GEO 101 is a gentle introduction to all activities and developments of the Group on Earth Observations.
The GEO Global Water Sustainability Initiative (GEOGLOWS) changes the paradigm for how streamflow information is created and disseminated. Traditionally, each water organization was required to have the expensive infrastructure and capacity to access large global datasets and develop their own models to forecast streamflow useful for decision-makers. Using the GEOGLOWS global streamflow services they no longer have to have their own internal infrastructure for modeling, but instead can access the streamflow forecasts through web services and use them according to their own prioritized needs. This freely provided streamflow information, which leverages the hydrometeorological computational expertise of the GEOGLOWS Partnership, saves millions of dollars and allows national and local agencies to use precious resources for developing solutions and applications specific to their local water resources management needs.

The Group on Earth Observations (GEO) has been advocating for and delivering access to open Earth observations (EO) data and information for more than a decade. The GEO Work Programme is a key implementation mechanism to help deliver the GEO vision and mission to deliver benefits to society via the collaborative work of national governments, the research and academic communities, the private sector, international organisations, non-governmental organisations and civil society. The purpose of this keynote is to highlight the range of activities underway on open EO data globally and highlight possibilities for open source software contributions, notably in the context of GEO.