Presentations from the GEO Week 2019 Targeted Side Event - Earth Observations: Preparing the global resource industry for a sustainable future

On 5 November 2019, Geoscience Australia presented a Targeted Side Event at the GEO Week 2019 Ministerial Summit in Canberra (http://www.earthobservations.org/geoweek19.php?t=home). GEO, the Group on Earth Observations, is a global intergovernmental partnership of 105 Member governments, 127 Participating Organizations and thousands of individuals and businesses that strives to improve the availability, access and use of Earth observations for a more sustainable planet.

The theme of the Targeted Side Event was as follows.

Strong, resilient and sustainable communities have jobs, homes, clean water, feel safe and are well connected locally, nationally and internationally. Government, business, industry and community decision makers can progress economic, social and cultural development using new, free digital information and mapping tools. Smart, fast and trusted decisions made using digital information and digital mapping can be used for any sized community, remote, rural, city, national. Sustainable development, responsible growth through a reform and transform approach can unlock new resource opportunities and respond to the economic and social challenges faced by many countries. Presented is a new digital mapping decision making tool that integrates resources: minerals, energy and water, within a social, economic and environment frame.

Addressing social licence and environmental sustainability is becoming increasingly important to ensuring the future economic development of Earth resources. The challenge for geoscientists is to create tools using data integrated from multiple disciplines to deliver insight into the complex interactions between diverse Earth systems and human society. These tools will enable specialists and non-specialists in communities, government and industry to make informed decisions for a sustainable future.