ISPRS 
2000 
  
         
        
   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Regional Global 
dh AAG 
Ty y UT 
K- d 
——Á pny 
VALIDATIONS 
- Land Cover «< » Land Cover 
TT meas satellite 
y 
(Daily weather) 
up LAI + » LAI 
meas satellite 
NPP  « » NPP 4 > NPP 
model meas satellite 
Agriculture, + 
range, 
forest yield fluxnet 
i | Fr 
Regional 
Global Carbon 
land manager, Models 
policy maker 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Critical vegetation variables of LC, LAI and NPP are meas- 
ured at the EOS-MODIS and regional scales, and used to 
validate the global satellite based estimates. NEP measure- 
ments provide a separate validation and translation of the car- 
bon budget based NPP to commodity yields (with local 
weather data if available) local resource managers. 
(Source: GTOS Secretariat) 
emphasises a user-driven approach, leading to value- 
added information products that increase scientific under- 
standing and guide early warning, policy-formulation and 
decision-making for sustainable development and envi- 
ronmental protection. 
The major thrusts of IGOS, as it is stated, will include: 
strengthening space-based/in situ linkages to improve the 
balance between satellite remote sensing and ground- or 
ocean-based observing programmes; encouraging the 
transition from research to operational environmental 
observations within appropriate institutional structures; 
improving data policies and facilitating data access and 
exchange; stimulating better archiving of data to build 
bench mark databases and the long-term time series nec- 
essary to monitor environmental change; and increasing 
attention to harmonisation, quality assurance and calibra- 
tion/ validation so that data can be used more effectively by 
various users, particularly those from developing countries. 
As it proceeds, IGOS encourages a modular approach in 
identifying and planning specific components, elements or 
programmes. In a co-ordinated and integrated manner, the 
IGOS Partners will plan the effective combining of space 
and ground observations and the effective utilisation sys- 
tems for monitoring and managing the climate, terrestrial 
surface and oceans. Currently, the IGOS partners adopt a 
  
68 
theme approach in the implementation of its strategy, with 
an intention to assure some systematisation and coherence 
in priority issues of global concern. In its rolling planning 
process, oceans, terrestrial, disaster management, carbon 
cycle, climate variability and change have been identified as 
potential theme areas which could have the potential to 
progress rapidly through joint planning and implementation. 
IGOS represents the convergence of several processes and 
inter-governmental mechanisms that recognise the impor- 
tance of systematic observation of the Earth environment 
and the value of synergising various space observation and 
in-situ programmes. The major partners of IGOS include: 
the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS), the 
World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) and the Inter- 
national Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP), the 
International Group of Funding Agencies for Global Change 
Research (IGFA), the Food and Agriculture Organisation of 
the United Nations (FAO), the Intergovernmental Oceano- 
graphic Commission of the United Nations Educational, 
Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO-IOC) and 
UNESCO itself, the International Council for Science (ICSU), 
the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the 
World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), which jointly 
sponsor the development and implementation of the Global 
Climate Observing System (GCOS), the Global Ocean 
Observing System (GOOS) and the Global Terrestrial 
Observing System (GTOS) to organise global-scale opera- 
tional observations of the climate, oceans and terrestrial 
surface. 
3. FAO Involvement in IGOS 
FAO considers IGOS a strategic tool for addressing infor- 
mation needs in agriculture development, including the 
implementation of Agenda 21 and environmental conven- 
tions. FAO is a founding member of the Global Terrestrial 
Observing System, which plays a pivotal role in IGOS. The 
central mission of GTOS is to provide policy-makers, 
resource managers and researchers with a decision sup- 
port tool and access to the data needed to detect, quantify, 
locate, understand and warn of changes, especially reduc- 
tions, in the capacity of terrestrial ecosystems to support 
sustainable development. GTOS focuses on five issues of 
global concern: changes in land quality; availability of 
freshwater resources; loss of biodiversity; pollution and 
toxicity and climate change. This programme aims to pro- 
vide guidance in data analysis and to promote integration 
of bio-physical and socio-economic georeferenced data; 
interaction between monitoring networks, research pro- 
grammes and policy makers; data exchange and applica- 
tion; and quality assurance and harmonisation of measure- 
ment methods. 
FAO hosts the GTOS Secretariat at its Headquarters. Under 
the guidance of the GTOS Steering Committee, the Secre- 
tariat is currently developing a Global Terrestrial Observing 
Network (GT-Net) and the TEMS meta-database. It plans for 
joint regional workshops with GCOS for formulation of 
regional activities. Closer co-operation is also envisaged with 
other parties in the framework priorities identified for IGOS, 
including in particular the theme on terrestrial - initially esti- 
mation of global net primary production (NPP) and the theme 
on carbon cycle - initially carbon sinks global mapping and 
monitoring. 
International Archives of Photogrammerty and Remote Sensing. Vol. XXXIII, Part A. Amsterdam 2000.