Remote sensing, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and agrometeorological and other environmental observations assist in acquiring and processing such data for addressing a variety of key issues related to environment and natural resources management, food production and food security, coastal zone monitoring, desertification, biological diversity, energy and climate change impact. Geo-referenced data from other sources, for example, socio-economic data, can also be combined with such environmental data for more in-depth analyses.
Geoinformation, monitoring and assessment includes all aspects of geoinformation data acquisition, analysis and dissemination, such as the activities themselves and the tools and techniques used. Several programmes in this field are highlighted below.
GeoNetwork
GeoNetwork provides Internet access to interactive maps, satellite imagery and related spatial databases maintained by FAO and its partners. Its purpose is to improve access to and promote the integrated use of spatial data and information by FAO's member countries; it also serves as a knowledge repository of spatial information. The target users include decision makers, GIS experts, spatial analysts, etc.
The site is powered by an open source software "GeoNetwork opensource" that was developed by FAO in close collaboration with partners, including the World Food Programme, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and fully supports international and open standards for services and protocols (a.o. from ISO/TC211 and OGC).
Climpaq
Climpag, "CLimate IMPact on AGriculture" brings together various aspects and interactions between weather, climate and agriculture in the general context of food security.
The site contains methodologies, tools for a better understanding and analysis of the effect of the variability of weather and climate on agriculture as well as data and maps. Topics include crop insurance, crop monitoring and forecasting, response farming, climate monitoring and natural disasters. Acccess is provided to substance data sets including global climate grids, climate maps and monthly data for more than 28000 stations in the world, with up to 14 observed and computed agroclimatic parameters. In addition it contains a local monthly climate estimator, LocClim.
Global Terrestrial Observing System - GTOS
GTOS is a programme for observations, modelling, and analysis of terrestrial ecosystems to support sustainable development. It facilitates access to information on terrestrial ecosystems so that researchers and policy makers can detect and manage global and regional environmental change.
GTOS has two sister observing systems, the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS), and the Global Oceanic Observing System (GOOS). Each system is part of the larger plan to provide comprehensive, global data on the biophysical environment, ecosystem processes and the socio-economic forces that influence them. This knowledge base is a prerequisite for effective planetary management.
Land Cover
FAO is actively involved in a number of project and partnership activities to map land cover:
Africover
Africover is a project that aims at establishing a digital georeferenced database on land cover and a geographic referential for the whole of Africa. The first operational module of the project is the Eastern Africa module. It was formulated to meet several African countries' requests for assistance in the set-up of reliable and georeferenced data-bases on natural resources. It is part of FAO assistance to the Nile Basin countries. The Project was operational in the period 1995-2002 and was signed by ten countries: Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.
GLCN - Global Land Cover Network
In 2004 the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), with the financial and technical support of the Government of Italy, created the Global Land Cover Network (GLCN) with the specific aim to answer the request of stakeholders. Specifically, the objectives of the initiative is to develop a global collaboration to develop a fully harmonized approach for the preparation of reliable and comparable land cover and land cover change data for use in local, national and international initiatives. In particular, GLCN is intended to support the stakeholder community in developing countries which have difficulty in producing and making accessible reliable, consistent and updated information. GLCN is based on the success of the Africover project.