Humans continue to change the surface of the Earth at a rapid pace, and in turn our settlements, infrastructure, and activities remain highly sensitive to environmental variability and change. Monitoring and prediction of urbanization, population movement, rural development, and related changes in the Human Planet are therefore vital. The Human Planet Initiative of the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) is working to harness new data sources, technologies and analytic approaches to address key needs for improved understanding and modeling and for better tools for decision making in support of sustainable development.
The second Human Planet Forum provides a unique venue for expert groups working on different aspects of these issues to meet together to share progress, assess areas of common interest, and coordinate activities and plans. Key topics include:
The program will include a mix of keynote talks, panel discussions, working meetings, and interactive sessions.