International GEO-Innovation Center faculty participated in the International GEOGLAM Program Executive Committee Meeting, hosted by the GEOGLAM Secretariat at WMO Headquarters, Geneva (March 21-23rd). The meeting provided updates on the current GEOGLAM initiatives and discussion on the future directions and activities for the program.
GEOGLAM is a flagship program of the Group on Earth Observations focused on the use of Earth Observations for Agricultural Monitoring for societal benefit. The Executive Committee is composed of the Co-chairs, Co-Leads of the GEOGLAM Activities and GEOGLAM partners. Partner organizations represented at the meeting included USAID FEWSNet, UN FAO, ESA, the European Commission, the Chinese Meteorological Agency and WMO. Updates and Next Steps were given by UMD Faculty on their current GEOGLAM initiatives: Inbal-Becker Reshef (the Crop Monitor and the Ukraine Task Force), Alyssa Whitcraft (Essential Agricultural Variables), Christina Justice (the Early Warning Crop Monitor and Capacity Building). Chris Justice (GEOGLAM Co-Chair) presented and led the discussion on Future Directions for the program.
During the meeting Christina Justice was presented with the GEO Individual Award for Excellence and the Executive Committee thanked Ian Jarvis (GEOGLAM Executive Director) for his contribution to the program, as he will be retiring in June of this year.
Following the GEOGLAM meeting, Alyssa Whitcraft attended the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) Land Surface Imaging Virtual Constellation (LSIVC) Working Group Meeting at ESA ESRIN and presented the GEOGLAM Essential Agricultural Variables.