Fundamental for Earth science missions and climate adaptation
Did you know that the measurements that we make from satellite systems are helping to inform decisions around the world and some of the most important ones are measurements of sea level rise?
“These measurements depend on having a very well understood reference point – a global geodetic reference frame.”
Dr. Karen St. Germain
Earth Science Division Director
NASA Science Mission Directorate
Dr. Karen St. Germain is keynote speaker at UN-GGIM twelfth session side event 2 August 2022.
Photo: Bjørn-Owe Holmberg
Don’t miss the UN-GGIM twelfth session side event: Forum on the Global Geodetic Reference Frame for Sustainable Development “Fundamental for Earth Science Missions and Climate Adaptation”, convened by the UN-GGIM Subcommittee on Geodesy on Tuesday 2 August at 1.30 pm.
The venue will be the United Nations Headquarters in New York City, Conference room 2 (Conference Building).
The critical role of global geodesy
This forum’s keynote speaker is Dr. Karen St. Germain. She will give a lecture on “The critical role that global geodesy plays in Earth observation”.
Dr. Karen St. Germain is the director of the Earth Science Division at NASA Science Mission Directorate.
Geodesy and the Global Geodetic Reference Frame (GGRF) is fundamental to research on sea level rise and climate adaptation as will be presented by research geophysicist Dr. Matthew Simpson from the Norwegian Mapping Authority during the Forum.
In a case study from the South Pacific, Ms. Meizyanne Hicks, director of geospatial information at the Ministry of Lands and Mineral Resources of Fiji, will elaborate on the impacts of sea level rise.
Opening remarks by Ambassador Peter Thomson
His Excellency Ambassador Peter Thomson from Fiji will give this Forum’s opening remarks: “Geodesy – Fundamental for Measuring Global Change”. The Ambassador is UNSG’s Special Envoy for the Ocean and UN-GGIM Global Geodesy Ambassador. In February 2015, he tabled the resolution on a global geodetic reference frame for sustainable development (A/RES/69/266) to the UN General Assembly.
“If we want precise positioning and accurate sea level measurements, we need to continue to observe and produce the very best of geodetic products.”
His Excellency Ambassador Peter Thomson
United Nations Secretary General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean and UN-GGIM Global Geodesy Ambassador
Ambassador Peter Thomson (Fiji)
Photo: Bjørn-Owe Holmberg
United Nations Global Geodetic Centre of Excellence
To sustain the GGRF, the Subcommittee on Geodesy proposed establishing a United Nations Global Geodetic Centre of Excellence in 2019. This was supported by UN-GGIM Committee of Experts. At the UN-GGIM tenth session Germany offered to host a Global Geodetic Centre of Excellence (GGCE), and the Member States welcomed and supported the proposal from Germany.
Johannes Bouman, Head of Department Geodesy at the Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy in Germany will elaborate on the progress made by the Government of Germany and the United Nations to host and establish a Global Geodetic Centre of Excellence at the United Nations campus in Bonn.
Mr. Johannes Bouman (Germany) Photo: BKG
This forum is moderated by Nicholas Brown, co-chair of the UN-GGIM Subcommittee on Geodesy and Director of National Geodesy at Geoscience Australia.
Mr. Nicholas Brown (Australia) Photo: Geoscience Australia
For more information:
Twelfth Session of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM) August 2022: UNSD — UN-GGIM