The SCO at GEO Week 2023

Published on 16/11/2023

From 6 to 10 November 2023, in Cape Town (South Africa), the SCO took an active part in GEO Week, a global event dedicated to collaboration for a better understanding of our planet through Earth Observation. Here's a look back at the week's highlights.

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GEO Week reflects the desire for an organisation that can bring together the best Earth observation data, technologies and science and translate them into free, reliable information that makes sense for everyone. © GEO

Organized by the Group on Earth Observations, GEO Week and its ministerial summit bring together ministers, the private sector, civil society and international organizations to unblock action on the triple global crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.

As a GEO Participating Organization, the SCO was heavily involved in this key moment, demonstrating all the synergies between the two initiatives. In this respect, the SCO fully shares the vision of the GEO's post-2025 strategy, "Intelligence for all", described in the Cape Town Declaration 2023, adopted on 10 November 2023.

SCO highlights

▲ From left to right: Florent Veillon (IRD) and Pascal Rakotomandindra (BNGRC), who presented the Cimopolée project, Célie Losada (SCO France), who demonstrated the OpHySE and Mangroves projects, and Frédéric Bretar, head of SCO France. © SCO

In addition to the overall presentation of the initiative, the SCO highlighted three projects: OpHySE, a real-time river monitoring system implemented in French Guiana; Mangroves, which is finalizing its real-time mangrove monitoring platform; and Cimopolée, developed in Madagascar to improve resilience to cyclonic flooding. The latter project received the support of Madagascar's National Risk and Disaster Management Office (Bureau National de Gestion des Risques et des Catastrophes BNGRC), which testified to the significant added value of integrating the Cimopolee solution into its operational system.

Held in Cape Town, GEO Week was an opportunity for South Africa to join the SCO. Its space agency SANSA initialed the Charter with a 45th signature.

◀︎ Signing of the SCO Charter by the South African Space Agency with, from left to right: Asanda Sangoni and Humbulani Mudau (SANSA), Frédéric Bretar (CNES, SCO France), Giovanni Rum (Italian Space Agency ASI) and Célie Losada (SCO France). © SCO

Towards closer collaboration between SCO and GEO

This week undoubtedly reinforces our commitment to global collaboration to solve complex environmental challenges, including adapting to the impacts of climate change.

It also confirms the very strong potential for collaboration with GEO, whose GEOSS Portal will soon be referencing the tools used by SCO projects.