Dannielle Wood spoke at GEO Week in South Africa, held this year November 6-10 in Cape Town, South Africa.  Presented in conjunction with Krystal Azelton (Secure World Foundation - SWF) and Pontsho Maruping (South African Radio Astronomy Observatory - SARAO), Wood's session focused on "Call to Action: Sustainability on Earth Depends on Sustainability in Space," addressing "the threats to the space environment and specifically draw attention to ways the Earth observation community can participate in safeguarding space assets and data." The description further reads: "in order to respond effectively to the triple planetary crisis and drive sustainable development, including action on biodiversity, health, climate change, disaster risk reduction, urban developments, oceans, and coastal areas, and water and agriculture, it’s necessary to use data derived from Earth observations."

GEO is an organization that works to bring together the best Earth observation data, technology and science and translate it into free, trusted information that makes sense to everyone.  It is made up of partnerships with more than 100 national governments and in excess of 100 Participating Organizations that envision a future where decisions and actions for the benefit of humankind are informed by coordinated, comprehensive and sustained Earth observations. 

As a unique global network connecting government institutions, academic and research institutions, data providers, businesses, engineers, scientists and experts, the organization works to create innovative solutions to global challenges at a time of exponential data growth, human development and climate change that transcend national and disciplinary boundaries. The unprecedented global collaboration of experts helps identify gaps and reduce duplication in the areas of sustainable development and sound environmental management.

Together, the GEO community is creating a Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) to better integrate observing systems and share data by connecting existing infrastructures using common standards. There are more than 400 million open data resources in GEOSS from more than 150 national and regional providers such as NASA and ESA; international organizations such as WMO and the commercial sector such as Digital Globe.