The GEO Societal Benefit Areas

The following nine GEOSS Societal Benefit Areas were defined:

Disasters: Reducing loss of life and property from natural and human-induced disasters
Health: Understanding environmental factors affecting human health and well-being
Energy: Improving management of energy resources
Climate: Understanding, assessing, predicting, mitigating, and adapting to climate variability and change
Water: Improving water-resource management through better understanding of the water cycle
Weather: Improving weather information, forecasting and warning
Ecosystems: Improving the management and protection of terrestrial, coastal and marine resources
Agriculture: Supporting sustainable agriculture and combating desertification
Biodiversity: Understanding, monitoring and conserving biodiversity