gaps in terms of addressing and closing them. The report also provides guidance for the completion of the gap analysis and the development of a prioritized list of gaps. The document includes the report of Workshop 6 (Gap Analysis Workshop), which was held in collocation with Workshop 7 (ENEON Plenary) on October 10-11, 2016 in Laxenburg, Austria at the premises of IIASA

Deliverable D6.3. Gap analysis final report including prioritization

The document describes the outcomes of the gap analysis carried out in the ConnectinGEO projec

D2.3 : Proposal of EVs for selected themes

Report on the first proposal of EVs for selected themes. It will include description and justification of inclusion. It will collect drafts of SBA-specific EVs for Carbon (CMCC), Health and Pollution (CNR-IIA), Ecosystems (CNRISAC), Biodiversity (CNR- ISSIA), Energy (ARMINES), Disasters (TIWAH) and Oceans (CSIC). It will also include a report on the Co-located Essential Variables Workshop on M7

D2.2. EVs current status in different communities and way to move forward

Report on the Essential Variables current status in the scientific community and the strategy to push them forward. This report summarizes the results of the workshop "Towards a sustainability process for GEOSS Essential Variables (EVs)," at which the current status of the EV discussions in a number of communities was reviewed and recommendations for the further development of a general process for the identification and validation of the EVs were developed

A goal-based approach to the identification of essential transformation variables in support of the implementation of the 2030 agenda for sustainable development

The United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development sets seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be achieved by 2030. Earth observation are needed that can support the development and validation of transformation policies to make progress towards the SDGs. A participatory and inclusive goal-based approach (GBA) is introduced that links societal goals, targets and indicators to Essential Transformation Variables (ETVs) of the human and non-human environment. The GBA is complementary to the widely used expert-based approach. The GBA is applied to the SDGs at the goal, target and indicator levels. The high-level conceptual model used for the SDGs is humanity embedded in the Earth's life-support system (ELSS). At the goal level, very few of the SDGs are directly focusing on the ELSS and its physiology. Most of the SDG Targets focus on transformations in society and the built environment. Having targets that explicitly focus on the physiology of the ELSS would be important for sustainability. Most of the current indicator measure the built environment and the embedded social fabric. Sustainable development requires a functioning ELSS, and to ensure this, complementary indicators that bring environmental aspects to the monitoring of SDG targets are needed

D2.1. SDG Workshop Report. "Navigating Sustainability on a Changing Planet"

The report summarizes the Workshop on Sustainable Development Goals titled "Navigating Sustainability on a Changing Planet," at which the methodology for linking societal goals to Essential Variables (EVs) was discussed. In the first part, the report details the background for the need to develop a methodology to link societal goals to EVs and introduced the methodology. The second part contains the technical report on the workshop proceedings