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GCRISpace and Earth ObservationIn development
Participation paths

Participation paths

How researchers, practitioners and institutions take part in Space and Earth Observation, and what taking part does and does not mean.

Make an enquiry Back to Space and Earth Observation
Publisher
The Global Centre for Risk and Innovation
Field
Space and Earth observation, Climate and hazards
  1. 01QuestionNational, regional or institutional priority
  2. 02EvidenceSTEM foundation of the platform
  3. 03BuildNexus Foundry
  4. 04OrganizeNexus Ecosystem
  5. 05TestNexus Universe (independent site)
  6. 06PublishNexus Reports
  7. 07DecideCompetent authorities and institutions, through Nexus Rails
  8. 08RenewCorrections and the next annual agenda
01In brief

The short answer.

Taking part in Space and Earth Observation is open to remote-sensing scientists, space engineers and geospatial analysts and to institutions and national programmes working on space and Earth observation. Experts contribute knowledge, review or data; institutions follow the GCRI participation routes; countries go through the Consortium Secretariat. An enquiry receives a reference and creates no membership, role or influence over findings.

02Canvas

From enquiry to contribution.

Canvas · from enquiry to contributionDesign, not a record
Participation paths: a working group from charter to sunsetA charter sets the question and the code of conduct; members join with declared interests; a workplan produces deliverables that are reviewed and credited; the group reports and sunsets or renews. Design of the process, not a record of a run.

Fig.The path from an enquiry to a credited contribution. Design, not a record; no step creates membership.

03Geography

Earth observation in the Arctic.

For participation paths, in GCRI's spatial-intelligence reading, the map opens on true-colour imagery, population density and land cover with true colour from NASA GIBS, framed on the Arctic; every other NASA layer, live feed and forecast waits in the layer list.

The interactive map needs JavaScript; the layer list and sources are below.

Layers 3

Earth observation, for this page

Latest available

NASA GIBS / EOSDIS · ASTER GDEM (METI, NASA) · Blue Marble (NASA) · © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · Natural Earth

Loading the latest NASA imagery.

Drag to move. Ctrl or ⌘ and scroll, pinch or the buttons to zoom; hover for the values under the pointer; reset returns to the region.

For participation paths, in GCRI's spatial-intelligence reading, the map opens on true-colour imagery, population density and land cover with true colour from NASA GIBS, framed on the Arctic; every other NASA layer, live feed and forecast waits in the layer list.Satellite and model products as NASA publishes them, each with its own date; indicators, not assessments of any place; claim ceiling INTEGRATED.

Data: NASA GIBS · ASTER GDEM · Blue Marble · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Natural Earth · NASA HLS S30 · Copernicus Sentinel-2 L2ASources and licences

  • We acknowledge the use of imagery provided by services from NASA's Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS), part of NASA's Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS). Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into H3 cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
  • We acknowledge the use of imagery provided by services from NASA's Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS), part of NASA's Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS). Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into H3 cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
  • VIIRS near-real-time products (flood, land surface temperature, snow cover, corrected reflectance), NASA LANCE; imagery via NASA GIBS. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into H3 cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
  • Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), Columbia University. 2018. Gridded Population of the World, Version 4 (GPWv4): Population Density, Revision 11. NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC). Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into H3 cells where shown (modified). CC BY 4.0
  • MODIS land products (vegetation indices, gross primary production, land cover), NASA LP DAAC and LANCE; imagery via NASA GIBS. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into H3 cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
  • VIIRS Black Marble night-time lights, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center; distributed by the NASA Level-1 and Atmosphere Archive and Distribution System (LAADS DAAC); imagery via NASA GIBS. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into H3 cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
  • ASTER GDEM is a product of METI and NASA (ASTER Global Digital Elevation Model V003, NASA LP DAAC); imagery via NASA GIBS. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into H3 cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
  • Made with Natural Earth. Free vector and raster map data @ naturalearthdata.com. Public domain
  • © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), via NASA GIBS (coastlines, boundaries, roads and place names). Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into H3 cells where shown (modified). ODbL
  • Blue Marble, NASA Earth Observatory; imagery via NASA GIBS. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into H3 cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
  • Context on the globe and flat map: coastlines, boundaries, roads and place names from NASA GIBS reference layers (OpenStreetMap data, ODbL, © OpenStreetMap contributors); Blue Marble imagery as an optional base; 3D terrain and the elevation read-out from the ASTER GDEM elevation colour index (5 m to 200 m classes, exaggerated for legibility). Boundaries are drawn as published and imply no position on any territory.
  • Globe: MapLibre GL JS 6.9.1, BSD-3-Clause, © MapLibre contributors.
  • Observed (EO): NASA HLS S30 (contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2026). We acknowledge the use of imagery provided by services from NASA's Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS), part of NASA's Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS).
  • Observed (EO): Copernicus Sentinel-2 L2A (contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2026), Microsoft Planetary Computer
  • Optional layers (35 sources in the layer list: live, forecast, observed and context) print their provider credit on the map and here when switched on; forecasts are model output and derived indices are estimates.

