The IGOS process links research and operational programmes, bringing together the producers of global observations and the users that require them, in a structure that helps to determine gaps in those observations and identify the resources necessary to fill them. Its principal objectives are to address how well user requirements are being satisfied by the existing observations systems, and how they could be met more effectively in the future through a better integration and optimisation of satellite, airborne and in-situ observation systems.

The IGOS Partners recognise that it is not practical to attempt to define a comprehensive global observing system that would satisfy all needs for environmental information in a single step. Rather, they have adopted a process - the IGOS Themes Process – that allows for the coherent definition and development of an overall global strategy for the observation of selected environmental issues. Examples of such themes include the Oceans, Coastal Zone, Global Atmospheric Chemistry, and the Water and Carbon Cycles.

The Geohazards Theme was initiated and scoped in 2001 by UNESCO, CEOS and ICSU, three of the IGOS partners. A Theme team was formed, chaired initially by the International Institute for Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC) and then by the British Geological Service (BGS), and co-chaired by the European Space Agency (ESA) and UNESCO. With the support of a community of more than 200 people worldwide who expressed an interest in this initiative, and following an international peer review over the summer 2003, the IGOS Geohazards Theme Report was submitted in November 2003 and endorsed by the IGOS Partners at their IGOS-P10bis meeting in Colorado Springs (US) on 20th November 2003.

Office Role

The Executive Bureau is responsible for the coordination, monitoring and reporting of the implementation of the Geohazards IGOS.

The Executive Bureau builds on the solid foundations established by the IGOS Geohazard Theme Team in its theme report. In this document a series of recommendations was put forward with the objective of "integrating disparate, multidisciplinary, applied research into global, operational systems by filling gaps in organisation, in observation and in knowledge". To achieve this, the bureau aims to federate the efforts of the geohazards community around five strategic objectives:

1. Capacity Building
2. Observations
3. Modelling and integration
4. Infrastructure and access
5. Underpinning Science

1. the coordination of the geohazard community through the organisation of events that bring together key players. These actions also involves the setting up of a set of working groups covering the five strategic objectives of the IGOS Geohazards.
2. the development of a series of inventories that aim to supplement the effort in structuring the geohazard community by making available information on observations, tools, institutions and laboratories.