In the GEO XV Plenary Meeting in Kyoto, GEO-CRADLE became a Regional Initiave of GEOSS with the approval of the 2018 Work Programme Progress Report.
This Initiative is a continuation and extension of the work of the GEO CRADLE Community Activity, which provided EO capacity building in the North Africa, Middle East, and Balkans (NAMEBA) region, now with potential to expand to the Black Sea. The Initiative will capitalise, sustain and scale up the results mainly achieved during the implementation of the 3-year H2020 GEO-CRADLE project, as well as key outcomes of other relevant EU flagship projects and initiatives (e.g. NextGEOSS, ERAPLANET, EuroGEOSS), in support of the three GEOSS priorities, namely Climate Change, Disaster Risk Reduction and Sustainable Development Goals.
The initiative will follow three main dimensions:
Geographic: The Initiative will progressively embrace all Balkan countries, with potential to involve new areas (Black Sea) and maintain the involvement of Middle East (where major gaps in GEO memberships are encountered) and North Africa (in connection to AfriGEOSS).
Thematic: On top of food security, energy, raw materials and climate change the Initiative will explore the incorporation of additional thematic areas such as disaster management and water resources management, in accordance to GEO priorities. These are areas identified as key priorities in the region and also strongly tied to the SDGs.
Operational Maturity: In conjunction with the efforts being planned under EuroGEOSS, the initiative will seek stronger involvement of the private sector and a clear orientation towards the operationalisation of services to the various engaged users.
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