Layers and dates

  • True colour: VIIRS NOAA-20 corrected reflectance, NASA LANCE · 13 Oct 2026
  • Population density, 2020: Population: CIESIN, Columbia University, Gridded Population of the World v4.11 (2018), NASA SEDAC, CC BY 4.0 · static
  • Land cover type (IGBP), yearly: MODIS Terra and Aqua land cover (MCD12Q1), NASA LP DAAC · 2024
  • Night-time lights, daily: VIIRS Black Marble (VNP46A2), NASA LAADS DAAC · 12 Oct 2026
  • Enhanced vegetation index, rolling 8 days: MODIS Terra EVI, NASA LANCE · 13 Oct 2026
  • Land surface temperature, day, 8-day composite: VIIRS NOAA-20 Level 3, 8-day, NASA LANCE · 14 Sep 2026

04Paths

Choose the route that fits.

Individuals

Experts and practitioners

Contribute expertise, review or data. Write to contact@therisk.global.

Institutions

Organizations

Institutional participation follows GCRI participation routes.

Countries

National programmes

Country work goes through the Consortium Secretariat at contact@therisk.global.

05Contributions that help

What specialists can contribute to Earth observation work.

Ground validation data are the most valuable contribution: field plots, flood marks or crop observations that test satellite products. Expert review of products and processing chains also helps. Contributions improve the spatial and temporal evidence topic and are analysed with spatial statistics.

Ground validation data and expert review of products are the main contributions.

  • Ground validation data.
  • Review of products.
06What it means

Participation and its limits.

  • An enquiry receives a reference; it does not create membership, a role or an assignment.
  • Taking part gives no authority, appointment or influence over findings.
  • Conflicts of interest are declared before work begins.

The current service level is R0: information and enquiries. An enquiry receives a reference and names the next step; applications, payments, compute allocations and registrations open only when their team, terms and review capacity exist.

07Key terms

Terms used on this page.

Each term as this page uses it. Where a standard-setting body defines the term, the wording follows that body.

TermDefinition
Declaration of interestsA written statement in which an expert or participant discloses financial, professional and personal interests that could constitute a real, potential or apparent conflict of interest, so that others can judge and manage it; WHO uses this procedure for its experts.
Service level R0The current service level of Nexus pages: information and enquiries only. An enquiry receives a reference and a named next step; it creates no membership, contract, assignment or commitment.
Community of practiceA group of people who share a concern or a craft and learn to do it better by interacting regularly; the term comes from Lave and Wenger's work on situated learning.
08Sources

Where this page's references lead.

The bodies and documents this page is read against. Status and editions change; each link goes to the issuing body.

09Questions

Questions and answers.

Is there a fee?
Any fee is stated with its terms before anything is agreed.
Related

Around Space and Earth Observation.

Space and Earth Observation

Bring your expertise to this field.

The current service level is R0: information and enquiries. An enquiry receives a reference and names the next step; applications, payments, compute allocations and registrations open only when their team, terms and review capacity exist.

Write to the team See all contact routes