During GEO Week 2021, the Group on Earth Observations will present the multidisciplinary activities of the GEO Work Programme that address policy agendas involved in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) COP26, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) COP15, the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and the UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration.

The online event will include the GEO-17 plenary, plus anchor and side events. Time will be scheduled each day for virtual networking. On Monday, November 22, the 56th Executive Committee will be held as a closed meeting.

Of particular importance will be the anchor events: These are the main events designed by GEO week 2021 organisers to explain the multidisciplinary nature of GEO through the concept of nexus thinking. Working on multiple topics simultaneously is essential in today’s rapidly changing environmental and social conditions. For example, work in one area will have a knock-on effect or impact in another area, such as the water, energy and food nexus. These events are linked to the global policy agendas that underpin most of GEO’s work.

Image credit: NASA

Advancing Earth Observation Forum 2022 will be a face-to-face, fully interactive forum. It will host user, industry, government, research and technical focused plenaries and interactive panels, poster and workshop sessions to interest and engage end-users, industry, researchers, government, analysts, start-up companies, educators and students.

The FIG Congress — the largest and most prestigious conference of surveying and geospatial professionals — will this year be held in Poland.

The organisers are expecting an attendance of 1,000 to 1,500 surveying and geospatial experts from all over the world.

This year the local host is the Association of Polish Surveyors, and the conference theme is ‘Volunteering for the future – Geospatial excellence for a better living’. Geospatial excellence and all related professions and topics are now seen in a much broader context and as public goods and beneficial for the well-being and betterment of the entire society.

The sub themes are:

• Surveyor 4.0
• The surveying profession in and after COVID times
• Open access to data
• Surveying competence for other disciplines

The FIG Congress 2022 will give passionate professionals the opportunity to:

• Learn globally, with participation from around 80 to 90 countries
• Learn across silos, from other countries, industries and professional roles – with sessions and representation from a broad range of surveyors and geospatial experts
• Have influence on careers, organisations and communities

The overall theme for the FIG Working Week 2023 will be ‘Protecting our world, conquering new frontiers,’ which refers to the importance of looking ahead and discovering what will be needed in the future for our profession and at the same time make sure to preserve what works well today.

The FIG Working Week 2023 will give passionate professionals the opportunity to:

• Learn globally, with participation from around 80 to 90 countries.
• Learn across silos, from other countries, industries and professional roles, with sessions and representation from the broad range of surveyors and geospatial experts.
• Make impacts on careers, organisations and communities.